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. 2021 Feb 15;43(1):21.
doi: 10.1007/s40656-021-00365-y.

Demented patients and the quandaries of identity: setting the problem, advancing a proposal

Giovanni Boniolo  1   2
Affiliations

Demented patients and the quandaries of identity: setting the problem, advancing a proposal

Giovanni Boniolo. Hist Philos Life Sci. .

Abstract

In the paper, after clarifying terms such as 'identity', 'self' and 'personhood', I propose an empirical account of identity based on the notion of "whole phenotype". This move allows one to claim the persistence of the individuals before and after their being affected by dementia. Furthermore, I show how this account permits us to address significant questions related to demented individuals' loss of the capacity of moral decisions.

Keywords: Dementia; Empirical approach to identity; Identity; Moral decisions; Whole phenotype.

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