Talk:Recognition of human individuals

This article needs a discussion of what "personal identity" and "individual" mean: all of these distinctions are relevant to these issues, and vice versa: think of

• multiple civil identities for a single person
• multiple people with the same name
• genetically identical twins
• identity theft
• multiple personality disorder
• etc...

. 217...

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I would say:

One individual (with possible problem of not recognizing as such):

• multiple civil identities for a single person
• multiple personality disorder

More individuals (with possible problem of not telling apart):

• multiple people with the same name (rather trivial and common)
• genetically identical twins
• identity theft

Usually more individuals, but borderline cases possible (recognition very easy, there are only few):

• conjoined twins: two people in a single genetically identical body, sometimes with a conjoined brain

Patrick 14:20 Apr 3, 2003 (UTC)

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Rename in "biometric identification"? --Nerd