Abstract
The possibility of a human person changing personal identity raises questions concerning what the moral obligations of the new person are. Do obligations endure through a change of identity or are they extinguished? Both horns of this dilemma create philosophical and practical problems. In this paper I will argue that many relational obligations do bridge changes in personal identity. I first consider two analogies of human personal change, e.g. changes in legal personality of companies and issues in state succession. In both cases relational obligations bridge a change of legal personality. I then argue that a wide range of relational obligations similarly survive in the case of changes in human personal identity, and that holding this view does not commit us to a problematic ontology of obligations.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 179-187 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Trames |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2011 |
Keywords
- Change in identity
- Enduring obligations
- Interpersonal obligations
- Personal identity
- Relationships