Podstawy etycznej refleksji nad tożsamością osobową: perspektywa analitycznej filozofii umysłu

Abstract

Contemporary biomedical ethics contributed to deepened interpretations of fundamental moral principles, among them the principle of integrity. A criterion of medical action admissibility accepted today is not exactly the physiological functioning of an organism, but a person’s good profoundly conceived. Such extension of the outlook has its substantial significance in the evaluation of medical actions, e.g. neurosurgery. In association with the interference into human’s neural system there arose explicitly questions about the nature of human mind, its relation to a person and to some body organs, particularly to a brain. In compliance with the contemporary understanding of the principle of integrity a rule for this type of action was formulated: Interference in human body is becoming unethical if it threatens considerably a person’s identity, it is then taken as an attack on a patient’s personal dignity. This paper makes an attempt to approach the reality underlying the notion of „personal identity” The basis for the analysis is constituted by the achievements of analytical philosophy of mind that exerts substantial influence on vital discussion over the significance of personal identity for ethical settlements.