Personal identity does not endure over that span of tme. Don't believe philosophers if they start banging on about transitive identity.
If you punish a 94 year old for the crimes of the 21 year old version of himself, you're just punishing the wrong person.
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@PhilosophyExp And yet I feel sharply guilty for things that the 30-year-ago version of me did. Am I just being irrational? -
@TorquilMacneil Did your 30 years ago self feel sharply guilty...? -
@PhilosophyExp For some things yes, for other no. I find it hard to believe that that feeling is in some sense a mistake. -
@TorquilMacneil Surely you wouldn't take an absence of feelings of guilt as being a reliable indicator of absence of culpability? So... -
@PhilosophyExp But if the person who did those things is in no meaningful sense me, it is a 'mistake' of some sort to feel guilt, no? -
@TorquilMacneil Yes. My point is the presence or absence of guilt is not in and of itself a reliable indicator of culpability. -
@PhilosophyExp I get that, but you are also claiming that future me/you is in no meaningful sense the same person as now-me/you, right? - 1 more reply
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@PhilosophyExp How about punishing him for his grandfather's ex post facto crimes? That seems fair, right?
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@PhilosophyExp I've just been reading Derek Parfit as it happens. I see what you mean.Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@PhilosophyExp then who should be punished, or are you arguing for a statute of limitation on a crime?Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@PhilosophyExp I agree, but where do you draw the line with that?Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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@PhilosophyExp@SynFutures It's hardly about punishment at this stage. It's sending a message to today's 21 year old soldiers. -
@SynFutures@PhilosophyExp Are you suggesting that the man really was innocent? How long till we are no longer ourselves? -
@SynFutures@PhilosophyExp Arguably we are never the same person from moment to moment. So I'm *never* culpable for actions by former self!
End of conversation
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