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What is the essence of a person's being, according to a philosophical definition?
What is the essence of a person's being, according to a philosophical definition?
The essence of a person's being is the source of their consciousness.
What are the Greek roots of the word "philosophy?"
What are the Greek roots of the word "philosophy?"
According to Socrates, what are the two realms of reality?
According to Socrates, what are the two realms of reality?
What issue did Plato question about Socrates's metaphysical scheme?
What issue did Plato question about Socrates's metaphysical scheme?
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According to Plato, what are the three parts of the soul?
According to Plato, what are the three parts of the soul?
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What is the concept of Neoplatonism?
What is the concept of Neoplatonism?
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According to Plotinus, the self is a unified entity, not a dualism of body and soul.
According to Plotinus, the self is a unified entity, not a dualism of body and soul.
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Plotinus's views had a profound impact on ______.
Plotinus's views had a profound impact on ______.
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Aquinas's view of the self is based on the unified relationship of form and matter, drawing from Aristotle's theory.
Aquinas's view of the self is based on the unified relationship of form and matter, drawing from Aristotle's theory.
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What is the Latin word for "soul"?
What is the Latin word for "soul"?
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Descartes believed that we should simply accept what we have been taught without questioning.
Descartes believed that we should simply accept what we have been taught without questioning.
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What is the famous quote that summarizes Descartes's view of the self?
What is the famous quote that summarizes Descartes's view of the self?
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According to Locke, our knowledge of the self is entirely based on direct sense experience.
According to Locke, our knowledge of the self is entirely based on direct sense experience.
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What does it mean to say that Locke believed there were "plenty of souls"?
What does it mean to say that Locke believed there were "plenty of souls"?
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Hume agreed with Locke's empiricist view of knowledge, but arrived at the conclusion that there is no self.
Hume agreed with Locke's empiricist view of knowledge, but arrived at the conclusion that there is no self.
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What did Hume mean by saying that the self is simply a collection of experiences?
What did Hume mean by saying that the self is simply a collection of experiences?
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Kant supported David Hume's view of the self, believing that a true self cannot be known because it is impossible to access an objective reality outside of our own consciousness.
Kant supported David Hume's view of the self, believing that a true self cannot be known because it is impossible to access an objective reality outside of our own consciousness.
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What is the "unity of consciousness" according to Kant?
What is the "unity of consciousness" according to Kant?
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Freud described the self as a cohesive and unified entity, without any hidden or unconscious aspects.
Freud described the self as a cohesive and unified entity, without any hidden or unconscious aspects.
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Which of Freud's three levels of mind is responsible for basic instincts and urges?
Which of Freud's three levels of mind is responsible for basic instincts and urges?
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What is the function of the ego in Freud's theory?
What is the function of the ego in Freud's theory?
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What are the two systems that make up the superego?
What are the two systems that make up the superego?
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Ryle is a proponent of the traditional view of the self as a spiritual entity separate from the physical body.
Ryle is a proponent of the traditional view of the self as a spiritual entity separate from the physical body.
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What is the main idea behind Ryle's "ghost in the machine" metaphor?
What is the main idea behind Ryle's "ghost in the machine" metaphor?
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What is the philosophical view of physicalism as it relates to the concept of the self?
What is the philosophical view of physicalism as it relates to the concept of the self?
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Merleau-Ponty rejected the view of the self as a separate mind residing within the physical body.
Merleau-Ponty rejected the view of the self as a separate mind residing within the physical body.
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What does Merleau-Ponty mean by the "lived body?"
What does Merleau-Ponty mean by the "lived body?"
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Study Notes
The Self From Various Perspectives
- The self encompasses the qualities like personality and abilities that make each individual unique.
- Philosophically, the self is the essence of a person's being, the source of consciousness.
- Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom, also a rational investigation of existence, knowledge, and ethics. It can also mean a belief system accepted by a group.
Socrates
- Socrates believed reality consists of two realms: a physical realm (imperfect and changeable) and an ideal realm (perfect and unchanging).
- The physical realm includes the five senses and is temporary.
- Our bodies belong to the physical realm, subject to change, imperfections, and death.
- Our souls/minds belong to the eternal ideal realm.
- A close connection exists between our bodies and souls; however, the physical realm hinders the quest for knowledge.
Plato
- Plato built on Socrates' ideas, questioning why the soul changes if it is, by nature, unchanging.
- He divided the soul into three parts: appetites, spirited, and mind (nous).
- Appetites encompass diverse desires for comfort and physical pleasures. The part of the soul is represented by the black horse.
- Spirited involves emotions like anger and the desire for victory. The part of the soul is represented by the white horse.
- Mind (nous) is the rational part of the self; it analyzes, weighs options, and seeks ultimate truth. The part of the soul is represented by the charioteer.
- The allegory of the chariot is a metaphor illustrating the different elements of the soul and how they interact.
Neoplatonism
- Neoplatonism, spearheaded by Plotinus, revived Plato's ideas, influencing Saint Augustine.
- Plotinus believed that the self is intricately connected with Plato's core concepts.
- This philosophy profoundly impacted Saint Augustine, who integrated Platonic concepts into Christian thought.
Saint Augustine
- Augustine viewed the immortal soul's journey to union with the eternal as a transformation.
- The physical world, finite and transient, became a proving ground for eternal destinies.
- Augustine believed the physical body is radically different from the immortal soul, initially describing the body as a "slave" to the soul.
- However, he envisioned a more integrated relationship eventually seeing the body as the "spouse" of the soul.
Synthesis of Aristotle and Christianity
- Aquinas, integrating Aristotelian thought with Christianity, argued that the self is a unified entity of matter and form (matter is the substance, form is the essence of a thing).
- The soul emerges from this unified relationship.
- The self becomes a conscious entity through the gradual union of form and matter, opposed to the Platonic concept of a separate immaterial soul.
- The Latin word for soul (anima) distinguishes living things from inanimate objects, for they possess a life principle.
Descartes
- Descartes emphasized the importance of individual reasoning in understanding the self. He was concerned with creating a sound methodology for learning and knowledge. He used doubt as a tool in the process of discovery doubting everything you were taught to accept without question to build a well-reasoned conclusion.
- Descartes argued that the act of doubting one's own existence proves that there is a self. This is known as "Dubito, Cogito ergo sum" – (I doubt, I think, therefore I am).
- The self is made up of body and mind.
- Self-identity depends on being aware of mental processes.
Locke
- Locke believed all knowledge originates from sense experience.
- Conscious awareness and memory are key to understanding the self.
- Personal identity originates from the continuity of experiences, thus we are aware of our self as the same person across time in the same situation or different situations.
- It is difficult to be sure of a consistent self however if there are lapses in time or recollections; or if we don’t remember being aware of our self it cannot be proven there was a consistent self.
Hume
- Hume, continuing Locke's empiricist tradition, argued that the self is simply a collection of experiences.
- The self is not a permanent, unchanging essence.
- The self is a continuous bundle of perceptions rather than a unity. Instead of an enduring, unified self the bundle (perceptions) may be just a collection of experiences across time rather than a consistent self.
Kant
- Kant countered Hume's skepticism by proposing that the self actively constructs experience.
- The self actively organizes the raw data of experience into a meaningful whole. This means that the self organizes and creates the experience.
- Our minds structure experience according to universal principles, thus creating a coherent understanding of the world and our selves as part of it.
Freud
- Freud asserted a multi-layered self consisting of conscious, preconscious, and unconscious levels.
- The unconscious mind is important because it contains repressed desires, instincts, and conflicts that influence our behaviour.
- Freud’s topographic model divided the mind further into systems based on their relationship to consciousness (conscious, preconscious, and unconscious.)
Gilbert Ryle
- Ryle criticized the "ghost in the machine" (dualism) conception of the self.
- He argued that the self means behaviour a person expresses in daily life.
- The self should be understood not in terms of an inner essence but rather in terms of observable behaviour.
Paul Churchland
- Churchland embraced physicalism, arguing that the self is fundamentally a product of the brain's neurological processes.
- The concept of the self can be understood by observing the physical brain.
Merleau-Ponty
- Merleau-Ponty emphasized a strong connection between the mind and the body.
- The mind and body are inseparable.
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Description
Explore the concept of the self through the philosophical lenses of Socrates and Plato. Understand the distinction between the physical and ideal realms and the relationship between body and soul. This quiz delves into the qualities that define individuality and the pursuit of wisdom in philosophy.
