On September 13, 1848, a railroad worker named Phineas Gage suffered a tragic accident in which a 3 foot metal rod entered Gage's skull, damaging the frontal lobe of his brain. Miraculously, Gage survived.

Though he survived, Gage's personality dramatically changed. In contrast to his disposition pre-accident, the post-accident Gage became irritable, angry, and unfit for company - so much that his friends and acquaintances said he was "no longer Gage".

According to a doctor's report:

"Gage was fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint or advice when it conflicts with his desires, at times pertinaciously obstinate, yet capricious and vacillating, devising many plans of future operations, which are no sooner arranged than they are abandoned in turn for others appearing more feasible. A child in his intellectual capacity and manifestations, he has the animal passions of a strong man. Previous to his injury, although untrained in the schools, he possessed a well-balanced mind, and was looked upon by those who knew him as a shrewd, smart businessman, very energetic and persistent in executing all his plans of operation. In this regard his mind was radically changed, so decidedly that his friends and acquaintances said he was 'no longer Gage'."

Discuss whether Gage post-accident the same person in the numerical sense (see Rachels reading for contrast between "qualitative" and "numerical" identity) as Gage pre-accident? Argue and defend your view using at least one of the theories of personal identity from this unit.

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