Philosophical Perspective of "Self" PDF

Module 1 Lesson 1: The Philosophical Perspective of “Self” Prepared by: Ms. Jelyn O. Magonalig, MAEd, RGC A. SOCRATES (496-399 B.C.) – Greek Philosopher Was known for his method of inquiry in testing an idea called the Socratic Method - an idea was tested by asking ser...

Module 1 Lesson 1: The Philosophical Perspective of “Self” Prepared by: Ms. Jelyn O. Magonalig, MAEd, RGC A. SOCRATES (496-399 B.C.) – Greek Philosopher Was known for his method of inquiry in testing an idea called the Socratic Method - an idea was tested by asking series of questions to determine underlying beliefs and extent of knowledge to guide person toward better understanding. Ideas about the Self 1. The soul is immortal. “I Know That I 2. The care of the soul is the task of philosophy. Don’t Know” 3. Virtue is necessary to attain happiness. “Know thyself” or self-knowledge – the examination of one’s self is very important because only by knowing yourself you can hope to improve your life. The state of your inner being (soul/self) determines the quality of your life. SOCRATES – Greek Philosopher 2 Kinds of Existence 1. The Visible – the body which is visible, changes. 2. The Invisible – invisible yet sensed and understood by the mind remains constant When the soul and body are together nature assigns our body to be a slave and to be ruled and the soul to be ruler and master. However, the body is a reluctant slave, and the soul is dragged toward what is“Ialways Know That I changing. This would leave the soul confused. Don’t Know” The goal of life is to be happy. HOW DOES ONE BECOME HAPPY? SOCRATES – Greek Philosopher The virtuous man is a happy man, and that VIRTUE (moral excellence) alone is the one and only supreme good that will secure his/her happiness. Courage Temperance “I Know That I Don’t Know” Prudence Justice PLATO (428-348 B.C.) – student of Socrates; he wrote the Socratic Dialogue his philosophical method was identified as “collection and division” was known for his Theory of Forms that asserted that the physical world is not the real world 3 Parts of the Self/Soul/Mind 1. Appetitive (sensual) – enjoys sensual experiences such as food, drink, and sex Balance between mind 2. Rational (reasoning) – forbids the person to enjoy the sensual experiences; and body loves truth, hence should rule over the other parts of the soul through the use of reason 3. Spirit ( feeling) – inclined toward reason but understands the demands of passion; loves honor and victory ARISTOTLE (384-322 B.C.) “Living a life of moderation is doing things in consonance with reason.” The self is composed of : Body and soul Mind and matter Sense and intellect Passion and reason ARISTOTLE (384-322 B.C.) “Living a life of moderation is doing things in consonance with reason.” Reason is supreme in a human person and should govern all of life’s activities When the senses, the lower nature of a human person, dominate a human person’s life, they tend to live in a chaotic life. When reason rules over the senses, mind over matter, the human person tends to live a happy life. ARISTOTLE (384-322 B.C.) “Living a life of moderation is doing things in consonance with reason.” Wisdom is true knowledge and virtue is doing what is best for you - leads to perfection and happiness GOLDEN MEAN – means moderation; avoid the extremes; avoid too much and too little Living in moderation is doing things in consonance with reason. ST. AUGUSTINE (354-430 B.C.) – also called “St. Augustine of Hippo” one of the Latin Fathers of the Church Adopted Plato’s view that the self is an immaterial (but rational) He gives a Christian perspective of the Theory of Forms Forms were concepts existing within the perfect and eternal God where the soul belonged. The soul held the Truth and is capable of “All knowledge leads scientific thinking. The “I” has self-knowledge and self-awareness. to God” He believed that human being is both a soul and a body, and the body possesses senses such as imagination, memory, reason, and mind through which the soul experiences the world. ST. AUGUSTINE – also called “St. Augustine of Hippo” Human is meant to tend to higher, divine, and heavenly matters because of his/her capacity to comprehend truths through the mind. He pointed out that a person is similar to God as regards to the mind and its ability; that by ignoring to use his/her mind (or the incorrect use of the mind) he/she Allwould loseleads to knowledge God his/her possibility to reach real and lasting happiness. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274) Like Aristotle, Aquinas proclaimed the supremacy of reason in a human person. However, he stressed that there are some truths which cannot be known by human reason alone which can be perceived only with the aid of the light of divine revelation. These two truths known through reason and those from Divine Revelation can never contradict each other GOD – is the TRUTH Himself; the source of reason ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274) He taught that man longs for happiness on earth but He pointed to a higher form of human perfection beyond this life because of the immortality of the human soul – found in God alone. RENE DESCARTES (1596-1650) – French Philosopher; Father of Modern Western Philosophy emphasized the use of reason to describe, predict, and understand natural phenomena based on observational and empirical evidence proposed that doubt is a principal tool of disciplined inquiry, a method called methodological skepticism – a systematic process of being skeptical about the truth of one’s beliefs in order to determine which beliefs could be ascertained as true. “I think, Therefore I Am.” “Cogito ergo sum” (“I think, therefore I am.”) everything perceived by the senses could not be used as proof of existence because human senses could be fooled; one thing that we could be sure of in this world is everything could be doubted. RENE DESCARTES – French Philosopher; Father of Modern Western Philosophy emphasized the use of reason to describe, predict, and understand natural phenomena based on observational and empirical evidence proposed that doubt is a principal tool of disciplined inquiry, a method called methodological skepticism – a systematic process of being skeptical about the truth of one’s beliefs in order to determine which beliefs could be ascertained as true. “I think, Therefore I “Cogito ergo sum” (“I think, therefore I am.”) Am.” everything perceived by the senses could not be used as proof of existence because human senses could be fooled; one thing that we could be sure of in this world is everything could be doubted. JOHN LOCKE (1631-1704) – (Philosopher and physician and was one of the influential Enlightenment Thinkers) “Self” is identified with consciousness and this “self” consists of memory; that the person existing now is the same person yesterday because he/she remembers the thoughts, experiences, or actions of the earlier self. He considered personal identity (or the self) to be founded on consciousness, and not on the substance of either the soul or the body. JOHN LOCKE – (Philosopher and physician and was one of the influential Enlightenment Thinkers) Empiricism - the origin of all knowledge is the sense of experience - Emphasizing the role of experience and evidence “Human mind at birth is a tabula rasa, which means that knowledge is derived from experiences.” DAVID HUME (1711-1776) – (Scottish Philosopher, economist and historian during the Age of Enlightenment) “Self” was nothing but a series of incoherent impressions received by the senses. Did not believe in the existence of “self”. Perceptions are only active as long as one is conscious. “Self” is a light bulb that may be switched on or off. All knowledge derived from human senses DAVID HUME – (Scottish Philosopher, economist and historian during the Age of Enlightenment) Empiricism/Bundle Theory -“self” of person is a bundle of or a collection of different perceptions that are moving in very fast and successive manner; therefore it is in a “perpetual flux” Notion of self could be verified through observation “All knowledge is derived from human senses”. IMMANUEL KANT (1724-1804) – (Central figure of modern philosophy) Theory of Self-Consciousness -Human Minds creates the structure of human experience. -“self” is transcendental which is related to a spiritual or nonphysical realm. -Self is not the body but is the outside body. - It is knowledge that bridges the “self” and the material things together. IMMANUEL KANT – (Central figure of modern philosophy) Two components of self: Inner Self – The “self” by which you are aware of alterations in your own state. This includes your rational intellect and your psychological state, such a moods, feelings, and sensations, pleasure, and pain. Outer self – It includes your sense and the physical world. It is the common boundary between the external world and the inner self. It gathers information from the external world through the senses, which inner self interprets and coherently expresses. IMMANUEL KANT – (Central figure of modern philosophy) Apperception – the mental processes by which a person makes sense of an idea by assimilating it to the body of ideas he or she already possesses. “Reason is the final authority of morality”. Morality is achieved only when there is absence of war because of the result of enlightenment.” MAURICE MERLEAU PONTY (1908-1961) - Existentialism Self as an embodied subjectivity Mind and body are intrinsically connected Body is part of the mind, and the mind is part of the body Body acts what mind perceives as a unified one. the physical body to be an important part of what makes up the subjective self. GILBERT RYLE (1900-1976) Individual’s actions define his/her own concept of “self” Three points against Descartes: The relation between mind and body are not isolated process. Mental processes are intelligent acts, and are not distinct from each other. The operation of the mind is itself an intelligent act. “I act, therefore I am.” PAUL CHURCHLAND (1942 - present) Immaterial soul does not exist because it cannot be experienced by senses. Asserts that since the mind can't be experienced by senses, then the mind doesn't really exist. It is the physical brain and not the imaginary mind that gives us our sense of self. Materialism - the belief that nothing but matter exists PAUL CHURCHLAND (1942 - present) Eliminative Materialism – the claim that people’s common-sense understanding of the mind is false and that certain classes of mental states which most people believe do not exist “The physical brain and not the imaginary mind gives individual a sense of self.”