Parfit, l’égoïsme rationnel et la question de l’identité personnelle
The present article gives an illustration of the importance of economic philosophy by showing how the concept of individual rationality depends on one’s approach to personal identity. Considering the importance of the topic and the already growing literature on the subject, I decided to focus on Par...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Association Œconomia
2015-12-01
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| Series: | Œconomia |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/oeconomia/2175 |
| _version_ | 1818029509583044608 |
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| author | Christophe Salvat |
| author_facet | Christophe Salvat |
| author_sort | Christophe Salvat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present article gives an illustration of the importance of economic philosophy by showing how the concept of individual rationality depends on one’s approach to personal identity. Considering the importance of the topic and the already growing literature on the subject, I decided to focus on Parfit’s groundbreaking Reasons and Persons, published in 1984, which still remains unavailable in the French language. Parfit’s reductionist approach to identity, partly inspired by Locke, radically altered conceptions of rationality. More specifically, it contributed to the questioning of the theoretical foundations of rational egoism. The first part of this study introduces and presents reductionism as an alternative to the dualist conceptions of personal identity. The second and third parts respectively discuss the impact of this view on our relation to time, and addresses the question of (im)prudence. The fourth part of this paper considers the question of whether it is necessarily rational to be egoistic. This final section also details a the way in which Parfit’s philosophy can be used to support utilitarianism. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T05:20:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-df84595bb4d44190a90dd875c1b92fa6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2113-5207 2269-8450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T05:20:49Z |
| publishDate | 2015-12-01 |
| publisher | Association Œconomia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Œconomia |
| spelling | doaj.art-df84595bb4d44190a90dd875c1b92fa62022-12-22T02:00:49ZengAssociation ŒconomiaŒconomia2113-52072269-84502015-12-015443746010.4000/oeconomia.2175Parfit, l’égoïsme rationnel et la question de l’identité personnelleChristophe SalvatThe present article gives an illustration of the importance of economic philosophy by showing how the concept of individual rationality depends on one’s approach to personal identity. Considering the importance of the topic and the already growing literature on the subject, I decided to focus on Parfit’s groundbreaking Reasons and Persons, published in 1984, which still remains unavailable in the French language. Parfit’s reductionist approach to identity, partly inspired by Locke, radically altered conceptions of rationality. More specifically, it contributed to the questioning of the theoretical foundations of rational egoism. The first part of this study introduces and presents reductionism as an alternative to the dualist conceptions of personal identity. The second and third parts respectively discuss the impact of this view on our relation to time, and addresses the question of (im)prudence. The fourth part of this paper considers the question of whether it is necessarily rational to be egoistic. This final section also details a the way in which Parfit’s philosophy can be used to support utilitarianism.http://journals.openedition.org/oeconomia/2175Parfit (Derek)personal identityrationalityutilitarianism |
| spellingShingle | Christophe Salvat Parfit, l’égoïsme rationnel et la question de l’identité personnelle Œconomia Parfit (Derek) personal identity rationality utilitarianism |
| title | Parfit, l’égoïsme rationnel et la question de l’identité personnelle |
| title_full | Parfit, l’égoïsme rationnel et la question de l’identité personnelle |
| title_fullStr | Parfit, l’égoïsme rationnel et la question de l’identité personnelle |
| title_full_unstemmed | Parfit, l’égoïsme rationnel et la question de l’identité personnelle |
| title_short | Parfit, l’égoïsme rationnel et la question de l’identité personnelle |
| title_sort | parfit l egoisme rationnel et la question de l identite personnelle |
| topic | Parfit (Derek) personal identity rationality utilitarianism |
| url | http://journals.openedition.org/oeconomia/2175 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christophesalvat parfitlegoismerationneletlaquestiondelidentitepersonnelle |