For Locke, if there is not the same consciousness between myself and anyone before 9/11, I am not the same person as anyone before 9/11.

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider the central idea in Locke's theory of personal identity: what matters for the sameness of a person over time is the continuity of consciousness, particularly through memory and the ability to recall past actions and experiences. 
Option True: The statement says that if there is not the same consciousness between myself now and anyone before 9/11, I am not the same person as anyone before 9/11. Under Locke, the lack of overlapping or shared consciousness across time breaks the chain of personal identity, so the present self would not be the same person as the past self, since memory/awareness connections are missing. This aligns with Locke’s emphasis on psychological continuity rather than the persistence of a material substance. 
Option False: If one argued that Locke’s criterion allows some persistence of identity even without conscious continuity, that would misrepresent Locke’s position. He explicitly grounds personal identity in conscious continuity and memory; without it, there isn’t a continuous personal identity across those temporal boundaries. Further, saying you could still be the same person despite a break in consciousness would contradict the fundamental memory criterion Locke uses to define sameness over time. 
In summary, the core claim hinges on whether consciousness continuity is necessary for identity. Locke posits it is, so a break in consciousness across the time span implies a lack of the same person across those times; therefore, the statement is consistent with Locke's view, while the counterclaim misstates the role of memory in personal identity.

For Locke, if there is not the same consciousness between myself and anyone before 9/11, I am not the same person as anyone before 9/11.True/False

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