Theo Todman's Web Page - Notes Pages
Personal Identity
Society
(Work In Progress: output at 29/03/2025 12:00:00)
Plug Note1
- Thesis Text:
- It seems that the social aspects of personhood are deemed to be the most important – indeed the defining – aspects of what it is to be a person by some contemporary philosophers.
- I have in mind Anne Sophie Meincke in this regard, but no doubt there are others.
- I have my doubts as it seems to encourage the widening of the net of personhood to include social animals – including ants and bees – that are clearly not persons unless personhood loses any appropriate sense of being a forensic property2, or else the moral community is expanded to a degree that makes its current norms unworkable.
- Such suggestions need to be compared with other assessments of what it is to be a person3, as in my discussion of Daniel Dennett – Conditions of Personhood4. The social aspect is assumed rather than explicitly mentioned.
- There are also issues about our “identities” – in the sense of Narrative Identities5 or our sexual identities – being defined or constrained by the society in which we live.
Further Remarks:
- I’d not imagined having to include a Note on this topic, but see above …
- A society may be said to constitute a Superorganism and be said to have a ‘Hive Mind’ or have ‘Collective Intelligence’ or ‘Swarm Intelligence’. Whatever I have to say about this will be covered in my Note on Organisms6.
References
- Relevant Works cited above:
- "Dennett (Daniel) - Conditions of Personhood", 1997, Write-Up Note7, Annotations, Read
- For a Page of Links8 to this Note, Click here. There are far too many items, and the vast majority irrelevant.
- Works on this topic that I’ve actually read9, include the following:-
- Aeon:
- "Frith (Christopher D.) - Our illusory sense of agency has a deeply important social purpose", 2017, External Link, Internal PDF Link
- General:
- "Dennett (Daniel) - Conditions of Personhood", 1997, Write-Up Note10, Annotations
- "Donaldson (Margaret) - Disembedded Thought and Social Values", 1978, No Abstract
- "Feynman (Richard) - What Is and What Should Be the Role of Scientific Culture in Modern Society", 1999
- "Meincke (Anne Sophie) - Human Persons – A Process View", 2019, Annotations, Internal PDF Link
- A further reading list might start with:-
- General:
- "Arbib (Michael A.) - Crusoe’s Brain: Of Solitude and Society", 2000, External Link
- "Baker (Lynne Rudder) - Human Persons as Social Entities", 2015, External Link, Internal PDF Link, Read = 11%
- "Barkow (Jerome) - Beneath new culture is old psychology: Gossip and social stratification", 1992
- "Benton (Ted) - Natural Relations: Ecology, Animal Rights & Social Justice", 1993, Book
- "Brehm (Sharon S.), Kassin (Saul M.) & Fein (Steven) - Social Psychology", 1999, Book
- "Claxton (Guy) - The Embodied Life: Self, Spirit and Society", 2015
- "Fetzer (James) - Biology and Society", 2005
- "Fine (Cordelia) - Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society", 2018, Book, Read = 2%
- "Glover (Jonathan) - The Social Self", 1988
- "Gray (Peter) - Social Development", 2007
- "Gray (Peter) - Social Influences on Behavior", 2007
- "Gray (Peter) - Social Perception and Attitudes", 2007
- "Graziano (Michael) - Consciousness and the Social Brain", 2015, Book, Read = 1%
- "Nelson (Alondra) - The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation After the Genome", 2017, Book, Read = 3%
- "Quante (Michael) - The Social Nature of Personal Identity", 2007, Internal PDF Link
- "Robinson (Guy) - Language and the Society of Others", 1992
- "Romaine (Suzanne) - Language in Society: An Introduction to Sociolinguistics", 2001, Book
- "Searle (John) - Mind, Language and Society", 1999, Book
- "Sterelny (Kim) & Griffiths (Paul) - Theory Really Matters: Philosophy of Biology and Social Issues", 1999
- "Tschudin (Alain J.-P. C.) - Belief attribution tasks with dolphins: What social minds can reveal about animal rationality", 2006, Read = 10%
- "Williams (Bernard) - Formal Structures and Social Reality", 1988., No Abstract
- "Wilson (Robert) - Persons, Social Agency, and Constitution", 2005, Internal PDF Link
- For a list of Works that have been considered, but have missed the cut for inclusion in this Section of my Thesis, see the following:-
- Read: No items to list.
- Further Reading: No items to list.
- This is mostly a place-holder11.
Table of the Previous 5 Versions of this Note:
| Date |
Length |
Title |
| 06/07/2023 00:43:12 |
3184 |
Society |
| 20/09/2022 11:24:00 |
2869 |
Society |
| 01/05/2022 18:20:10 |
2488 |
Society |
| 17/02/2021 18:50:24 |
2235 |
Society |
| 14/11/2020 12:41:46 |
1988 |
Society |
| Note last updated |
Reading List for this Topic |
Parent Topic |
| 02/03/2026 07:28:27 |
None available |
Person |
Summary of Notes Referenced by This Note
To access information, click on one of the links in the table above.
Summary of Notes Citing This Note
| Aeon Papers, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
Blackburn - Errors and the Phenomenology of Value, 2 |
Blackburn - Naturalism and Ethics, 2, 3 |
Crane - Philosophy of Mind and the Study of Mental Phenomena |
Dennett - True Believers |
| Dracula |
Fiction |
Forensic Property |
Internet Technology and Philosophy |
Le Fanu - Doubts About Darwin |
| Mackie - The Subjectivity of Values, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
Organisms |
PID Note, Book & Paper Usage, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
Race |
Review - Vardy: What is Truth? |
| Ship of Theseus |
Snowdon & Ward - Naturalism and Metaphysics - Q&As |
Somerset Maugham Short Stories - Part 1, 2, 3 |
Status: Personal Identity (2025 - December) |
Status: Priority Task List (2026 - February) |
| Status: Summary (2025 - December) |
Strawson - Why I Have No Future |
Teletransportation, 2 |
The Future of Philosophy, 2 |
Thesis - Chapter 01 (Introduction) |
| Thesis - Chapter 02 (What are We?) |
Thesis - Chapter 03 (What is a Person?), 2, 3, 4, 5 |
Thesis - Chapter 04 (Basic Metaphysical Issues) |
Thesis - Chapter 06 (Animalism and Arguments for It) |
Thesis - Chapter 07 (The Constitution View and Arguments for It) |
| Thesis - Chapter 10 (Thought Experiments), 2, 3 |
Thesis - Personal Identity, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
Website Generator Documentation - Functors, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
|
|
To access information, click on one of the links in the table above.
Authors, Books & Papers Citing this Note
| Author |
Title |
Medium |
Extra Links |
Read? |
| Alexander (Denis) |
Enhancing humans or a new creation? |
Paper  |
|
|
| Alexander (Ronald) |
The Self, Supervenience and Personal Identity: Introduction |
Paper  |
|
|
| Aronson (Polina) |
Mrs Myself |
Paper  |
2 |
Yes |
| Attwood (Tony) |
Video: Could It Be Aspergers? |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Badham (Paul) & Badham (Linda) |
Immortality or Extinction: Introduction |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Benson (Ophelia) |
This Isn't My Body |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Blackburn (Simon) |
Errors and the Phenomenology of Value |
Paper |
2 |
Yes |
| Blackburn (Simon) |
How can we teach objectivity in a post-truth era? |
Paper |
|
|
| Blackburn (Simon) |
What Do We Really Know?: The Big Questions in Philosophy |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Chapman (Colin) |
The Israel-Hamas war and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Crane (Tim) |
Mind |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Dennett (Daniel) |
True Believers: The Intentional Strategy and Why it Works |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Fine (Cordelia) & Hooven (Carole) |
Does testosterone make men? |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Hains (Brigid) & Hains (Paul) |
Aeon: 2019+ |
Paper |
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
Yes |
| Le Fanu (James) |
Doubts About Darwin |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Longrich (Nick) |
The other Homo sapiens |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Mackie (J.L.) |
The Subjectivity of Values |
Paper |
2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
Yes |
| Meincke (Anne Sophie) |
Human Persons – A Process View |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Pigliucci (Massimo) |
These lessons in scepticism could make the world a better place |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Quaglia (Sofia) |
Connected-up-brains |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Sandford (Stella) |
Seeing plants anew |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Strawson (Galen) |
Why I Have No Future |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| The Week, Botsman (Rachel) |
Big data meets Big Brother |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Chapter 01 (Introduction) |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Chapter 02 (What Are We?) |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Chapter 03 (What is a Person?) |
Paper |
2, 3, 4, 5 |
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Chapter 04 (Basic Metaphysical Issues) |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Chapter 06 (Animalism and Arguments for It) |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Chapter 07 (The Constitution View and Arguments for It) |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Chapter 10 (Thought Experiments) |
Paper |
2, 3 |
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Dracula |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Fiction |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Forensic Property |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Organisms |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Personal Identity |
Paper |
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Race |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Ship of Theseus |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Todman (Theo) |
Thesis - Teletransportation |
Paper |
2 |
Yes |
| Van Inwagen (Peter) |
Materialism and the Psychological-continuity Account of Personal Identity |
Paper |
|
Yes |
| Zinn (Anna K.) |
You have multiple ‘social identities’ – here’s how to manage them |
Paper |
|
Yes |
References & Reading List
| Author |
Title |
Medium |
Source |
Read? |
| Arbib (Michael A.) |
Crusoe’s Brain: Of Solitude and Society |
Paper - Cited |
Russell (Robert John), Murphy (Nancey), Meyering (Theo C.), Arbib (Michael A.) - Neuroscience and the Person |
No |
| Benson (Ophelia) |
This Isn't My Body |
Paper - Referencing |
From "Think" Website / The Philosopher's Magazine, 2005. |
Yes |
| Benton (Ted) |
Natural Relations: Ecology, Animal Rights & Social Justice |
Book - Cited |
Benton (Ted) - Natural Relations: Ecology, Animal Rights & Social Justice |
No |
| Dennett (Daniel) |
Brainstorms - Philosophical Essays on Mind and Psychology |
Book - Cited (via Paper Cited) |
Bibliographical details to be supplied |
43% |
| Dennett (Daniel) |
Conditions of Personhood |
Paper - Cited |
Dennett - Brainstorms - Philosophical Essays on Mind and Psychology, Chapter 14, 1976 |
Yes |
| Fine (Cordelia) & Hooven (Carole) |
Does testosterone make men? |
Paper - Referencing |
Aeon, 08 April 2025 |
Yes |
| Frith (Christopher D.) |
Our illusory sense of agency has a deeply important social purpose |
Paper - Cited |
Aeon, 22 September, 2017 |
Yes |
| Hains (Brigid) & Hains (Paul) |
Aeon: C-F |
Book - Cited (via Paper Cited) |
Bibliographical details to be supplied |
51% |
| Hains (Brigid) & Hains (Paul) |
Aeon: Follow-up Boxes |
Book - Referencing (via Paper Referencing) |
Bibliographical details to be supplied |
100% |
| Longrich (Nick) |
The other Homo sapiens |
Paper - Referencing |
Aeon, 23 May 2025 |
Yes |
| Pigliucci (Massimo) |
These lessons in scepticism could make the world a better place |
Paper - Referencing |
Aeon, 08 May 2025 |
Yes |
| Quaglia (Sofia) |
Connected-up-brains |
Paper - Referencing |
Aeon, 23 June 2022 |
Yes |
| Russell (Robert John), Murphy (Nancey), Meyering (Theo C.), Arbib (Michael A.) |
Neuroscience and the Person |
Book - Cited (via Paper Cited) |
Bibliographical details to be supplied |
1% |
| Sandford (Stella) |
Seeing plants anew |
Paper - Referencing |
Aeon, 02 August 2024 |
Yes |
| Van Inwagen (Peter) |
Materialism and the Psychological-continuity Account of Personal Identity |
Paper - Referencing |
Van Inwagen - Ontology, Identity and Modality, Part II: Identity, Chapter 9, 1997 |
Yes |
| Van Inwagen (Peter) |
Ontology, Identity and Modality: Essays in metaphysics |
Book - Referencing (via Paper Referencing) |
Bibliographical details to be supplied |
17% |
| Zinn (Anna K.) |
You have multiple ‘social identities’ – here’s how to manage them |
Paper - Referencing |
Aeon, 19 June 2024 |
Yes |
Text Colour Conventions
- Blue: Text by me; © Theo Todman, 2026