Unit 1: The Self From Various Perspectives PDF

UNIT 1: THE SELF FROM THE VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES SOURCE: https://www.istockphoto.com/illustrations/philosopher & canva.com Lesson 1: PHILOSOPHY Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to: 1. Discuss the different representations and conceptualizat...

UNIT 1: THE SELF FROM THE VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES SOURCE: https://www.istockphoto.com/illustrations/philosopher & canva.com Lesson 1: PHILOSOPHY Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to: 1. Discuss the different representations and conceptualizations of the self from the philosophical perspectives. 2. Compare and contrast how the self is examined from the philosophical views. 3. Demonstrate a reflective thought by defining the self based on these views. The Philosophical Self A.) SOCRATES Brief Background and Significant Events He was accused of disrespect for the city of gods and corrupting the youth of Athens. He caused the youths to question all things including many traditional beliefs. He was a controversial figure in Athens because of his argumentative skill. Socrates’ way of searching for meaning and truth was abrasive in nature (ex. endless process of asking questions). This gave birth to the “Socratic method of questioning”. Philosophical Statement: “ Know thyself” The unexamined life is considered as not worth living, humans must strive to seek their purpose and value Definition of the SELF: The self is an immortal soul which exists over time The self is also the source of all knowledge. Individual experience is important when you want to know yourself. Hence, to truly know about something, you must understand its essence. Example: It is not enough to identify something as beautiful, one must know WHY IT IS BEAUTIFUL. A Self-regulated Learning Module 5 View of Reality: Reality is dualistic 1. Physical Realm - it is constantly changing, transient and imperfect (ex. the physical body) 2. Ideal Realm - it considered as unchanging, eternal and immortal (ex. the soul, truth, goodness and beauty) B.) PLATO Brief Background and Significant Events The death of Socrates was a turning point in the life of Plato because he elaborated on Socrates’ ideas after the former’s death. He contributed original ideas on a wide range of issues such as morality, politics, metaphysics and epistemology. Definition of the SELF: The self is an immortal soul which exists over time THE THREE PART SOUL (The Three Part Self) 1. Reason- it enables the individuals to think deeply, make choices and achieve true understanding. 2. Physical Appetite- this refers to basic biological needs such as thirst, hunger and sexual desire. 3. Spirit or Passion- this refers to basic emotions like love, anger, aggressiveness and empathy. The three part self may act in consonance or may act in conflict with each other. For example, You may have a relationship with someone who is intelligent (reason); with whom you are passionately in love (spirit) and whom you find sexually attractive which ignites your desires (appetite). Another example, you fell in love with a person (spirit) who is sexually attractive (appetite) who does not satisfy your ideal type, he/she is the total opposite of the person you are looking for (reason). In this case the selves are in CONFLICT. Genuine happiness can be achieved when REASON is in control of SPIRITS and APPETTITES ILLUSTRATION: “The Chariot Analogy”- the soul is likened to a chariot drawn by two powerful winged horses. Noble horse - spirit Wild horse - embodying the appetite Charioteer - reason; the task is to guide the chariot to the eternal realm by controlling the two independent- minded horses A Self-regulated Learning Module 6 C.) ST. AUGUSTINE Brief Background and Significant Events Plotinus (Roman Philosopher) influenced the thinking of St. Augustine. Plotinus based his views on Plato’s core concepts. He believes that “The soul possesses superiority over the body”. He is committed to his Platonic ideas regarding the imperfection of his physical body; in contrast to the perfection of his eternal soul. He refused to celebrate his birthday because he was ashamed that his immortal soul had to be contained in imperfect vessel as his body. Plotinus ideas had a profound influence on St. Augustine Definition of the SELF: The self is an immortal soul which exists over time Relationship of body and the soul He considers the body as a “slave” to the soul Then he alters his view that “the soul makes war with the body” He changed it again into “the body as the spouse of the soul” with both attached to one another by a natural appetite. He finally concluded that “The body is united with the soul so that man maybe entire and complete”. What is a virtuous life for St. Augustine? To live a virtuous life is to live in LOVE, all sins are the result of turning away from love and God. Plato’s vision of immortal souls striving to achieve union with the eternal realm through INTELLECTUAL ENLIGHTENMENT became transformed by Augustine into IMMORTAL SOULS STRIVING TO ACHIEVE UNION WITH GOD through faith and reason. Hence, this is the start of the medieval Christian Doctrine and Western Philosophy. D.) DESCARTES Brief Background and Significant Events Founder of Modern Philosophy He was a mathematician and a scientist He is a rationalist who emphasized that thinking must follow a logical and rational process Philosophical Statement: Cogito Ergo Sum “I think therefore I am”- this is the essence of your SELF, humans are thinking thing! A Self-regulated Learning Module 7  Descartes believed that man is a thinking being, genuine knowledge must be based on independent rational inquiry and real-world experimentation. Performing mental operations was essential to being a human self. To arrive at knowledge, human must use their thinking abilities (investigate, analyze, experiment and develop well-reasoned conclusions) Definition of the SELF: The self is a thinking thing, distinct from the body Dualistic View of the Self The thinking self (or soul): non material, immortal, conscious being and independent of the physical laws of the universe. The conscious self is part of the spiritual realm governed by the laws of reason and God’s will. The physical body is a material, mortal, non-thinking entity governed by the physical laws of nature. Rationalist View: Reasoning ability provides the origin of knowledge Rationalism - the view that reason is the primary source of all knowledge and that only our reasoning abilities can enable us to understand sense experience and reach accurate conclusions. E.) JOHN LOCKE Brief Background and Significant Events His background as a physician influenced his beliefs about the nature of the self. Definition of the SELF: Personal identity is made possible by self- consciousness Knowledge is based on the careful observation of sense experience/ or memories of previous experiences. Reason is a vital element in making meaning out of the sense experience of a person. Empiricist view: all knowledge originates in our direct SENSE EXPERIENCE Empiricism- the view that sense experience is the primary source of all knowledge and that only a careful attention to sense experience can enable us to understand the world and achieve accurate conclusions. LOCKE’S CONCLUSION ON EXAMINING ONE’S EXPERIENCES: 1. To discover personal identity, one must establish how it is to be a person 2. A person is a thinking, reflecting and analyzing being 3. A person is the same thing in different times and places 4. Consciousness is accompanied by thinking A Self-regulated Learning Module 8  5. Consciousness makes it possible to exhibit the same identity in different times and places NOTE: Conscious awareness and memory of previous experiences are the keys to understanding the self F.) HUME Brief Background and Significant Events He was an empiricist like John Locke He was a controversial figure because of his skeptical examinations of religion, ethics and history during the 18th century Philosophical Statement: There is no self! Definition of the SELF: There is no self, only a bundle of constantly changing perceptions passing through the theatre of our minds. TWO DISTINCT ENTITIES: 1. Impressions- the basic sensations of our experience, the elemental data of our minds: pain, pleasure, heat, cold, happiness, grief, fear etc. These impressions are “lively” and “vivid”. 2. Ideas- ideas are copies of impressions, they are less “lively” and “vivid”. Ideas include thoughts and images that are built up from our primary impressions through a variety of relationships. “The mind is a kind of theatre where several perceptions successively make their appearance…” G.) KANT Brief Background and Significant Events A German philosopher who wrote his books while dressed in a bathrobe and slippers. Philosophical Statement: “We construct the self” Definition of the SELF: The self is a unifying subject, an organizing consciousness that makes intelligible experience possible. Kant argued that when we perceive objects, we encounter mental states that appear to be composed of bits and pieces and are organized meaningfully. (For example, A Self-regulated Learning Module 9  taking the raw data of experience and actively synthesizing it into familiar, orderly, meaningful world in which we live.) Knowledge of the world begins with sensations: sounds, colours, tastes, feels, smells are the basic data for experience The mind actively sorts, organizes, relates and synthesizes the raw data. It is yourself that is actively organizing all of your sensations and thoughts into a picture that makes sense to you. YOUR WORLD ACCORDING TO YOUR TERMS! Ergo, WE CONSTRUCT THE SELF! H.) FREUD Brief Background and Significant Events Freud’s parental experiences influenced his development of the concept of Oedipus Complex Freud was described as exhibiting the following characteristics: intelligence, self- confidence, desire for achievement and fame Definition of the SELF: “The self is multi-layered” THREE LAYERS OF THE SELF: 1. ID - it is present at birth, entirely unconscious, includes all innate instincts. It is motivated entirely by the pleasure principle. It has no sense of logic, time, or self-preservation. Its only resource is to form wish-fulfilling mental images of desired objects. 2. EGO - It begins to develop out of the ID at about 6to8 months. It operates in accordance with the logical and self-preservative secondary process. The EGO is motivated by the REALITY PRINCIPLE. (Example, delaying pleasure until a suitable and safe object has been found. - The ego is the locus of all emotions, including anxiety and tries to keep the ID under control by using various DEFENSE MECHANISM (repression, denial, rationalization, displacement etc.) 3. SUPEREGO - it begins to develop out of the ego at about age 3to5 years. It is partly conscious and unconscious. It includes standards or RIGHT and WRONG. The SUPEREGO results from parental standards. It operates under the MORALITY PRINCIPLE. A Self-regulated Learning Module 10  THE ICEBERG THEORY: source: www.katdish.net I.) RYLE Brief Background and Significant Events Analytic philosopher who analysed language to solve philosophical puzzles. Definition of the SELF: “The self is the way people behave” In defining the self, it is necessary to focus on OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOR because these are concrete evidences of how the minds works and functions. The self is defined in terms of what is presented to the world. What the minds wills, it is the body that executes it. The self is better understood as a pattern of behavior, the tendency for a person to behave in a certain way. J). CHURCHLAND Brief Background and Significant Events A contemporary American Philosopher and professor at the University of California. Definition of the SELF: “The self is the brain” Mental states will be superseded by the brain states The physical states (health of our bodies, the food we ingest, the experiences we endure) have an impact on our mental and emotional functioning. The emotional and mental states likewise impact on our physical conditions (ex. stress, depression, psychosomatic disorder) To understand the nature of the mind, we have to fully understand the nature of the brain. A Self-regulated Learning Module 11 GOAL OF BRAIN/SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: Link the self to the physical wiring and physiological functioning of the brain. He proposed ELIMINATIVE MATERIALISM-developing a new vocabulary and conceptual framework that is grounded in neuroscience. K). MERLEAU-PONTY Brief Background and Significant Events French philosopher who was influenced by Husserl He worked in the Army as an officer and was eventually appointed as a Philosophy professor at University of Lyon Definition of the SELF: “The self is embodied subjectivity” “I live in my body”- entity that can never be objectified or known in a completely objective sort of way. (Ponty is a phenomenologist in this aspect). The living body is a natural synthesis of mind and biology and separating them would be nonsensical and artificial. Everything that we are aware of is contained within our own consciousness. Consciousness is a dynamic form responsible for actively structuring our conscious ideas and physical behavior. For him, perception was the source of knowledge and has to be studied before the conventional sciences. Sources: Henley, T.B. (2017). Hergenhahn’s an introduction to the history of psychology. Retrieved from https://books.google.com Shultz & Shultz (2017). A history of modern psychology 10th edition. Wadsworth Cengage Learning. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 1. Draw a concept map about the different philosophical perspectives. 2. You may check the links below to learn more about the philosophers. ❖ https://youtu.be/CyIKayNXTPY ❖ https://youtu.be/VDiyQub6vpw ❖ https://youtu.be/hBAxUBeVfsk ❖ https://youtu.be/CAjWUrwvxs4 ❖ https://youtu.be/eqTLbt1JRHw ❖ https://youtu.be/2880HINZv2s ❖ https://youtu.be/rkCTo670lVU A Self-regulated Learning Module 12  ❖ https://youtu.be/Gfrrl8_U1Ac ❖ https://youtu.be/V7J8tXHj0C8 ❖ https://youtu.be/su9K5cwt8Dw ❖ https://youtu.be/JPpZwmKe4u4 PERFORMANCE TASK 1. Create a VENN Diagram of the different philosophers to visually represent the similarities and differences among the philosophers. Encode your work. VENN DIAGRAM RUBRIC Strong Grasp Progressing Not in Evidence Text support of All statements are Most statements are Few or none of the comparison supported by the text. supported by the text. statements are statements (10 points) (7 points) supported by the text. (5 points) Placement of All statements noting Most statements are Few statements are statements within similarities are placed placed in the correct placed in the correct in the center circle circle, but student circle. the Venn diagram and all statements mixed up a few (5 points) that note differences statements. are placed in the (7 points) correct outer circle. (10 points) Number of quality Student is able to Student is able to Student makes two or statements make five or more make 3–4 comparison fewer comparison comparison statements in each statements in each statements in each circle. circle. circle. (7 points) (5 points) (10 points) 2. Q and A activity (alternative) 10 points 1. Using the different philosophical views, how would you like to define yourself? Why? A Self-regulated Learning Module 13