Self-in-Various-Perspectives-Updated.pdf

THE F RO M VA R I O U S P H I L O S O P H I C A L P E R S P E C T I V E S OBJECTIVES At the end of the lesson, the students must have: explored the concept of the self from the different philosophical perspective appreciated the contribution of each perspective...

THE F RO M VA R I O U S P H I L O S O P H I C A L P E R S P E C T I V E S OBJECTIVES At the end of the lesson, the students must have: explored the concept of the self from the different philosophical perspective appreciated the contribution of each perspective or view to a better understanding of the self; and made a personal philosophy of the self VOCABULARY You will come across the following terms in this module. Be able to learn them well to this topic: Identity. The term refers to one’s thoughts about his personal characteristics, skills, and interest (Rose, 2017). Persona. The term refers to the personality that an individual projects to others, as differentiated from the authentic self (Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopedia, 2008).  Psyche. This is a Latin term that refers to the soul, mind, and spirit. An entity that occupies directs the physical body (Harper, 2000). Physical self. The term refers to the concrete dimension, the tangible aspect of a person that can be directly observed and examined (Otig, 2018).  Self. The term refers to a person’s personality or character that makes them different from other people (Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, 2010)  Watch this video: “Remind me Who am I” Jason Gray (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSIVjjY8Ou8)  ANSWER THE PROCESSING QUESTIONS? 1. How did you feel while watching the video? Why? 2. What things or scenarios in the clip caught your attention? Why? 3.What message/s or insights have you gathered from the video clip? INTRODUCTION Finding answers to the question, Who am I?, will lead us to our understanding of our selves. This will take us to a journey inward – journey toward the self. Let us explore the different concepts about the self. The best way to begin is to look into what philosophy say to explain the self. LET’S EXPLORE... How do philosophers explain the concept of the self? Which of those concepts has a greater impact to you? Why? What generalizations can you make out of those philosophical concepts of the self? Cite some differences and similarities of these concepts presented. What significant insights did you gather from the activity?  Know thyself The unexamined life is not worth living Ultimate wisdom comes from knowing oneself. The more a person knows, the greater his or her ability to reason and make choices that will bring true happiness.  The real meaning of knowing thyself is a requirement for self-moderation, good judgment, and excellence of the soul (Ortiz de Landazuri, 2014). Accordingly, there should be a dialogue between the self and the soul. One should accept that he knows nothing, and he understands and accepts that he knows nothing as this leads to learning and discovering the truth. Socrates, who has been greatly known for his Socratic method, stated that “An unexamined life is not worth living.” One has to self-examine and discuss the self as this is a duty to achieve a good life. It is the goal of the Socratic perspective to better the quality of human life through consistent self-examination (Otig, 2018).  The rational soul (intellect) is the thinking portion within each of us, which discerns what is real and not, judges what is true and what is false, and makes the rational decisions. The spirited soul, is the active portion; its function is to carry out the dictates of reason. Finally, the appetitive soul (emotion or desire) is the portion of each of us that wants and feels many things, most of which must be deferred if we are to achieve self-control.  ST. AUGUSTINE He introduced the concept of freewill which means that humans are morally responsible for their actions. He created a new concept of individual identity: self- presentation leading to self- realization. “Mental acts determine physical acts. He pointed the relationship between the mind and the body. His insights lead him to his quest for true knowledge and brilliant principle, which is “Cogito, ergo sum,” which is “I think therefore I am.” DESCARTES  This method is to assess one’s self. This is his first theory of knowledge which laid the foundation in his concept of self. He asserted that humans bring about an awareness of the self, leading to developing a unique identity (Alata et al., 2018). DESCARTES JOHN LOCKE * He developed the concept of “Tabula Rasa,” which means that at birth, the mind is a blank slate without innate ideas. * It is the experience that provides him knowledge through sensory experiences and reflections. He stated that personal identity or the self is found in the JOHN LOCKE * Holds that personal identity is a matter of psychological continuity. * Man is a bundle of collection of different perceptions. DAVID HUME There is no self that remains the same, consciousness is always changing. Hume’s skeptical claim is that we have no experience of a simple, individual impression that we can call the self—where the “self” is the totality of a person’s conscious life.  There is an inner and outer self. IMMANUEL KANT The “inner self” comprises the intellect and psychological state, while the “outer self” is made up of the senses and the physical self.  Freud developed a more structural model of the mind comprising the entities id, ego and superego (what Freud called “the psychic apparatus”). SIGMUND FREUD  ID – Pleasure principle EGO – Reality principle SUPEREGO- Moral principle