{"id":26547,"date":"2026-03-18T08:25:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T15:25:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.plato-philosophy.org\/?p=26547"},"modified":"2026-02-27T08:34:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T16:34:32","slug":"i-am-henry-finch-identity-courage-and-thinking-for-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plato-philosophy.org\/i-am-henry-finch-identity-courage-and-thinking-for-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"I Am Henry Finch: Identity, Courage, and Thinking for Yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jana Mohr Lone is PLATO\u2019s Executive Director.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I Am Henry Finch<\/em><\/a> by Alexis Deacon (illustrations by Viviane Schwarz) tells the story of Henry, a member of a community of finches, all of whom think and act alike. The flock is always together, and they do the same things, day after day. They are never quiet; in fact, they \u201cmake such a racket all day long, you really could not hear yourself think.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

One night, Henry wakes up and it is quiet. For the first time, he has a thought of his own, and he becomes aware that he is able to think. \u201cI am Henry Finch,\u201d he thought. \u201cI think.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI could be great,\u201d he thinks. Becoming conscious of himself as an individual and not just a member of the flock, Henry starts to imagine the kind of person he might be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next morning the Beast appears, and Henry decides this is a moment for greatness. \u201cI am Henry Finch,\u201d he shouts, diving down at the Beast, who eats him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside the Beast, the background of the pages has changed from white to black, and there is no color. Henry\u2019s thoughts also turn dark. \u201cYou are a fool, Henry Finch,\u201d he thinks. \u201cYou are not great. You are only someone\u2019s dinner.\u201d But as he continues to think, his thoughts deepen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Henry begins to pay attention to the existence all around him. He realizes he can hear the Beast\u2019s thoughts, which are focused on having a big family and needing to feed them. \u201cCrawling, swimming, flying, walking . . . anything will do,\u201d thinks the Beast. \u201cNo,\u201d Henry says. He tells the Beast that all creatures have families, just like the Beast, and that the Beast should only eat plants from now on. The Beast acquiesces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry then instructs the Beast to open his mouth so that Henry can fly out. Returning to his flock, Henry tells the finches that he has something to say, but first they have to be quiet. For the first time, they are quiet. They listen to Henry\u2019s story, and then they stay quiet. One after another, the finches start to have their own thoughts, becoming their own individual selves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The story raises many philosophical questions \u2013 ethical, metaphysical, and epistemological \u2013 including:
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