The Philosophy of Severance | Travis Timmerman (Rebroadcast)

Brain in a Vat

Ben Stiller's superb series, Severance, raises fascinating questions about the nature of personal identity. Are we minds or brains? Is it possible for two persons to inhabit the same body? And can a person survive gaps in their existence?

[00:00] Introduction to Severance

[01:24] Philosophical Questions on Personal Identity

[05:59] Real-Life Analogies and Thought Experiments

[11:26] Ethical Implications and Moral Questions

[22:20] Utilitarian Views and Moral Calculations

[30:57] Navigating Hypothetical Moral Dilemmas

[34:32] Severance and the Ethics of Suicide

[38:42] Retirement and the Ethics of Ending Lives

[41:02] Philosophical Puzzles of Personal Identity

[49:11] The Anesthesia Conundrum

[53:52] The Problem of Gradual Change in Identity

[01:00:28] The Intractable Nature of Personal Identity