Personal Identity & Afterlife

AQA Religious Studies A-Level (Year 13)

Topic: Self, Death, and the Afterlife – Bundle Theory & Uploading Consciousness

---

Curriculum Context

• Examination Board: AQA
• Specification: A-level Religious Studies – Paper 1: Philosophy of Religion and Ethics
• Focus Area: Self, death, and the afterlife
• Key Philosophical Concepts: Bundle Theory (David Hume), Transhumanism, and Digital Immortality

This lesson will challenge students to critically evaluate concepts of personal identity and the possibility of continuing existence after death through digitisation.

---

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

🔹 Understand David Hume’s Bundle Theory and its implications for personal identity.
🔹 Critically evaluate the philosophical challenges of mind-uploading and digital immortality.
🔹 Debate whether consciousness can survive beyond biological death.

---

Lesson Breakdown (90 minutes)

Starter – Thought Experiment (15 mins)

1. Scenario Challenge:
   • Display the following question on the board:
     "Imagine scientists have successfully uploaded a digital copy of your mind into a supercomputer. The copy has all your memories and can interact and think just like you. Is this digital entity you? Why or why not?"
2. Pair Discussions (5 mins):
   • Students discuss with a partner whether identity can be replicated digitally.
3. Class Share & Mini-Debate (10 mins):
   • Teacher facilitates a brief discussion, introducing key ideas about personal identity.

---

Main Lesson – Introducing Bundle Theory (30 mins)

📖 Part 1: What is the Self?

• Teacher-Led Explanation (10 mins):
  • Introduce David Hume's Bundle Theory – the idea that the self is nothing more than a collection of experiences and perceptions with no single, unchanging essence.
  • Compare this with Substance Dualism (Descartes), which suggests a distinct mind/soul.

💬 Part 2: Small Group Challenge (10 mins)

• Task: Each group receives a different analogy to analyse:
  • A river (constantly changing, yet recognised as the same)
  • A sports team (changing players but maintaining identity)
  • A tree (growing but remaining the same thing)
  • A computer (replacing components but still ‘the same PC’)
• Discussion: How do these analogies support or challenge Hume’s view?

🔄 Part 3: Linking to Uploading Consciousness (10 mins)

• Introduce transhumanism – the idea that human consciousness might be uploaded to a digital format for preservation.
• Discuss: If selfhood is just a bundle of changing experiences, does mind uploading provide an afterlife?

---

Plenary – Philosophical Debate (35 mins)

💡 Debate Motion: "Uploading my consciousness to a computer means that I can live forever."

1. Divide the class into two teams (defending and opposing the motion).
2. Team Prep (10 mins):
   • Students develop arguments using Bundle Theory, personal identity theory, and ethical considerations.
3. Debate (20 mins):
   • Teams present arguments, rebuttals, and closing statements.
4. Reflect & Conclude (5 mins):
   • Teacher summarises key insights and asks for final student reflections.

---

Assessment & Homework

📜 Exit Ticket (5 mins):

• Each student writes a 100-word response to:
  "If personal identity is just a collection of changing perceptions, can an afterlife truly exist?"

🏠 Homework Assignment:

• Research at least one philosopher or scientist who has proposed theories about digital consciousness and argue whether their ideas align with or contradict Bundle Theory (250-300 words).

---

Resources & Materials

• Handouts explaining Hume’s Bundle Theory.
• Printed analogies for the small group challenge.
• Digital presentation slides with key terms, quotes, and discussion questions.
• Whiteboards or sticky notes for brainstorming during debates.

---

Teacher Reflection Post-Lesson

• Were students able to engage critically with the concept of identity?
• Did students demonstrate clear reasoning in their debate?
• How well did they apply Bundle Theory to modern transhumanist ideas?
• Were there common misconceptions that need addressing in follow-up lessons?

---

Final Thought

"If we are just a bundle of memories and perceptions, would an uploaded consciousness still be us, or merely a copy?"

💭 Let your students grapple with this question beyond the classroom!