Mental Experiments and Prudential Egoistic Concern
There are several thought experiments that explore the nuances of personal identity continuity and prudential egoistic concern. In this article, I will analyze some of these experiments. 1 – Sequence of Brain Fissions One of the most classic philosophical scenarios concerning the analysis of personal identity is that of brain fission. Imagine a person whose brain is split into two parts, and assume that the technology used for the division somehow manages to keep the brain minimally conscious throughout the entire process. Each half, together with other artificially created neurons, is used to create a complete brain exhibiting the same psychological traits as the original person; afterward, they are placed in an artificially created body. Now, suppose we designate the person who underwent the brain fission as X. X knows that the two individuals emerging after the fission will experience great suffering—for example, being tortured—and he can prevent that. If X is prudentially egoistica...