Externalist approaches of the concept of person: analysis of the implications of ubiquitous computing in personhood

• Grant number: 18/06147-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2018
• End date: October 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Philosophy - Epistemology
• Principal Investigator: Mariana Claudia Broens
• Grantee: Felipe Eleutério Pereira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências (FFC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Marília. Marília , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/14234-0 - Second-person externalism: the atribution of personal states mediated by wearable computing tecnologies, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

The present project has the objective of investigating externalist conceptions of the notion of person, analyzing the role developed by interpersonal relationships, especially those mediated by technologies, in the process of constitution of personal identity. More specifically, we will aim towards investigating possible implications of the use of wearable computing in the process of constitution/updating of personal identity from a second person perspective. In this sense, we set off from a first person externalist approach according to which the process of updating and recognitioning of personal identity is given by the public acknowledgment of its strong first person perspective capacity; such capacity is possible, according to this approach, if the person instantiates the extrinsic property of being situated and embodied in a linguistic community. However, taking into account that, many times, communication of meaning is given directly, without linguistic-propositional mediation, we intend to discuss Lynne Baker's first person externalism by investigating it from "second person" externalisms. Based upon the hypothesis that, in the second person externalism, the way people interact among themselves and socially present themselves, including their outfit, acquires a relevant constitutive role in personhood, we will analyze the possible impact of wearable computing devices fostered by ubiquitous computing on the constitution of personal identity.