Phil Final Exam 2020 Question

Running head: PHIL FINAL EXAM 2020 1
PHIL FINAL EXAM 2020
Name of Student
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PHIL FINAL EXAM 2020 2
PHIL FINAL EXAM 2020
QUESTION TWO
Self-identity in philosophy centers on the concept that people develop about themselves
in the course of their lifetime. In the course of their development, individuals are bound to ask
philosophical questions about themselves, which generally arise by being people. In this regard,
a person may seek to find out whether he/she is still the same thing across various life stages, try
to understand the kind of thing that he/she is. We may also seek to understand what makes it
accurate that we are still the same in different periods and life stages (Kipper, 2016).
In his experiment, "The self and the Future, "William tries to provide an accurate
characterization of self-identity. Between switching memories between person A and person B,
he explains to the two entities that one will receive monetary rewards and the other torture after
the interchange. William assumes that both will choose financial rewards over pain and will still
have such memories such that the person who will receive torture will insist that that was not
his/her choices. Similarly, the person chosen to receive monetary rewards will confidently say
that he/she is receiving financial rewards as per their decision before the interchange. The point
here is that even after the exchange, the individuals will still have memories from their previous
bodies (Carter, 2017).
Thought experiment by William shows that the identity of a person does not change
regardless of what happens to the body. The fact that that A-body person and B-body person can
still recall their wishes about monetary rewards and torture demonstrates this argument. It also
shows that the process involved in the experiment is only that of changing bodies and not
identities. He comes to this conclusion through the assumption that person A and B remain
rational to choose cash rewards as opposed to torture for the person they will be post the

PHIL FINAL EXAM 2020 3
experiment. This demonstrates that person A and B believe that even after the switch, their
identity will still be maintained. In this case, it can be argued that the A-body person is really B,
and the B body person is really A (Carter, 2017).
I believe that each person has a unique identity that may not be altered with changes in
their bodies. It is quite evident that none of the two persons has forgotten their memories even
after the switching process. This only means that regardless of the physical changes that
individuals undergo, their identity can never be altered.
In conclusion, Bernard William uses his thought experiment to demonstrate that an
Individual's identity is distinct from their bodies. He also indicates that people's that switching of
memories between person A and Person B does not alter their identities because even after
switching, they can still recall their past wishes.
QUESTION THREE
Free will and moral responsibility are essential determinants of people's behavioral
conduct. Proponents of the concept of free will define it as the capacity to make choices among
multiple alternatives or act independently in various situations without influence from divine,
social, or natural constraints. On the other hand, philosophers perceive individuals as morally
responsible agents. This means that people can distinguish between what is right and what is
wrong and should, therefore, be accountable for their actions. Moral responsibility is
consequently concerned with the moral agent's responsibility of not causing any unjustified harm
to another person (Shepherd, 2015).
Notably, individuals as moral agents deserve punishment, praise, or blame based on their
omissions or negligence of their moral responsibility. Therefore, while free will mandates people