Identity Consciousness and Value

The topic of personal identity has prompted some of the liveliest and most interesting debates in recent philosophy. In a fascinating new contribution to the discussion Peter Unger presents a psychologically aimed but physically based account of our identity over time. While supporting the account he explains why many influential contemporary philosophers have underrated the importance of physical continuity to our survival casting a new light on the work of Lewis Nagel Nozick Parfit Perry Shoemaker and others. Deriving from his discussion of our identity itself Unger produces a novel but commonsensical theory of the relations between identity and some of our deepest concerns. In a conservative but flexible spirit he explores the implications of his theory for questions of value and of the good life.