The Early Grice Catches the Worm

--- By J. L. S.


------------ KRAMER used "CP" and Kennedy objected. "I hope you don´t mean, corporal punishment."

When Grice wrote, in his 20s, "Personal Identity", he used a few abbreviations. Notably

t t s

total temporary state

Those are things that define _you_ as a person, Grice holds, so beware!

His examples are:

(1) Yesterday, I fell from the stairs.
(2) The cricket ball hit me.
(3) I shall be fighting soon.

(This was vintage 1941). He notes that "I" and "me" are best analysed in terms of total temporary states. The analysis turns to be pretty complex. He foresees an objection.

"People may object that my analysis is a case of obscurus per obscurius." So what?