Sense of Identity

Sense of identity through knowledge is not a static concept confined to identity relating only to our behavior and traits. Personal identity over time, can also be attributed with two approaches−the Psychological approach and animalism or the somatic approach. The Psychological approach to personal identity is that an individual is one who inherits his/her mental features, ability to think rationally, emotions, memories from his/her past experiences. The Psychological theory suggests that a person is the same individual as long as he/she is connected to the past in his/her present. For instance, if you want to know about how your normal behavior has changed over the years, you could simply ask your mother and if she reminisces your childhood memories, you can relate and decide whether you have changed or not. This approach is based on the fact that change in identity is an illusion – or rather a qualitative change. An alternate approach is animalism, which is from a Biological point of view. Animalism suggests that identity of self, alike all other animals, is a Biological property. This somatic approach says that a person is the same individual as long as he possesses his flesh; and as long as he is a living Biological organism. For instance, the proponents of the Somatic approach would say that if my brain were to be transplanted in yours, I would just be an empty headed thing. On the other hand, the Psychological approach would believe that although my brain is gone, I would retain my mental features. Both of these approaches from two areas of knowledge, in due fairness, lead us to the same belief of persistence of personal identity.