Philosophers of the Self - PDF

Part 1. The SELF from Various Perspectives  “Self” sometimes referred to as ??? a primary concern throughout history it takes a good amount of time and effort self-understanding is one of the essence of what it means to be a human being Philosophical Perspectives of...

Part 1. The SELF from Various Perspectives  “Self” sometimes referred to as ??? a primary concern throughout history it takes a good amount of time and effort self-understanding is one of the essence of what it means to be a human being Philosophical Perspectives of the Self UTS | Lesson One | Arianne Joy A. Siapno Philosophy It’s purpose To discover the causes, reasons, and principles of everything. Philos and Sophia “friend/lover”, “wisdom” What Philosophers think Though there are disagreements on how they view the self, most of them agree that self-knowledge is a prerequisite to a happy and meaningful life  Part 1/2 What we'll discuss Socrates Plato Aristotle St. Augustine Rene Descartes John Locke What do you know about... SOCRATES SOCRATES: The Self is “synonymous with the soul” the first thinker to focus on the full power of reason on the human self: who we are, who we should be, who will we become In his theory, he believed: the concept of the physical body and the immortal soul every human possess an immortal soul that survived the physical body two dichotomous realms: ⚬ physical (changeable, not permanent) e.g. physical body ⚬ ideal (unchangeable, perfect, eternal) e.g. soul reason is the soul’s tool to achieve wisdom and perfection Man must live an examined life and a life of purpose and value The Socratic Method - Introspection What do you know about... PLATO PLATO: The Self is “an immortal soul” also believed that the self is synonymous with the soul; elaborated his teacher’s concept of the soul - a process of self knowledge and purification In his theory, he introduced: the idea of a three-part soul ⚬ physical appetite - basic biological needs ⚬ spirit or passion - includes basic emotions ⚬ reason - enables us to think deeply and make wise choices Genuine happiness can be achieved when Reason is in control of the Spirit and Appetite concept of the Two Worlds ⚬ world of forms (nonphysical ideas; real and permanent) ⚬ world of sense (reality; temporary and a replica of the ideal world) If man lives in accordance to his nature, then he is giving justice to his existence. What do you know about... ARISTOTLE ARISTOTLE: The “Soul is the essence” of the Self did not consider the body and the soul as separate entities; that the soul is merely a set of defining features In his theory, he suggested: anything with life has soul - the essence of all living things humans differ from other living things - for we are rational thinking entities three kinds of soul ⚬ vegetative - includes the physical body that grows ⚬ sentient - includes sensual desires, emotions ⚬ rational - intellect that makes man know & understand things The rational nature of the self is to lead a good, flourishing, and a fulfilling life (self- actualization) or by doing virtuous actions What do you know about... ST. AUGUSTINE ST. AUGUSTINE: The Self “has an immortal soul” integrated the ideas of Plato and Christianity In his theory, he believed: the body as ‘spouse’ of the soul, both attached together by a natural appetite body and soul are united making man entire and complete believed that the soul governs and defines the human person described that humankind is created in ‘the image and likeness of God’ - therefore we are always geared towards the good self is only known thru knowing God knowledge can only come by seeing the truth that dwells within us “I am doubting, therefore I am” What do you know about... RENE DESCARTES RENE DESCARTES: Cogito ergo sum - I think, therefore I am brought an entirely new perspective to philosophy and the self In his theory, he believed: the act of thinking about the self - of being self-conscious - is in itself proof that there is a self the essence of human self - a thinking entity that doubts, understands, analyzes, questions, and reasons two dimensions of the human self ⚬ thinking self (soul) - nonmaterial; immortal; independent ⚬ physical body - material, mortal, fully governed by the physical laws of nature the soul can exist as a stand alone; body cannot exist without the soul What do you know about... JOHN LOCKE JOHN LOCKE: The Self is “consciousness” the self or personal identity is constructed primarily from sense experiences - what we see, hear, smell, taste, and feel In his theory, he proposed: that the human mind at birth is ‘tabula rasa’ or blank slate conscious awareness and memory of previous experiences shape and mold the self thru out a person’s life self consciousness is necessary to have a coherent personal (self) identity or knowledge of the self as a person power of reason - to achieve knowledge and use this knowledge to understand experiences using the power of reason and introspection will enable people to understand and achieve accurate conclusions about the self (or personal identity) 15 mins break!  Part 2/2 What we'll discuss David Hume Immanuel Kant Sigmund Freud Gilbert Ryle Paul Churchland Maurice Merleau-Ponty What do you know about... DAVID HUME DAVID HUME: There is no self if people carefully examine their sense experience thru the process of introspection, they will discover that the self does not exist In his theory, he shared: what people experience is just a bundle or collection of different perceptions concept of distinct identities ⚬ impressions - basic sensations of people’s experiences; usually strong and lively ⚬ ideas - thoughts and images from impressions; therefore less lively and vivid the idea of personal identity is only a result of imagination What do you know about... IMMANUEL KANT IMMANUEL KANT: We construct the Self it is the self that makes experiencing an intelligible world possible because it is the self that is actively organizing and synthesizing all of our thoughts and perceptions In his theory, he articulated: the self constructs its own reality, actively creating a world that is familiar, predictable, and most significantly, ‘mine’ self thru the principle of reason, regulates all experiences by making it unified and therefore possible The self transcends experience - for the mind can grasp aspects of reality which is not limited to the senses What do you know about... SIGMUND FREUD SIGMUND FREUD: The Self is multilayered not a philosopher but his views have a far-reaching impact on philosophical thinking and other disciplines In his theory, he introduced: the conscious self is governed by the ‘reality principle’ or the key to preventing inappropriate behavior. three levels of the mind ⚬ preconscious - anything that could potentially be brought into the conscious mind ⚬ conscious - includes memory, which is not always part of consciousness but can be retrieved easily and brought into awareness. ⚬ unconscious - contains contents that are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict ￭ Freudian slip Freud saw the resemblance of the three levels of mind to an iceberg. *Also proposed the Elements of Personality Id Ego Superego According to Freud's theory, certain aspects of our personality are more primal and might pressure you to act upon your most basic urges. Other parts of our personality work to counteract these urges and strive to make you conform to the demands of reality. ID - only component of personality that is present from birth; This aspect of personality is entirely unconscious and includes instinctive and primitive behaviors. EGO - personality component responsible for dealing with While the ego has a tough job to do, it does reality; the ego develops from the id and ensures that the not have to act alone. Anxiety also plays a impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner role in helping the ego mediate between the acceptable in the real world demands of the basic urges, moral values, SUPEREGO - holds the internalized moral standards and and the real world. When you experience ideals that we acquire from our parents and society (our different types of anxiety, defense sense of right and wrong); provides guidelines for making mechanisms may kick in to help defend the judgments ego and reduce the anxiety you are feeling. What do you know about... GILBERT RYLE GILBERT RYLE: I act, therefore I am the self is best understood as a pattern of behavior, the tendency for a person to behave in a certain way in certain circumstances In his theory, he is convinced: the self is the same as bodily behavior the human mind is the totality of human tendencies that is known thru the way people behave the mind expresses the entire system of thoughts, emotions, and actions that make up the human self What do you know about... PAUL CHURCHLAND PAUL CHURCHLAND: The Self is the Brain all a person have is a brain and so, if the brain is gone, there is no self In his theory, he posits: the idea of eliminative materialism - the self is inseparable from the brain and the physiology of the body the physical brain, and not the imaginary mind, gives people the sense of self since the mind cannot be experienced by the senses, then the mind simply does not exist What do you know about... MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY: The Self as a “Phenomena of Experience” the unified experience of the self is the model that people should use to understand the nature of the self In his theory, he argued: the ‘I’ is a single integrated core identity, a combination of the mental, physical, and emotional structured around a core identity of the self everything that people are aware of is contained within the consciousness the consciousness, the world, and the human body are intricately intertwined in perceiving the world  Reminders Asynchronous activity will be sent via Google Classroom/Messenger GC Group 1 - kindly prepare for your activity facilitation