Coherence in the self-pattern

In this chapter I’ll briefly outline what I’ve called a pattern theory of self, which is a pluralist approach to questions about the self, following in the tradition of William James. I’ll then address an issue concerning the unity or coherence of the self-pattern, motivated because the self-pattern includes a number of heterogeneous elements. After distinguishing between questions about idem identity (or reidentification), ipse identity (or characterization), and self-constitution, I focus on narrative as a solution to ipse identity in the self-pattern. I address the issue of whether we should think of this kind of narrative identity as fictional or real, and argue for the latter.