Parfitian survival

noun

The state of remaining as one's original self after the bodily self has been amalgamated or deconstructed through time and experience.

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Meanings

nounParfitian survival (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe state of remaining as one's original self after the bodily self has been amalgamated or deconstructed through time and experience.

    I actually find Parfit's picture of survival depressing, but that of course is by comparison with what I take survival to be. By Parfitian survival, Parfitian death may may not seem so depressing.

    1989, Thomas Nagel, The View from Nowhere (224)
  2. uncountableThe question of one's psychological continuity and personal identity surviving through various philosophical thought experiments.

Origin

After Derek Parfit, British philosopher, from ideas expressed in his book Reasons and Persons and various journal articles throughout the late 20th century.

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Cite this entry
APA

Parfitian survival. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Parfitian%20survival

MLA

“Parfitian survival.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Parfitian%20survival. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Parfitian survival,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Parfitian%20survival.

Source: Parfitian survival on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.