Đề thi VSTEP Reading C1 — Ký ức và bản ngã cá nhân

How much of who you are depends on memory? Recent neuroscience offers unsettling answers to this ancient question. Studies of amnesia patients reveal a striking pattern: when autobiographical memory collapses, the sense of self often collapses with it. Consider patient K.C., who suffered complete memory loss after an accident. Though intellectually intact, K.C. could not answer basic questions about himself — his preferences, beliefs, or history. Without access to his past, he could not construct a coherent identity. This challenges psychological continuity theory, which holds that personal identity persists through chains of memory. If memory is so central, what becomes of identity in dementia, where memories gradually fade? Some philosophers propose a more nuanced view: identity is built not only from explicit memories but from implicit patterns — habits, emotional responses — that survive even when conscious recall fails. Others argue identity is fundamentally narrative; we are the stories we tell ourselves. The implications extend beyond philosophy. As populations age and dementia rates climb, societies must confront questions about personhood.