Who Am I Who Is She: A Naturalistic, Holistic, Somatic Approach to Personal Identity

Are "persons" physical things continuous in structure with other living things? Or is the issue a more complex one: are there more dimensions to being a person than mere physical existence? These are matters of interest in many fields of study in this age of individuality. The author addresses various aspects of the issue, including the history of self and identity. The tradition of dualism is rejected in favor of a straightforward, holistic, account of selfhood; it is argued that the mind arises in an emergent sense from the body and that personal identity is best expressed in terms of a self-reflective narrative. The approach is from an analytic philosophy point of view but also takes on-board psychological and sociological aspects.

Gerard P. Montague is a philosophical counsellor and consultant and teaches at a number of institutions in Germany and elsewhere, including a recent sojourns as guest lecturer in South Korea.