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Animalism - Objections
(Text as at 18/12/2010 19:58:05)
*** THIS IS NOT THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS NOTE ***
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A convenient starting-point for reviewing objections to Animalism is in "Olson (Eric), Etc. - Abstracta Special Issue on 'The Human Animal'", reviewed in this Note1.
The most obvious objection is to the initial implausibility of Animalism’s basic contention that – because I was once a fetus2 and may one day be a vegetable3 – psychological continuity or connectedness4 can have nothing to do with my persistence criteria. Animalists can be accused of not taking persons sufficiently seriously5.
Additionally, Animalists are said to have a “corpse6 problem”. Because I am co-located with my “corpse-to-be”, the Animalist is hoist by his own petard, in that he has the analogue of the “fetus7 problem” he alleges against the Constitution8 view.
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