Investigations into the Trans Self and Moore’s Paradox by Linda A. W. Brakel

Investigations into the Trans Self and Moore’s Paradox by Linda A. W. Brakel

Author:Linda A. W. Brakel
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030446451
Publisher: Springer International Publishing


Contrast Case 7—Amnesia

Amnesia can be conceptualized as a central loss of memory, but along with this, given the importance of memories in many accounts of the Self, some degree of damage to one’s Personal Identity-Self might be expected. Undeniably, amnesiacs lose track of who they are writ large and small. They can forget their own character traits and preferences, what they had deemed important, what they care about, and even whom they love and like and why. There are reports (perhaps merely anecdotal) that dementia patients “forget” their gender. Along these lines, but fully referenced, here is the unusual story of ABC News producer, Don (then Dawn, but later Don again) Ennis. Reported in a New York Magazine article (byline Joe Coscarelli, August 6, 2013) Ennis, who had transitioned to female, suffered a bout of transient global amnesia, during which time “she” not only forgot, but then also denied ever having transitioned to Trans-female status, resuming “his” maleness thereafter.23

Consider now someone who has lost all memory, and thus likely his/her identity. When this person, X, states: “I am now moving my arm.” or “I am in pain,” X is still a viable agential-Self, making first person statements immune from error through misidentification (Wittgenstein 1958; Shoemaker 1968).24 Similarly, Anscombe (1974/1994, p. 155) describes the Total Amnesiac, who, while retaining no memories, and nothing in the way of personal identity, is nonetheless intact in his bodily agential actions. Consequently, first person statements such as “Yes, I will walk over there” and “I’m getting up out of the chair now” are true, and as immune to error through misidentification as would be the case with persons of normal memory and normal personal identity awareness. Anscombe has thereby demonstrated the self as agent: Like X, Anscombe’s Total Amnesiac has lost all memory and identity, but not his agential-Self, his agential “I”.



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