nonidentity problem

noun

the philosophical problem involving our ethical obligations to future persons which derives from the observation that different courses of action will result in entirely different, or nonidentical, persons coming to be.

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Meanings

noun
  1. human sciencesthe philosophical problem involving our ethical obligations to future persons which derives from the observation that different courses of action will result in entirely different, or nonidentical, persons coming to be.

Origin

The articulation of the problem is credited to Derek Parfit in his work Reasons and Persons.

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Cite this entry
APA

nonidentity problem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nonidentity%20problem

MLA

“nonidentity problem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nonidentity%20problem. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nonidentity problem,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nonidentity%20problem.

Source: nonidentity problem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.