The Self from Various Perspectives PDF

THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES RUTH MAE G. FERNANDEZ, RSW  LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the chapter, you should be able to: 1. Demonstrate understanding of the range of representations and conceptualization of the self from various discipinal perspectives. 2. Compare...

THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES RUTH MAE G. FERNANDEZ, RSW  LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the chapter, you should be able to: 1. Demonstrate understanding of the range of representations and conceptualization of the self from various discipinal perspectives. 2. Compare and contrast how the concept of self has been represented across disciplines and perspectives; 3. Examine the different influences, factors, and forces that contribute to the development of self; and 4. Analyze the development of one’s self and identity by creating a theory of self.  INTRODUCTION Socrates’ philosophy “Know thyself” clearly underscores the primary concern for understanding the nature of the self throughout history, thus the philosophical question “who am i?” and “what am i?” As you shall see, however, understanding the nature of the self is not simple – it takes time and effort. But why is it important to understand the self? This course does not have direct and clear answers, but in trying to understand the nature of self, you will discover that self-understanding is most definitely one of the essence of what it means to be a human being.  WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE SELF? Philosophical perspectives Sociological perspective: The self as a product of society An Anthropological conceptualization of self: WHO AM I? The self as embedded in The Self in Western culture SELF and Eastern thought WHAT AM I? A search for answers to the nature of Psychological Perspective the self and the qualities that define it can be traced back to great philosophers during the ancient THE MANY VIEWS OF SELF times. Over time, various disciplines offered their own explanations. 01 Philosophical Perspective of the Self  LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the chapter, you should be able to: 1. Explain the role of philosophy in understanding the concept of self; 2. Discuss the different concepts of the self from the philosophical perspective; 3. Differentiate the various concepts of the self and identify their similarities; and 4. Develop your own philosophy of the self  —Socrates “Know thyself” Philosophy employs the inquisitive mind to discover the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles of everything. It goes beyond scientific investigation by exploring all areas of knowledge such as religion, psychology, politics, physics, and even medicine. Hence, the etymological definition of philosophy “love of wisdom” could pertain to the desire for truth by formulating never ending questions to provide answers to every inquiry about the nature of human existence. The nature of the self is a topic of interest among philosophers. The philosophical framework for understanding the self was first introduced by the ancient great Greek philosophers: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. In particular, Socrates suggests: “know thyself.”  SOCRATES : AN UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING For Socrates the self is synonymous with the soul. He believes that every human possesses an immortal soul that survives the physical body. Socrates was the first to focus on the full power of reason on the human self: who we are, who we should be, and who we will become. Socrates suggests that reality consists of two dichotomous realms: physical and ideal realms. The physical realm is changeable, transient, and imperfect. The ideal realm is unchanging, eternal, and immortal. The physical world in which man lives belongs to the physical Forrealm. Socrates, the body belongs to the physical realm. The unchanging, eternal, perfect realm includes the intellectual essences of the universe, concepts such as truth, goodness, and beauty. The soul belongs to the ideal realm. SOCRATES AN UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING : The essence of the self – the soul – is the immortal entity. Socrates suggests that man must live an examined life and a life of purpose and value An unexamined life is not worth living. The Socratic method, the so-called introspection, is a method of carefully examining one’s thoughts and emotions – to gain self-knowledge. PLATO : THE SELF IS AN IMMORTAL SOUL Another ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, elaborates on Socrates’ concept of soul. Like Socrates, Plato believes that the self is synonymouswith the soul. His philosophy can be explained as a process of knowledge and purification of the self- soul. Specifically, he introduces the idea of a three-part soul/self: reason, physical appetite, and spirit or passion. Reason is the divine essence that enables us to think deeply, make wise choices, and achieve a true understanding of eternal truths. Physical appetite includes our basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desires. Spirit or passion includes basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness, and empathy. PLATO THE SELF IS AN IMMORTAL :SOUL These three elements of our selves are in a dynamic relationship with one another, sometimes in a conflict. When conflict occurs, Plato believes it is the responsibility of Reason to sort things out and exert control, restoring a harmonious relationship among the three elements of our selves Plato believes that genuine happiness can only be achieved by people who consistently make sure that their Reason is in control of their Spirits and Appetites. This harmonious integration under the control of Reason is the essence of Plato’s concept of justice. As such, if man lives in accordance to his nature, then he is giving justice to his existence. ARISTOTLE: THE SOUL IS THE ESSENCE OF THE SELF A Greek philosopher, Aristotle, believes that the soul is merely a set defining features of and does not consider the body and soul as a entities. He the soul is the essence of separate suggests that anything with life has a soul. Aristotle holds all thatliving things. Thus, the soul is the essence the self. However, humans differ of other living things because of theirfrom capacity for rational thinking. His discussion about the self centers on the kinds of soul possessed by man. Thus, he introduces the three kinds of soul: vegetative, sentient, and rational. The vegetative soul includes the physical body that can grow Sentient soul includes sensual desires, feelings, and emotions. Rational soul is what makes man human. It includes the intellect that allows man to know and understand things. ARISTOTLE: THE SOUL IS THE ESSENCE OF THE SELF Aristotle suggests that the rational nature of the self is to lead a good, flourishing, and fulfilling life (self-actualization) The pursuit of happiness is a search for a good life that includes doing virtuous actions In saying this, he posits that part of the rational soul is characterized by moral virtues such as justice and courage.  ST. THE SELF HAS AN IMMORTAL SOUL AUGUSTINE: An African philosopher, Augustine, is regarded as a saint (St. Augustine of Hippo) in the Catholic Church. He integrates the ideas of Plato and teachings of Christianity. Augustine believes that the physical body radically is different from and inferior to its inhabitant, the immortal soul. As his thinking matured, he developed a more unified perspective on the body and soul. He ultimately came to view the body as “spouse” of the soul, both attached to one another by a “natural appetite.” He believes that the body is united with the soul, so that man may be entire and complete. As a religious philosopher he believes that the soul is what governs and defines man. In his work “confessions” Augustine describes that humankind is created in the image and likeness of God. Everything created by God who is all good is good. Augustine is convinced that the self is known only through knowing God Self-knowledge is a consequence of knowledge of God. ST. THE SELF HAS AN IMMORTAL SOUL AUGUSTINE: Knowledge can only come by seeing the truth that dwells within us. The truth of which Augustine speaks refers to the truth of knowing God. God is transcendent and the self seeks to be united with God through faith and reason He develops the fundamental concept of the human person, and thus provides the philosophical principle, “I am doubting, therefore I am”  RENE DESCARTES: I THINK THEREFORE I AM A French philosopher, Rene Descartes, is the father of modern philosophy. He has brought an entirely new perspective to philosophy and the self. He wants to penetrate the nature of reasoning process and understand its relationship to the human self. The Latin phrase Cogito ergo sum – “I think therefore I am” is the keystone of Descartes’ conceptof self. For him, the act thinking about the self – of being self-conscious– is in itselfofproof that there is a self. He is confident that no rational person will doubt his or her own existence as a conscious, thinking entity – while we are aware of thinking about our selves. For Descartes, this is the essence of the human self – a thinking entity that doubts, understands, analyzes, questions, and reasons. If man reflects thoughtfully, he will realize that there are two dimensions of the human self: the self as a thinking entity and the self as a physical body RENE DESCARTES: I THINK THEREFORE I AM He introduces the idea of the thinking self (or soul) as non-material, immortal, conscious being, and independent of the physical laws of the universe. In contrast, the physical body is a material, mortal, non-thinking entity, fully governed by the physical laws of nature. The soul and the body are independent of one another, an each can exist and function without the other. The essential self – the self as a thinking entity- can exist independently of the physical body JOHN LOCKE: THE SELF IS CONSCIOUSNESS For english philosopher John Locke, the human mind at birth is tabula rasa or a blank slate. He feels that the self, or personal identity, is constructed primarily from sense experiences – or a more specifically, what people see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. These experiences shape and mold the self throughout a person’s life. For Locke, conscious awareness and memory of previous existence are the keys to understanding the self. Locke believes that the essence of the self is its conscious awareness of itself as a thinking, reasoning, and reflecting identity. He contends that the consciousness accompanies thinking and makes possible the concept people have of a self. Self-consciousness is necessary to have a coherent personal (self) identity or knowledge of the self as a person. Consciousness is what makes identity of a person similar in different situations. JOHN LOCKE: THE SELF IS CONSCIOUSNESS Locke is proposing that people could use the power of reason to gain knowledge and consequently use this knowledge to understand experiences. Knowledge is based on careful observation of experiences Reason plays an important role in helping to figure out the significance of sense experience and to reach intelligent conclusions. Using the power of reason and introspection enables one to understand and achieve accurate conclusions about the self (or personal identity).  DAVID HUME: THERE IS NO SELF A Scottish philosopher, David Hume, suggests that if people carefully examine their sense experience through the process of introspection, they will discover that there is no self. According to Hume, what people experience is just a bundle or collection of different perceptions. Hume maintains that if people carefully examine the contents of their experience,they will find that there are only distinct entities: impressions and ideas. Impressions are the basic sensations of people’s experience such as hate, love, joy, grief, pain, cold, and heat. Impressions are vivid perceptions and are strong and lively. Ideas, however, are thoughts and images from impressions so they are less lively and vivid. Hume further posits that different sensations are in a constant continuum that is invariable and not constant. Hume argues that it cannot be from any of these impressions that the idea of self is DAVID THERE IS NO SELF HUME: Hume’s skeptical claim on this issue is that people have no experience of a simple and individual impression that they can call the self where the self is the totality of a person’s conscious life. Subsequently, the idea of personal identity is a result of imagination.  IMMANUEL WE CONSTRUCT THE SELF KANT: A German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, 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. The self, in the form of consciousness, utilizes conceptual categories which he calls transcendental deduction of categories, to construct an orderly and objective world that is stable and can be investigated scientifically. He believes that the self is an organizing principle that makes a unified and intelligible experience possible. It is metaphorically above or behind sense experience, and it uses the categories of our mind to filter, order, relate, organize, and synthesize sensations into a unified whole. The self constructs its own reality, actively creating a world that is familiar, predictable, and most significantly, mine. IMMANUEL WE CONSTRUCT THE SELF KANT: The self is the product of reason, a regulative principle, because the self regulates experience by making unified experiences possible. The self transcends experience because the mind can grasp aspects of reality which are not limited to the senses. Through rationality, people are able to understand certain abstract ideas that have no corresponding physical object or sensory experience.  SIGMUND FREUD: THE SELF IS MULTILAYERED An Austrian psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud. His views on the nature of the self have a far-reaching impact on philosophical thinking, as well as other disciplines such as psychology and sociology. Freud holds that the self consists of three layers: conscious, unconscious, and The conscious preconscious. self is governed by the “reality principle.” The part of the self is organized conscious in ways that are rational, practical, and appropriate to the environment. The conscious self usually takes into account the realistic demands of the situation, the consequences of various actions, and the overriding need to preserve the equilibrium (balance) of the entire psychodynamic system of the self. In contrast, the unconscious part of the self contains the basic instinctual drives including sexuality, aggressiveness, and self-destruction; traumatic memories; unfulfilled wishes and childhood fantasies; and thoughts and feelings that would be considered socially taboo. The unconscious level is characterized by the most primitive level of human motivation and human functioning which is governed by the “pleasure principle” SIGMUND FREUD: THE SELF IS MULTILAYERED Freud argues that much of the self is determined by the unconscious. On the other hand, the preconscious self contains material that is not threatening and is easily brought to mind. According to Freud, the preconscious part is located between the conscious and the unconscious parts of the self. GILBERT THE SELF IS THE WAY PEOPLE BEHAVE RYLE: A British philosopher, Gilbert Ryle, believes that the self is best understood as a pattern of behavior, the tendency or disposition of person to behave ain a certain way in certain circumstances. Ryle’s of the human self thus provides the philosophial principle, “I act therefore am.” Ryle considers the concept I mind and body to be intrinsically linked in complex and intimate ways. In short, the self the same as bodily behavior. is He concludes that the mind is the totality of human dispositions that is known through the way people behave. Nevertheless, Ryle is convinced that the mind expresses the entire system of thoughts, emotions, and actions that make up the human self. PAUL THE SELF IS THE BRAIN CHURCHLAND: A Canadian philosopher, Paul Churchland, advocates the idea brain and the of eliminative materialism of the idea that the self is inseparable from the psysiological of the body. All a person has is the brain, so if the brain is gone, and there is no self. For Churchland, the physical brain and not the imaginary mind, gives people the sense of self. The mind does not really exist because it cannot be experienced by the senses. MAURICE THE SELF IS EMBODIED SUBJECTIVITY MERLEAU-PONTY: A French philosopher, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, argues that all knowledge about the self (e.g., understanding the nature of the self) is based on the “phenomena” of experience. The “I” is a single integrated core identity, a combination of the articulates mental, that when physical, andpeople examine emotional the self structures at thea fundamental around core identity level of theofself. direct He further experience, people will human discover that the mind and body are unified, not separate. He notes in his book, Phenomenology of Perception, that everything that people are aware of its contained within the consciousness. Consciousness is a dynamic form responsible for actively structuring conscious ideas and physical behaviour. He is convinced that consciousness, the world, and the human body are intricately intertwined in perceiving the world. For him, perception is not merely a consequence of sensory experience; rather it is a conscious experience. Thus, the self is embodied subjectively  END OF PRESENTATION