This issue crops up in the Destiny franchise and has proven quite polarizing among the fanbase. I'll try to be vague to avoid spoilers for any of those interested but the basic story is that a...
But another philosophical issue that is raised in the film – and to some extent in a more interesting way than in the book – is the issue of personal identity and its connection with memory. Does what you can remember make a difference to who you are?
This issue crops up in the Destiny franchise and has proven quite polarizing among the fanbase.
I'll try to be vague to avoid spoilers for any of those interested but the basic story is that a beloved character is killed off by a certain Prince. The player character embarks on a mission of vengeance ultimately succeeding. To quote Morpheus, Fate was not without a sense of irony and the Prince is reborn, only with no memories of his previous crimes. Shunned by the only people who would welcome him, the Prince turns to some shady individuals for shelter and support.
Although the Prince's resurrection was telegraphed because Bungie isn't as smart as they think they are, the player base was very divided. Many players wanted to kill the Prince again. They wanted no redemption for this character and for him to continue to pay for his crimes.
Others, like myself, felt that the Prince had, in fact, paid. With his life. He was basically executed by the player or an allied NPC while the player stands to the side. His rebirth, while maybe not celebrated, should've entitled him to the same rights and privileges it did every other Guardian in the game. After all, no Guardian ever has any memory of their previous life and, for all we know, our Guardians could've been mass murderers.
This particular character is shunned and treated like an outsider because he committed a crime in a previous life but he has no memory of this crime. He has no idea why he's treated like that. Other Guardians even killed the Prince out of spite, his status as a Lightbearer meaning that he would be resurrected again and again.
Over the course of the game, the Prince has began to earn the trust of certain NPCs and the game is clearly setting him up for a larger role.
Maybe it makes sense to analyze how we treat those who commit crimes during altered states of the mind. For instance, someone suffering from severe psychosis might commit murder because they're...
Maybe it makes sense to analyze how we treat those who commit crimes during altered states of the mind. For instance, someone suffering from severe psychosis might commit murder because they're convinced that their spouse was possessed by the devil and posed a real threat to their children. A crime took place, but the "regular" person, the one that Is not psychotic, is not really responsible for the acts committed during crisis. How judicial systems address such cases may serve as good point of comparison.
That would be pretty cool as well, but there are some aspects such as memory transplants that are better exemplified by Blade Runner I believe. It is also quite possible that the author chose...
That would be pretty cool as well, but there are some aspects such as memory transplants that are better exemplified by Blade Runner I believe.
It is also quite possible that the author chose Blade Runner just because they love the movie :P
This issue crops up in the Destiny franchise and has proven quite polarizing among the fanbase.
I'll try to be vague to avoid spoilers for any of those interested but the basic story is that a beloved character is killed off by a certain Prince. The player character embarks on a mission of vengeance ultimately succeeding. To quote Morpheus, Fate was not without a sense of irony and the Prince is reborn, only with no memories of his previous crimes. Shunned by the only people who would welcome him, the Prince turns to some shady individuals for shelter and support.
Although the Prince's resurrection was telegraphed because Bungie isn't as smart as they think they are, the player base was very divided. Many players wanted to kill the Prince again. They wanted no redemption for this character and for him to continue to pay for his crimes.
Others, like myself, felt that the Prince had, in fact, paid. With his life. He was basically executed by the player or an allied NPC while the player stands to the side. His rebirth, while maybe not celebrated, should've entitled him to the same rights and privileges it did every other Guardian in the game. After all, no Guardian ever has any memory of their previous life and, for all we know, our Guardians could've been mass murderers.
This particular character is shunned and treated like an outsider because he committed a crime in a previous life but he has no memory of this crime. He has no idea why he's treated like that. Other Guardians even killed the Prince out of spite, his status as a Lightbearer meaning that he would be resurrected again and again.
Over the course of the game, the Prince has began to earn the trust of certain NPCs and the game is clearly setting him up for a larger role.
Maybe it makes sense to analyze how we treat those who commit crimes during altered states of the mind. For instance, someone suffering from severe psychosis might commit murder because they're convinced that their spouse was possessed by the devil and posed a real threat to their children. A crime took place, but the "regular" person, the one that Is not psychotic, is not really responsible for the acts committed during crisis. How judicial systems address such cases may serve as good point of comparison.
I suggest these starting points:
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/memory/#PersIden
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-personal/
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-ethics/#PsyCri
An interesting article about memory implantation in rats:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-plant-false-memories-in-mice-and-mice-buy-it/
Are we defined by our memories? If so, what happens when our memories are not really ours?
Seems the more obvious film to explore this topic would be Total Recall.
That would be pretty cool as well, but there are some aspects such as memory transplants that are better exemplified by Blade Runner I believe.
It is also quite possible that the author chose Blade Runner just because they love the movie :P