On identity: from a philosophical point of view

Abstract

BackgroundThe term “identity” has a much longer tradition in Western philosophy than in psychology. However, the philosophical discourse addresses very different meanings of the term, which should be distinguished to avoid misunderstandings, but also to sharpen the key meanings of the term in psychological contexts. These crucial points in the philosophical concepts of identity in the sense of singularity, individuality, or self-sameness may structure the ongoing discussion on identity in psychiatric diagnoses (as in DSM-5, Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment, this issue, 2013), in psychology, psychoanalysis, but also neuroscience and neurophilosophy (Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment, this issue, 2013).MethodThe concept of identity is subjected to a systematic philosophical analysis following some milestones in its history to provide a background for recent discussions on identity in psychiatry and psychology.ResultsThe article focuses first on the philosophical core distinctions of identity in the different meanings to be addressed, second, briefly on some of the diverse psychological histories of the concept in the second half of the 20th century. Finally some reflections are presented on borderline personality disorder, considered as a mental disorder with a disturbance or diffusion of identity as core feature, and briefly on a newly developed instrument assessing identity development and identity diffusion in adolescence, the AIDA that is also presented in the special issue of this journal (Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment, this issue, 2013).ConclusionAs a conclusion, different points of view concerning identity are summarized in respect to treatment planning, and different levels of description of identity in phenomenology, philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and social science and personality psychology are outlined.

Justice, Emotion, and Belonging: Legal Consciousness in a Taiwanese Family Conflict

“…It follows then that the role of identity—one's own self‐perception (personal identity) and the perceptions of others (social identity) (Ellemers et al ; Sollberger )—involves the acknowledgement and setting of conceptual boundaries that shift and change throughout a lifetime as an individual's self has experiences with others in society. Within the context of local Taiwanese practices and traditions, the sense of self or self‐other relationship is characterized by a constant interplay between rèntóng and zìjǐrén , a combination of personhood and relational self ‐ positioning and positioning by others (Duveen ; Kraus ).…”

Exploring the influence of self-perceptions on the relationship between motor competence and identity in adolescents

“…These difficulties may contribute to feelings of lower self-worth and higher levels of stress and anxiety [17, 18]. As a consequence, identity health is impacted as these youth do not have the same opportunities to explore their personal interests in those social settings (often team sports) that reinforce a healthy identity [3, 19]. Only recently have studies begun to report the relationship between motor competence and identity health [20, 21].…”

Catalyzing the publication of international research in child and adolescent mental health

“…One early example of this potential synergy is the series of articles on the theme of identity published in this issue of CAPMH [8-13]. These articles were the direct outgrowth of fruitful discussions held in the Paris 2012 IACAPAP Congress.…”