GE-PC: Lesson #1, The Self from Various Philosophical Perspectives.pdf

LESSON #1: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES Understanding the Self | Vasquez, Mark Anthony R. SOCRATES PRISON OF THE SOUL - Socrates was the first philosopher who ever...

LESSON #1: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES Understanding the Self | Vasquez, Mark Anthony R. SOCRATES PRISON OF THE SOUL - Socrates was the first philosopher who ever - The “prison of the soul” refers to the idea that the engaged in a systematic questioning about the soul is trapped in the body, which distracts it from self. its higher purpose of seeking truth and knowledge. - For Socrates, every man is composed of body and The body’s focus on sensory experiences, soul (psyche). desires, and pleasures keeps the soul from its true - He believed that the soul is the essence of a potential, and only through philosophy and person, where rationality, morality, and knowledge eventually death can the soul be liberated from reside. this prison. - Socrates’ view of the self is closely tied to ethics and the pursuit of knowledge, focusing on moral 1. The Soul’s True Nature: Plato believed that the improvement and self-awareness. soul’s true nature is to seek truth, goodness, and knowledge, which it can only fully achieve when it DUALISM is free from the constraints of the body. - The belief that reality or existence is divided into 2. The Body’s Limitations: The body, according to two parts– the mind (or soul) and the body, or Plato, is focused on physical pleasures, desires, between the mental and the physical realms. and material needs. These distractions hinder the soul from contemplating higher realities, such as the Forms. Body (Pleasure, Desire, Mortal 3. The Goal of Philosophy: For Plato, the practice Affection) of philosophy is the process by which the soul prepares itself for liberation from the body. Soul Immortal Philosophical reflection and virtue allow the soul to “purify” itself and distance itself from bodily "Most men, in his reckoning, were really not fully aware of distractions, ultimately leading to its freedom after who they were and the virtues that they were supposed to death. attain in order to preserve their souls for the afterlife. 4. Death as Liberation: Plato believed that death is Socrates thought that this is the worst that can happen the ultimate release of the soul from the body. to anyone. To live but to die inside". Once the soul is free from the body, it can ascend to a higher realm of existence and fully grasp the Forms, without the limitations imposed by the physical world. PLATO - Plato supported the idea that man is a dual nature For Plato, justice within the individual is achieved through of body and soul. a harmonious balance where reason rules over the desires - Plato advocated for a kind of dualism, where the and emotions, guiding the individual toward a life of virtue, soul is considered superior to the body. wisdom, and moral goodness. In this way, Plato links personal justice to the broader philosophical goal of living In Plato’s philosophy, particularly in his work “Phaedo” a well-ordered and meaningful life (Plato emphasizes that and “The Republic,” he describes the body and soul as justice in the human person can only be attained if the having opposing desires. Plato argues that the soul is three parts of the soul are working harmoniously with one oriented toward higher, rational pursuits like truth and another). wisdom, while the body is tied to base, material needs and desires (e.g., hunger, pleasure, and physical comfort). According to Plato, the soul has three distinct parts, each SAINT AUGUSTINE (AURELIUS AGUSTINUS) corresponding to different aspects of the self: - Augustine agreed that man is of a bifurcated The Rational Part (Logos): This is the highest nature; the body is bound to die on earth and the part of the soul, responsible for reason, wisdom, soul is to anticipate living eternally in a realm of and intellectual pursuits. It seeks truth and spiritual bliss in communion with God. knowledge. - The body can only thrive in the imperfect, physical The Spirited Part (Thymos): This part governs reality that is the world, whereas the soul can also emotions, especially courage, ambition, and the stay after death in an eternal realm with the sense of honor. It mediates between the rational all-transcendent God. and appetitive parts. The Appetitive Part (Epithymia): This is the “The goal of every man is to live his life on earth in lowest part of the soul, concerned with bodily virtue” desires, such as hunger, thirst, and physical pleasure.  LESSON #1: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES Understanding the Self | Vasquez, Mark Anthony R. THOMAS AQUINAS DAVID HUME - Aquinas said that indeed, man is composed of two - Men can only attain knowledge by experiencing. parts: matter and form. Matter, or hyle in Greek, - The self, according to Hume, is simply "a bundle refers to the "common stuff that makes up or collection of different perceptions, which everything in the universe." Man's body is part of succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity, this matter. Form, on the other hand, or morphe in and are in a perpetual flux and movement." Greek refers to the "essence of a substance or - Hume’s perspective on the self emphasizes the thing. idea that it is not a singular, enduring entity but - To Aquinas the soul is what animates the body; it rather a collection of perceptions and experiences, is what makes us humans. challenging traditional notions of personal identity. 1. Matter (Hyle) "We only know what we know through our physical ○ Hyle refers to the material or substance experiences". out of which something is made. It is the potential or raw material that, by itself, has 1. Empiricism: no specific characteristics or qualities. Hume is a prominent figure in empiricism, which posits 2. Form (Morphe) that knowledge arises from sensory experience. He ○ Morphe refers to the shape, structure, or believed that all ideas and concepts must ultimately trace essence that gives a thing its specific back to sensory impressions derived from the five characteristics and identity. Form is what senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. makes a thing what it is; it gives the 2. Rationalism matter its specific nature. Rationalism contrasts with empiricism and holds that knowledge is primarily acquired through reason and Example: University of the Philippines Oblation intellectual deduction, rather than sensory experience. Matter: The physical substance of the UP Rationalists, such as René Descartes and Plato, argue Oblation, such as the materials like stone or that some truths are known by intuition or reason alone. bronze that make up the statue itself. 3. Impressions and Ideas Form: The essence and meaning of the statue, Hume distinguished between “impressions” (the raw data representing sacrifice, service, and the pursuit of of experience that we receive through our senses) and knowledge for societal betterment. “ideas” (the mental representations of those impressions). Our understanding of the self is derived from these impressions; without sensory experiences, we would lack the raw material to form any concept of self. RENE DESCARTES - Conceived of the human person as having a body and a mind. - The body is nothing else but a machine that is IMMANUEL KANT attached to the mind. The human person has it but - Things that men perceive around them are not just it is not what makes man a man. If at all, that is randomly infused into the human person without the mind. an organizing principle that regulates the relationship of all these impressions. Cogito (Mind) and Extensa (Body) - Humans have both inner and outer self which - René Descartes’ dualist philosophy, where he unify to give us consciousness. describes the mind as cogito (“I think”) and the - The self is not just what gives one his personality; body as extensa (the extended substance or it is also the seat of knowledge acquisition for all matter). Descartes famously argued that the mind human persons. and body are distinct substances, with the mind being the seat of consciousness and thought, David Hume ”To see is to believe!” while the body exists in the physical world. (suggesting that the thinking mind is the true Immanuel Kant ”Seeing isn’t believing! essence of self, separate from the physical body). Reasoning is! Moral dualism: the battle between good and evil. Substance dualism: the division between mental Kant’s perspective on the self emphasizes the importance and physical substances. of self-consciousness, the unity of experience, and the moral dimensions of identity. He posits that the self is both “I have doubts” an empirical entity shaped by experiences and a Every thought, no matter how unreliable, proves you transcendental subject that organizes and reflects on exist as a thinking thing. those experiences through reason.  LESSON #1: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES Understanding the Self | Vasquez, Mark Anthony R. Humans have both inner and outer self which unify to give - One cannot find any experience that is not an us consciousness. embodied experience. All experience is embodied; Inner Self - Psychological State / Rational Intellect one's body is his opening toward his existence to (F-I-V-B-P-T-E-F-S-D-P). the world. a. F: Feelings – Our emotional responses to - The living body, his thoughts, emotions, and experiences. experiences are all one. b. I: Intellect – Our capacity for reasoning and understanding. "Mind and body cannot be separated because both are c. V: Values – The principles that guide our intrinsically connected" decisions and behavior. d. B: Beliefs – Our convictions about the world and ourselves. e. P: Perceptions – How we interpret sensory information and experiences. f. T: Thoughts – The ideas and mental processes we engage in. g. E: Emotions – The psychological responses that influence our actions. Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s philosophical perspective on the h. F: Feelings (repeated) – Emphasizing self emphasizes embodiment, perception, and relationality. their importance. He argues that the self is not a static entity but a dynamic, i. S: Self-awareness – Our ability to reflect phenomenal being shaped by lived experiences and on and understand our own inner interactions with the world and others. His work highlights experiences. the importance of the body in understanding j. D: Desires – Our wants and motivations consciousness and identity, offering a more integrated that drive behavior. view of the self that transcends traditional mind-body k. P: Personality – The unique dualism. characteristics that shape how we interact with the world. Outer Self - Sense / Physical World SIGMUND FREUD a. Sense: Our sensory modalities (sight, Self is the result of the interactions among 3 components hearing, touch, taste, and smell) through of the mind: which we experience and engage with the 1. Id (Pleasure Principle) - the primal, instinctual part external environment. of the self that operates on the pleasure principle. b. Physical World: The tangible reality It seeks immediate gratification of basic desires around us, including people, objects, and and drives, such as hunger, sex, and aggression. situations that influence our experiences. 2. Ego (Reality Principle) - develops to mediate between the desires of the id and the constraints of reality. It operates on the reality principle, balancing the demands of the id with social norms GILBERT RYLE and moral considerations. The ego is responsible - For Ryle, what truly matters is the behavior that a for rational thought and decision-making. person manifests in his day-to-day life. 3. Superego (Morality Principle) - represents the - "Self" is not an entity one can locate and analyze internalized moral standards and societal but simply the convenient name that people use to expectations. It acts as a conscience, guiding the refer to all the behaviors that people make. ego towards moral and ethical behavior while also - For Ryle, the self is expressed in how a person imposing guilt and shame for failing to meet these acts, speaks, and interacts with the world. standards. - Ryle also recognized that the self is inherently social. Our identity is shaped by our interactions Example: Going to A Party with others and our roles within society. The self is Id: The id pushes for immediate gratification by not an isolated entity but is formed and expressed wanting to go to the party. through relationships and social practices. Ego: The ego tries to find a compromise by suggesting a balance of studying first and then attending the party. Superego: The superego emphasizes moral MERLEAU-PONTY responsibility and the importance of prioritizing - The mind and body are so intertwined that they studies over immediate pleasure. cannot be separated from one another.