The Princeton University philosopher argues that our identity is shaped by our conscious will, not just our current body — and that it may be possible for us to exist in another form.
By Anne Brice
June 26, 2026
When Princeton University Professor Mark Johnston’s daughter was 18 months old, she stood on a beach with what he describes as a “quizzical philosophical look on her face, as if she was thinking, ‘Is this my only life?'”
That question is the heart of Johnston’s talk at UC Berkeley this past March, where he revisits a topic he wrote about two decades ago. Back then, he believed that the hope for an afterlife was impossible. But now, he has changed his mind.
