ABSTRACT
In challenging popular unitary conceptions of a personal self, Varela et al heralded many later critiques of what is now frequently described by philosophers, scientists and popular writers alike as the ‘myth’ or ‘illusion’ of the self. The commonsense idea of the self is important not only for our understanding of the nature and very existence of a self, but also for much else in scientific discourse and its relation to ordinary language and life at large which affects our understanding of human behavior. One prominent philosopher who has offered a novel solution to such problems is David Parfit. In his 1971 paper, ‘Personal identity’, followed in 1984 by his major work, Reasons and Persons, Parfit argues against the prevalent habit of confusing the psychological concept of identity with the logical ‘either-or’ concept. Like many other creatures, humans have also worked hard to modify the natural environment in pursuit of what they perceive as their own best interests.
