Title: Human Identity and Bioethics
First published: June 13, 2005
Description: When philosophers address personal identity, they usually explore numerical identity: what are the criteria for a person's continuing existence? When non-philosophers address personal identity, they often have in mind narrative identity: Which characteristics of a particular person are salient to her self-conception? This book develops accounts of both senses of identity, arguing that both are normatively important, and is unique in its exploration of a range of issues in bioethics through the lens of identity. Defending a biological view of our numerical identity and a framework for understanding narrative identity, DeGrazia investigates various issues for which considerations of identity prove critical: the definition of death; the authority of advance directives in cases of severe dementia; the use of enhancement technologies; prenatal genetic interventions; and certain types of reproductive choices. He demonstrates the power of personal identity theory to illuminate issues in bioethics as they bring philosophical theory to life.
Subjects: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Human beings, Identification, Identity (Philosophical concept), Bioethics, Bioethical Issues, Philosophische Anthropologie, PHILOSOPHY, Self Concept, Bioéthique, Social Identification, Ich-Identität, Identité, Homme, Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Bioethik, Identity (philosophical concept)