Understanding the Self - Hand-Out-USELF-Lesson-2 PDF

BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE College of Education UNDERSTANDING THE SELF STUDENT HAND OUT...

BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE College of Education UNDERSTANDING THE SELF STUDENT HAND OUT LESSON 2- PHILOSOPHY and SELF GINA N. MANDIN- Malibong ( Instructor) Why are we here? Identify the role of philosophy in understanding the self. Determine the different concepts of the self from the philosophical view. Define the relevance of the philosophy of the self to how the youth define their own sense of How are you going to explain this presentation? Key CONCEPTS: - “loving knowledge” or love of wisdom -knowledge – the examination of one’s self. - defined as the moral excellence. –sensual experiences – reasoning; the use of reason – feeling; the part that loves honor and victory The Background: Philosophical View of Self Philosophy is often called as the mother of all disciplines simply because all fields of study began as philosophical discourses. Philosophy is from the Greek words Philo-(loving) and Sophia(knowledge, wisdom). At simplest, philosophy is means “loving knowledge” or “loving wisdom”. The term philosophy as originally used by the Greeks meant, “The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.” Consequently, Philosophyis a study of fundamental nature, knowledge, reality, existence, especially in an academic discipline. It also investigates the legitimacy of concepts by rational arguments concerning their implications, relationships as well as moral judgment and etc. Ample of Philosophies concerns with the essential nature of the self. The philosophical framework for understanding the self was first introduced by the ancient great Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The Greeks were the ones who seriously questioned myths and moved away from them to understand reality and respond to perennial questions of curiosity, including the questions of the self. The different views of prominent philosophers regarding the nature of the self are discussed; most of them agree the self-knowledge is a prerequisite to a happy and meaningful life. Do you agree that self-knowledge is a prerequisite to a happy and meaningful life ? Why? Activity I: Write: How other people see me? The Philosophers: Some Socratic ideas were: SOCRATES n to Socrates was a Greek philosopher. Though, unlike other anyone is to live but die inside.” philosophers during his time, he never wrote anything. All the information’s about him today is through second-hand information from his student Plato and historian Xenophon know oneself.” (The Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2017).  that man must live an examined life and a life permanent (soul) = Individual of purpose and value.  incessant soul-searching- virtue – happiness  your real is not ----- but it is your -------- Virtue is the basic and most basic propensity of man and Self-knowledge is the source of all wisdom, an individual may gain possession of oneself and be one’s own master through knowledge. ( KNOW THYSELF) PLATO Plato is another Greek Philosopher who elaborates Socrates’ concept of the soul. He was the student of Socrates. He is best known for his Theory of Forms that asserted the physical world is not really the “real” world because the ultimate reality exists beyond the physical world. His philosophy can be explained as a process of self-knowledge and purification of the soul. He introduces the idea of a three-part soul/self-reason, physical appetite, and spirit or passion. The self/soul/mind according to Plato, is the best aspect of the human beings by which the FORMS (ideas) are known. is the divine essence that enables us to think deeply, make wise decisions and achieve the true understanding of eternal truths. APPETITE includes our biological needs such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desires. SPIRIT or PASSION composes the basic emotions like love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness, and empathy ST. AGUSTINE The African philosopher, Augustine, is regarded as a saint (St. Augustine of Hippo) in the Catholic Church. He is one of the Latin Fathers of the church, one of the Doctors of the church, and one of the most significant Christian thinkers (EncyclopediaBritannica, 2017). He integrates the ideas of Plato and teachings of Christianity. He adopted Plato’s view that the “self” is   an immaterial (but rational) soul. Augustine believes that the physical body is radically different form the inferior to its inhabitant, the immortal soul.  Giving the Theory of Forms a Christian perspective, Augustine asserted that these forms were concepts existing within the perfect and eternal God (The Catholic University of America Press, 1982) where the soul belonged.  He believed that the human being was both a soul and body, and  the body possessed sense, such as imagination, memory, reason, and mind through which the soul experienced the world. In his work, Confessions, Augustine describes that  humankind is created in the image and likeness of God. Everything created by God is all good is good.  Therefore, the human person, being a creation of God is always geared towards the good. The aspects of the self/soul according to St. Augustine’s are: The aspects of the self/soul according to St. Augustine’s are: Therefore:  reflection, as well as prayers and confessions in order to arrive at justifications for the existence of God.  both the soul and body is meant to tend to higher, divine, and heavenly matters because of his/her capacity to ascent and comprehend truths through the mind (The Stanford Encyclopedia of All Philosophy, 2017; Mendelson, 206). knowledge  that a virtuous life is dynamism of love. It’s lead the constant turning point towards life.  Loving God means loving one’s fellowmen; To and loving one’s fellowmen denoted never GOD. doing any harm to another or as the golden rule of justice denoted, doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Love and justice as the foundation of the individual self. What reflections of insights have you felt out of this knowledge? Take a break, let’s sing a song…..  RENE DESCARTES René Descartes was a French philosopher, mathematician, and a scientist and considered as the father of modern philosophy. He was regarded as the first thinker to emphasize the use of reason to describe, predict, and understand natural phenomena based on observations and empirical evidence (Bertrand, 2004; Grosholz, 1991). I THINK, THEREFORE I AM. Take Note: The Latin phrase Cogito Ergo Sum – “I think therefore I am” is the keystone of Descartes’ concept of self.  the act of thinking about the self – of being self-conscious – I in it proof that there is a self.  everything perceived by the senses could not be used as proof of existence because human senses could be fooled. Descartes’ claims about the “self” are: change; and it is not affected by time. In particular, he introduces the idea of the thinking self (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 the nature. On the other hand, each other, the body and the soul are independent of one another and each can exist and function without the other.  JOHN LOCKE: THE TABULA RASA Concept John Locke is an English philosopher and physician. For Locke, the human mind at birth is Tabula rasa or a blank slate. He expanded the definition of the  “self” that includes the memories of that thinking thing.  the “self” or personal identity is basically constructed from the experiences – like what people see, smell, taste, hear and feel.  “self” - it must consist of memory; meaning the person existing today is the same person yesterday (Natsoulas, 1994; Fuchs, 2017). For Locke, the memories of a person provide the continuity of its experiences that allows him/her to really identify himself as the same person over the time (Winkler, 1991). Since Locke account that the person is the same “self” in the passing of time, therefore, he/she is accountable for whatever behaviors he will act. Locke's denial of innate ideas put a premium on individual effort, on the labor necessary to gain knowledge from experience (Tarcov, P. 83). Man could be ruled and be free - man is endowed with natural rights such as life, liberty and property (Cranston,, p. 12) Some of John Locke’s ideas about the “self”:  -Believed that at birth human mind is a blank slate; a tabula rasa (empty of ideas).  All ideas are based on sensation – arriving at explanation by observing phenomena. IN SUMMARY:  Socrates suggests that the self is synonymous with the soul. He believes that every human possesses an immortal soul that survives the physical body.  For Plato, the three elements of the soul/self are reason, physical appetite and spirit or passion. Reason is the divine essence that enables people to think deeply, make wise decisions, and achieve a true understanding of eternal truths. The physical appetite includes thebasic biological needs while the spirit or passion includes the basic emotion.  Augustine suggests that the body is united with the soul so that man may be entire and complete.  Descartes, suggests that the act of thinking about the self or being self-conscious is proof that there is a self. There are two dimensions of a human self: the self is a thinking entity and the self as a physical body.  Locke believes that conscious awareness and memory of previous experiences are the keys to the understanding the self. He believes that the essence of the self is its conscious awareness of itself as a thinking, reasoning, and reflecting identity. Let’s Assess! Identify the philosopher who proposed the particular view of self presented in the first column. Then, examine your personal view about the nature of self and indicate whether you believe or not in the philosophical view of self. If you believe in the stated philosophy, recall an important experience you have had which relates to it. If you do not believe, explain your disbelief. How do you think your experiences or disbelief affects your selfhood? Let’s Reflect! Write an essay on the philosophical perspective of the self. Consider the following questions in writing your essay. 1) Explain how each philosophy of the self impacts your self-understanding. 2) Which philosophy relates to your own belief? 3) What is your own philosophy of self? You may email your answers/ Essay to [email protected]. in PDF. State your name, class and schedule. ( This will form part of your journal.) End the session with a song.. 