Congratulations to Dr. Christopher Lay for the publication of two significant pieces

February 17, 2020

Congratulations to Dr. Christopher Lay for the publication of two significant pieces. The first is a journal article entitled:

"Why Parfit’s Psychological Criterion Does Not Work as a Personal Identity Theory (And How it Could)"

This article explores Derek Parfit's Psychological Criterion of Personal Identity--which Parfit introduces but ultimately rejects--and argues that none of the three versions of the Psychological Criterion can actually succeed as personal identity theories.

Dr. Lay’s second publication is a book chapter entitled:

"Bandersnatch: A Choose-Your-Own Philosophical Adventure" (Co-authored with David Kyle Johnson)

This chapter is part of a book investigating the intersection between philosophy and the television series Black Mirror. The chapter focuses on the episode Bandersnatch, a full-length movie streamed over Netflix that allows the viewer to influence the narrative's outcome by making binary choices at certain predetermined 'decision points'. We examine the episode through a multiplicity of philosophical lenses, including: time travel, quantum theory, freedom and determinism, existentialist choice, the influence of technology on decision-making, and the possibility of artistic freedom in capitalist society.