A while ago in class, we were discussing the past and its effects upon the future, and today we discussed whether a religion can maintain its identity as it undergoes numerous changes over time.
Well, what about us?
Do we maintain our identity as time passes? Is the "Eric" of a year ago, ten years ago, have the same identity as the "Eric" of today? I mean this intensionally, as extensionally, clearly my DNA hasn't shifted. But isn't there almost like three "Erics"? The "Eric" of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The three "Erics" could have completely different intensional maps, depending upon how much time has past, so does their "identity" truly remain constant?
If you've ever procrastinated, you've practiced this sort of thinking. After all, when the Eric of today procrastinates, isn't he merely pushing off his work to the Eric of tomorrow to do? Right now, the Eric of today almost views the Eric of tomorrow as a different person: Oh, he thinks, I'll just let him do it tomorrow, so that I don't have to do it today. (Of course, as the Eric of tomorrow becomes the Eric of today, he becomes very annoyed at the lazy Eric of yesterday that left him this work to do...)
In a sense, we have multiple selves, different versions. After all, the you of fifty years from now could seem like a completely different person than the you of today. That could be one reason why people have trouble saving for retirement: it's almost as if they're passing off their money to an older retiree years into the future, a retiree that is a different person from who they are today.
Thoughts?
(The Eric Wei at 7:53 PM Tuesday, who also apologizes for the constant use of the third person.)
