Potential Traits and Personal Identity

Previous work suggests that an important factor that influences whether or not we personally identify with an imagined version of ourselves is whether it has a mind. But is personal identity simply a reflection of whether an agent currently has a mind, or does it also track whether it has the potential to have a mind in the future? In 6 experiments we find that participants are willing to identify with agents who are completely mindless—such as their imagined fetus or future self who suffers serious brain damage—provided they believe that these agents have this potential. We suggest that feelings of personal identity track not only mindhood but potential mindhood, and that in some cases potential wins out.