Name: Is there a real you?
Uploaded: 2012-01-22T14:59:17Z
Duration: 11 min 49 s
Description: What makes you, you? Is it how you think of yourself, how others think of you, or something else entirely? Philosopher Julian Baggini draws from philosophy and neuroscience to give a surprising answer.

What makes you, you? Is it how you think of yourself, how others think of you, or something else entirely? Philosopher Julian Baggini draws from philosophy and neuroscience to give a surprising answer.

Is there a real you?

Personal identity is often seen as a stable, unchanging core, but evidence from philosophy and neuroscience challenges this view. Like water shaped by its molecules, a person is a collection of memories, beliefs, and experiences, constantly shifting and evolving. Brain science finds no central 'self,' only interacting processes that create the feeling of unity. This perspective suggests that a true self is something continuously shaped and partly created throughout life.