Problem of Self

Ever since my childhood I have heard my father play a harmonium, an old piece which was bought by my grandfather in 1940s. My father had a strong sentimental value attached to the instrument and used to handle it very carefully. Due to decades of use, its keys had worn down. When I was in teens, I accompanied him to a harmonium maker in Old Delhi to get its keys replaced. He was advised by the shopkeeper to sell it off but my father could not bear such a thought. So, the old harmonium now had brand new keys, providing a contrast similar to shining dentures in a withered body! Years passed and the harmonium was still in use. Then one fateful day, someone dropped the harmonium while placing it on a stool. And the dear old harmonium was broken. My father was very sad on that day. We tried to join the broken outer wooden case by using fevicol, but it didn’t work. Ultimately, my father and I took the broken harmonium to the same shopkeeper who had replaced the keys. This guy announced with an air of finality that nothing could be done to fix it; so we better purchase a new one. He, in fact, showed a few good pieces. But my father’s heart was still fixated on his old instrument. So, I asked the shopkeeper if the reeds in the broken harmonium could be put in a new case. The shopkeeper said it was possible but it would cost us nearly the same as a brand new harmonium. My father was happy with my suggestion, so we told him to do exactly what we asked. Next week we collected the “new” harmonium from the shop.

I’ll stop here. The purpose of narrating the above incidence is not to take a walk down memory lane; but to ask a fundamental question: Is the “new” harmonium different from the previous one? Again I’m sure the shopkeeper would have used the keys and other material to build a different harmonium. You know how smart these fellows are. So, if he did make another instrument using broken harmonium’s material except the reeds, then which of the two is the “original” one? Are there now two new identities from a single harmonium?

If the above example can be used as a metaphor for human beings then one is left wondering as to what is the real “us”? Is it the physical attributes, which constantly undergo change, or the ego/self, which again undergoes metamorphosis as one undergoes varied experiences? (This debate some other time)

But we all notice that in the entire episode of one’s life, there is continuity, which is beyond the physical or intellectual attributes. John Locke, the 17th century British philosopher, called this continuity as self-awareness. He was of the opinion that this unique ability of human beings provides a ‘psychological thread through one’s lifetime’. That’s why we remember our past as well as the present, though the former does not exist. Memory grows and then atrophies with passage of time but we still maintain our self-identity with ease.

What if there is disconnect in our self-awareness? Say, in case of schizophrenics, or those suffering from Alzheimer’s. Do they still remain what they were before the ‘psychological thread’ broke or are they now different personalities?

I’ll try to explore the ethical dimensions posed by these metaphysical conundrums in my subsequent posting. Till then, keep mulling.