Self-consciousness and personal identity are fundamental features of human subjectivity. Even present-day discussions of these issues in philosophy of mind are strongly influenced by the conceptual frameworks given to them in early modern thought. This book discusses the understanding of self-consciousness and personal identity as well as related issues, such as individuation, consciousness, reflection, self-concern, accountability, and conceptions of the soul and the afterlife, as it developed in early modern philosophy; that is, in seventeenth- and eighteenth century thinkers, such as Descar ... More

Self-consciousness and personal identity are fundamental features of human subjectivity. Even present-day discussions of these issues in philosophy of mind are strongly influenced by the conceptual frameworks given to them in early modern thought. This book discusses the understanding of self-consciousness and personal identity as well as related issues, such as individuation, consciousness, reflection, self-concern, accountability, and conceptions of the soul and the afterlife, as it developed in early modern philosophy; that is, in seventeenth- and eighteenth century thinkers, such as Descartes, Locke, Leibniz, Wolff, and Hume as well as their early critics, followers and other philosophical contemporaries. The book critically evaluates these contributions and explains the arguments in their historical context. It covers more than a hundred years of philosophical debate in France, Britain and Germany without neglecting to discuss either the details of the arguments or alternative interpretations.