UTS-Handout-UNIT 1-Philosophical Perspectives.pdf

THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES SOCIOLOGY PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY ANTHROPOLOGY ORIENTAL/...

THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES SOCIOLOGY PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY ANTHROPOLOGY ORIENTAL/ EASTERN THOUGHT Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  PHILOSOPHY The self in a philosophical paradigm Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  HOW DO YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION: Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Think of an image or symbol that will represent yourself Why did you choose the image or symbol? What are your characteristics that are similar to such image? In what ways do you get to know yourself? Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  IN WHAT WAYS DO I GET TO KNOW MYSELF? Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Ancient Philosophy 1000 BC to 500 AD The Ancient Triumvirate Socrates Plato Aristotle “Know thy self ” 3-Part Soul/self (Psyche) = The mind (self) is a tabula rasa (a “An unexamined life is not worth Reason, Physical Appetite & blank tablet). living.” Spirit/Passion Self is composed of matter and form Dualistic Reality: Body and Soul The Process of Completion is “Our soul strives for wisdom and through experiences perfection” Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  THE ANCIENT TRIUMVIRATE Believes in soul (capacity to think and choose; essence of humans is to think and will) Socrates Soul - is the essence of the human person “Know thy self ” (thinking and willing). It is the responsible agent “An unexamined life is not worth living.” in knowing and acting rightly and wrongly Dualistic Reality: Body and Soul “Our soul strives for wisdom and perfection” Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  THE ANCIENT TRIUMVIRATE ▪ We need to take care of our soul/ self to attain good life ▪ Life is geared towards knowledge of good life ▪ Good life means being wise and virtuous ▪ Good life is attained through the acquisition of knowledge, Socrates wisdom and virtue. ▪ We need to devote considerable amount of energy, “Know thy self ” attention and resources to making our soul as good and as “An unexamined life is not worth living.” beautiful as possible Dualistic Reality: Body and Soul “Our soul strives for wisdom and perfection” Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Rational soul (located in the head – intellect and freewill) Spiritual soul – located in the chest – man is capable of happiness, anger and other emotions; Appetitive soul – located in the abdomen – part of the soul that drives man to experience physical pain, hunger, Plato thirst and other physical wants 3-Part Soul/self (Psyche) = Reason, Physical Appetite & Spirit/Passion Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Soul – form of the body (which allows activities such as thinking, imagining perceiving. Soul – it is the principle of life that causes the body to live Aristotle The mind (self) is a tabula rasa (a All living beings have soul (vegetative soul – blank tablet). plants; sensitive (animals); rational (highest Self is composed of matter and level of soul, present only in man) form The Process of Completion is through experiences Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  The Post-Aristotelians Stoicism Hedonism Epicureanism Apathy or indifference to “Eat, drink, and be happy. Moderate pleasure pleasure For tomorrow, you will Being content with the Embracing Adversity die.” simple things in life It’s a philosophy designed They believe that pleasure ensures that you will to make us more resilient, is the only good in life, and never be disappointed. happier, more virtuous pain is the only evil, and and more wise–and as a our life's goal should be to result, better people, better maximize pleasure and parents and better minimize pain. professionals. Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  The Post-Aristotelians - Epictetus - the Stoics think, that the only thing we can effectively control is our own mind and how it Stoicism perceives the world. Apathy or indifference to pleasure - “It’s not the accident that distresses this person … It Embracing Adversity is the judgment which he makes about it. It’s a philosophy designed to make us more resilient, happier, more virtuous and more wise–and as a result, better people, better parents and better professionals. Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  The Post-Aristotelians - Pleasure is the - Epicureanism is an highest human Hedonism value ancient philosophical belief that happiness “Eat, drink, and be happy. Epicureanism comes from moderation, For tomorrow, you will - Pleasure or Moderate pleasure die.” simplicity, friendship, and Being content with the They believe that pleasure pain motivate simple things in life community. is the only good in life, and us ensures that you will pain is the only evil, and never be disappointed. - It is an approach to life our life's goal should be to that stresses finding - You only live maximize pleasure and happiness through living minimize pain. once… simply. Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Is the self related to a supreme being/god? Who am I in relation to a supreme being/god? Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Medieval Philosophy 500 AD to 1350 AD Theo-centric ▪ From the scientific investigation on nature and search for happiness to the question of life and salvation in another realm, in a better world (i.e., the afterlife) ▪ There was an aim to merge philosophy and religion (Christian, Jewish, Muslim) Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Medieval Philosophy 500 AD to 1350 AD St. Augustine ▪ Integrates Platonic ideas with the tenets of Christianity ▪ The self strives to achieve union with God through faith and reason ▪ He believes that ▪ Man is composed ▪ The soul is the seat humans were created of body and soul of reason, will, and in the image of God (body – mortal; emotion, human and that the essence soul – immortal) consciousness, and of humanity lies in self-awareness. his soul. Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Medieval Philosophy 500 AD to 1350 AD St. Augustine ▪ Human condition is brought about by original sin and sinful nature of man separates us from God. ▪ Moral and spiritual decay can be remedied by God’s grace ▪ Man must be ▪ Evil was the result of responsible for his humanity’s freewill actions. Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Medieval Philosophy 500 AD to 1350 AD St. Augustine ▪ Integrates Platonic ideas with the tenets of Christianity ▪ The self strives to achieve union with God through faith and reason St. Thomas Aquinas Self-knowledge is dependent on our experience of the world around us (objects in our environment) The labels we attribute to ourselves are taken from the things we encounter in our environment “The things that we love tell us what we are” Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Medieval Philosophy 500 AD to 1350 AD St. Thomas Aquinas Man is created in the image and likeness of God Purpose of man is to know and love God Human beings Man is Soul is the source of possess freedom compose our freewill which d of body allows us to make Freedom is necessary and soul. choices for living a virtuous life Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Medieval Philosophy 500 AD to 1350 AD St. Thomas Aquinas Self-knowledge is dependent on our experience of the world around us (objects in our environment) The labels we attribute to ourselves are taken from the things we encounter in our environment “The things that we love tell us what we are” Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  If St. Thomas tells us that our knowledge is based on our encounter of things, Does this mean that we get to know everything simply by experiencing it? Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  St. Thomas Aquinas ▪Experiencing that something exists doesn’t tell us what it is ▪Knowing and learning about a thing requires a long process of understanding; same with the mind and the self – with experience and reason Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  How can I be sure that the self exists? What are the proofs that the self exists? Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Modern Philosophy 14th Century to the early 20th Century Anthropocentric Human beings are the central or most important element of existence ▪ Thinkers began to reject the scholastics’ (medieval thinkers) excessive reliance on authority ▪ Period of radical, social, political and intellectual developments Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Modern Philosophy 14th Century to the early 20th Century Rene Descartes David Hume The self is a thinking thing, distinct There is no “self,” only a bundle of from the body constantly changing perceptions Gilbert Ryle passing through the theater of our The self is the way people behave “I think there I am” minds. Body – material/ Soul - immaterial Knowledge is derived from sense experience Immanuel Kant Paul & Patricia Churchland John Locke The self is a unifying subject, an The self is the brain. Mental states Personal identity is made possible by organizing consciousness that will be superseded by brain states. self-consciousness makes intelligible experience possible. Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Modern Philosophy 14th Century to the early 20th Century Rene Descartes The self is a thinking thing, distinct from the body “I think therefore I am” John Locke Body – material (physical)/ Soul – immaterial Personal identity is made possible by self-consciousness (consciousness) Personal identity – continuity of consciousness Self-recognition/ awareness Mind accumulates experiences which contributes to - thinking or reflecting on one's one’s identity existence is what constitutes the self. - Existence in the moment, situtaion Consciousness and personal reflection – helped in shaping one self. Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Modern Philosophy 14th Century to the early 20th Century David Hume There is no “self,” only a bundle of constantly Immanuel Kant changing perceptions passing through the The self is a unifying subject, an organizing theater of our minds. consciousness that makes intelligible Knowledge is derived from sense experience experience possible. ▪ Denies the existence of the permanent, The self acts as a unifying principle: integrates and unchanging self synthesizes experiences and different sensory ▪ Self is a bundle of perception (such as information memories, emotions, thoughts, sensations) Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Modern Philosophy 14th Century to the early 20th Century Gilbert Ryle The self is the way Paul & Patricia Churchland people behave The self is the brain. Mental states will be superseded by brain states. The self is a pattern of behavior, one’s dispositions, Thoughts, emotions and experiences can be or tendency to behave in explained and understand through the processes and activities of the brain (brain certain ways states). Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Contemporary Philosophy Late 19th Century Embodied Subjectivity: Both Husserl and Merleau-Ponty agree that our living body is a natural synthesis of mind and biology. Phenomenological approach: describe the phenomena of the lived Edmund Husserl experience (reducing biases) by We experience our self as a unity which the in mental and describing what your immediate physical are seamlessly woven responses are— physically, together emotionally, cognitively. Maurice Merleau-Ponty The self is embodied subjectivity. Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives  Which among these philosophies can you relate with? How do they affect the way you see yourself? Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives