Hierarchical identification can terminate in a 'whole-self' endorsement that is self-certifying rather than requiring a further endorser, as Frankfurt argues in 'The Faintest Passion'.

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Reasons For

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Reason for

1.Infinite regress of endorsers is metaphysically problematic, so some foundational level of identification must be self-justifying.
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2.First-person authority about one's deepest commitments is epistemically privileged in ways third-person endorsement cannot match.
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3.A unified self requires some stopping point where identification becomes constitutive rather than merely descriptive of agency.
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Reasons Against

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Reason against

1.Self-certification begs the question: why should an endorsement by the 'whole self' carry more authority than any prior level?
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2.The 'whole self' is itself a constructed identity that may mask competing desires rather than genuinely resolving them.
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3.Frankfurt's framework lacks criteria for distinguishing genuine self-endorsement from rationalization of unconsidered preferences.
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Key Terms

Endorser(as used in hierarchical theories of the self): Something that gives approval or confirmation to something else; in this context, a higher level of yourself that validates a lower level.
Frankfurt: Frankfurt most commonly refers to **Frankfurt am Main**, a major city in Germany known as a global financial hub, home to the European Central Bank and many international banks. It's also famous for its historic architecture, museums, and its role as one of Europe's most important transportation and business centers. The name can also refer to **Harry Frankfurt**, an influential American philosopher known for his work on free will, moral responsibility, and human motivation—particularly his concept of "caring about what we care about."
Hierarchical identification(as used in philosophy of action and personal identity): A way of organizing your desires and values in layers, where you reflect on your immediate wants and decide which ones truly represent who you want to be.
Self-certifying(describing what truth is in this philosophy): Something that proves itself is true without needing outside evidence or verification.
The Faintest Passion(as a specific philosophical work): An essay by Harry Frankfurt exploring the idea that even our weakest or least obvious desires can reveal what we truly care about.
Whole-self endorsement(as used in theories of personal identity): When you fully approve of something as genuinely part of who you are, at the deepest level of your values and identity.

Connections

2 topics

Free Will & Foreknowledge1 linked Moral Responsibility1 linked

A unified self requires some stopping point where identification becomes constit...First-person authority about one's deepest commitments is epistemically privileg...

Details

Type: claim
Perspectives: 2 (1 for, 1 against)
Edits: 1 edit