Philosophy Lesson 1: Introduction to Self

Lesson 1

• Philosophy: the mother of all disciplines, all fields of study began as philosophical discourses.
• Philosophy is the study of acquiring knowledge through rational thinking and inquiries. It involves answering questions about the nature and existence of humans and the world.
• The self is a unified being, essentially connected to consciousness, awareness, and agency.
• Socrates, Plato, Aristotle first introduced the concepts of self and the qualities that define it.

Philosophers

• Socrates: First martyr of education, knowledge and philosophy. Focused on knowing oneself through socratic questioning to stimulate critical thinking. Believed possession of knowledge is a virtue.
• Plato: Student of Socrates, father of Academy. Believed the soul is divided into three parts (appetitive, spirited, and rational). Truth and wisdom are essential in avoiding vices.
• St. Augustine: Saint and philosopher. Believed everything is better if we are with God, rejected some doubtful philosophical ideas; explained understanding ourselves as connected to who we are and how we question ourselves; established the connection of our essence with God.
• Rene Descartes: French philosopher, focused on the importance of methodical doubt ("I think, therefore I am") and the mind-body connection.

Lesson 2

• Sociology: The study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. It examines human interactions within societies.
• George Herbert Mead: Developed a symbolic interactionist perspective, emphasizing two parts of the self: self-awareness and self-image, and how self develops through social interaction.
• Gilbert Ryle: Presented a behavioristic approach, arguing that behavior is the reflection of our minds; our body, and mind are not separate entities.
• John Locke: English philosopher and physician; Father of Classical Liberation, experiences are important for establishment of who we are as a person.
• David Hume: Scottish philosopher; Empiricism is the field, focused on skepticism, arguing that self is not a permanent entity, but merely a bundle of different impressions.
• Immanuel Kant: Focused on empiricism and rationalism.
• Sigmund Freud: Austrian neurologist; Father of Psychoanalysis. Analyzed the unconscious mind, using terms like id, ego, and super-ego, and their effects on behavior.

Lesson 3

• Anthropology: The study of human culture, social structure, and human behavior.
• Marcel Mauss: French anthropologist; every self has two faces, personne and moi.
• Clifford Geertz: American anthropologist, conceptualized culture as a system of inherited conceptions that men use to communicate.
• Anthropological approach: Self needs to be seen as a socially defined phenomenon, impacted by social perception and behavior.

Lesson 4

• Social Learning Theory: Individuals learn by observing others and imitating models.
• Modeling/Observational Learning: Learning by observing and imitating models.
• Self-efficacy: An individual's belief in their ability to achieve specific goals.
• Social Cognitive Theory: Emphasizing the role of cognitive processes in learning and behavior.
• Karl Marx: Developed the theory of self-estrangement, also known as self-alienation, in which individuals are disconnected from the products of their labor and the production process.
• Max Weber: Studied bureaucracy and the 'iron cage of rationality', emphasizing that modern society's emphasis on efficiency constrains individual freedom and creativity.
• J. Lewis Morgan: Developed a theory of social evolution, emphasizing the importance of societal differences over time.

Lesson 5

• Levels of mental life: This refers to different levels of awareness - conscious, pre-conscious, and unconscious.
• Western/Eastern Concepts of Self: Different cultures and philosophical traditions have unique perspectives on the self. Western thought often emphasizes individualism, while Eastern thought often prioritizes social responsibility and interconnectedness.
• Freud's Psychoanalysis: This theory encompasses different parts of the mind (id, ego, super-ego) and how they shape behavior.
• True/False Self and the levels of consciousness including the different aspects a persona expresses.
• Charles Carver and Michael Scheier: The private and public self, concept of self consciousness.

Lesson 6

• Western/Eastern Philosophy and Beliefs: Different cultures and philosophical traditions have unique and contrasting perspectives on concepts of the self, including values, culture, etc.

Explore the fundamentals of philosophy in this quiz, focusing on the concepts introduced by key philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and St. Augustine. Understand how the study of knowledge and self has evolved and its significance in various fields. Challenge your understanding of consciousness, awareness, and the nature of existence.