Through this thought process, Locke concludes that a person is capable of
understanding that just as they have existed before, they will continue to exist in
the future. Locke’s belief in the human ability to calculate actions based on
future consequences leads to the philosopher’s wider beliefs on accountability.
Locke believes that people can be held accountable for their actions, as actions
are performed with “reason and reflection” (Locke, 2000, p268).
Consequentially, accountability for actions is encouraged as humans are aware
that their current actions will follow them into the future so they must “plan
ahead” (Gordon-Roth, 2020).
According to Locke, memory-based consciousness is what defines
personal identity, with the individuality of each conscious distinguishing a person
from another. Locke argues that as far back as consciousness extends, is how far
a person’s identity exists and a person remains the same person when they have
the same memories. This relates to Locke’s wider understanding of human
knowledge, which he believes can only be formed through experience of
sensation and reflection on these experiences. Locke’s personal identity theory
is formed on this idea with the memory as the sensory experience and reflection
on this experience granting knowledge.
Locke continues in his work to establish the boundaries of his personal
identity theory. Through his Socrates example, Locke explains that a person’s
awake self and their asleep self, have two different consciousnesses. A person
can only be punished for their past actions if they are in the same consciousness
as they were when the action was committed. Locke distinguishes between his
definitions of a “person” and a “man”, whereby he describes a “man” as
synonymous with a human being and a person as an individual or a personality
(Gordon-Roth, 2020). A person is identified as the same person through their
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