Philosophical Perspectives of the Self PDF

Philosophical Perspectives of the Self UNDERSTANDING THE SELF Adrian Vela, RPM Tuesday, 10 September 2024 Materials are presented in an educational context for personal use and stud...

Philosophical Perspectives of the Self UNDERSTANDING THE SELF Adrian Vela, RPM Tuesday, 10 September 2024 Materials are presented in an educational context for personal use and study, and should not be shared, distributed, or sold in print—or digitally—outside the course without permission.  Philosophical Perspectives Nature of the Self Psychological Anthropological Sociological Self in western Philosophical Self and eastern thought  Philosophical Perspectives Socrates An unexamined life is not worth living Self is synonymous with the soul. He believes that that every human possesses an immortal soul that survives the physical body. 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.  Philosophical Perspectives Socrates Realms Physical realm changeable, transient, and imperfect. The physical world in which man lives as well as the body belongs in this realm. Ideal realm unchanging, eternal, and immortal. This composes the intellectual essences of the universe such as truth, goodness, and beauty. Soul belongs in this realm.  Philosophical Perspectives Socrates Soul Immortal entity. Soul strives for wisdom and perfection, and reason is the soul’s tools to achieve this exalted state. As long asthe soul is tied to the body, the quest for wisdom is inhibited Socrates: must live an examined life and a life of purpose and value. He added that an unexamined life is not worth living.  Philosophical Perspectives Socrates Know thyself If a person knows who he or she is, all basic issues and difficulties in life will vanish and everything will be clearer and simpler. Self-knowledge means knowing one’s degree of understanding about the world and knowing one’s capabilities and potentials.  Philosophical Perspectives Socrates Know thyself These basic questions are intended for humans to define these simple things in order to move forward and act accordingly based on their definition of the self: Who am I? What is the purpose of my life? What am I doing here? What is justice? Answers to these questions will always be subjective and there is no right or wrong answers.  Philosophical Perspectives Socrates Possession of knowledge is virtue and ignorance are vice. A person’s acceptance of ignorance is a springboard for the acquisition of knowledge later. This implies that one must first have the humility to acknowledge one’s ignorance to acquire knowledge.  Philosophical Perspectives Socrates Socratic Method Called introspection A method of carefully examining one’s thoughts and emotions –to gain self-knowledge  Philosophical Perspectives Plato Self is an immortal soul. An ancient Greek philosopher who was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle. His work has become the basis for western thought.  Philosophical Perspectives Plato Three-part soul/self Reason: the divine essence that enables us to think deeply; make wise choices; and achieve a true understanding of eternal truths. Physical appetite: basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desire. Spirit or passion: Basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness, and empathy  Philosophical Perspectives Plato Three-part soul/self These three elements of our selves are in a dynamic relationship with one another, sometimes in conflict. When conflict occurs, Plato believes that it is the responsibility of the Reason to sort things out and exert control, restoring a harmonious relationship among the three elements. Genuine happiness can only be achieved by people who consistently make sure that their Reason is in control of their Spirits and Appetites.  Philosophical Perspectives Plato Three-part soul/self The harmonious integration under the control of Reason is the essence of Plato’s concept of justice If a man lives in accordance with his nature, then he is giving justice to his existence.  Philosophical Perspectives Aristotle The souls is the essence of the self Does not consider the body and soul as separate entities. Soul is the essence of all living things; thus, the soul is the essence of the self. Anything with life has a soul. Humans differ from other living things because of their capacity of rational thinking.  Philosophical Perspectives Aristotle Three kinds of soul Vegetative soul: includes the physical body that can grow. Sentient soul: includes sensual desires, feelings, and emotions. Rational soul: what makes man human. It includes the intellect that allows man to know and understand things. The pursuit of happiness is a search for a good life that includes doing virtuous actions. Part of the rational soul is characterised by moral virtues such as justice and courage.  Philosophical Perspectives St. Augustine The self has an immortal soul African philosopher regarded as a saint (St. Augustine of Hippo) He integrated the ideas of Plato and teachings of Christianity. Body is unified with the soul, so that man may be entire and complete Emphasizes on the soul as an important element of a man. He believes that the soul is what governs and define a man.  Philosophical Perspectives St. Augustine In his work Confessions, he described that humankind is created in the image and likeness of God. Everything created by God who is all good is good. A human being created by God is always geared towards the good Self-knowledge is a consequence of knowledge of God.  Philosophical Perspectives St. Thomas Aquinas Man is composed two parts: Matter -“Common things that make up everything in the universe”. -Man’s body is part of this matter. Form -“Essence of a substance or thing”. -What makes a human person a human person, and not a dog or a tiger, is his soul, his essence. To Aquinas, the soul is what animates the body, and it is what makes us humans.  Philosophical Perspectives René Descartes I think therefore I am Father of modern philosophy French philosopher and mathematician  Philosophical Perspectives René Descartes Cogito ergo sum -I think therefore I am Keystone of Descartes Act of thinking about the self –of being self- conscious –is in itself proofthat there is a self Descartes is confident that no rational person will doubt his or her own experience as a conscious, thinking entity –while we are aware of thinking about our selves. This is the essence of the human self –a thinking entity that doubts, understands, analyses, questions, and reasons.  Philosophical Perspectives René Descartes Two dimensions of the human self Self as a thinking entity: The idea of the thinking self (or soul) as non-material, immortal, conscious being, and independent of the physical laws of the universe. Self as a physical body: material, mortal, non-thinking entity, fully governed by the physical laws of nature.  Philosophical Perspectives René Descartes Note: Soul and the body are independent of one another, and each can exist and function without the other. Thinking self can exist independently of the physical body.  Philosophical Perspectives John Locke The self is consciousness For Locke, the human mind at birth is tabula rasa or a blank state. Self, or personal identity, is constructed primarily from sense experiences (what people see, hear, smell, taste, feel). These experiences shape and mouldthe self throughout a person’s life. Conscious awareness and memory of previous experiences are the keys to understanding the self Consciousness is being aware that we are thinking  Philosophical Perspectives John Locke The essence of the self is its conscious awareness of itself as a thinking, reasoning, and reflecting identity Contends that 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 Using the power of reason and introspection enable one to understand and achieve accurate conclusions about the self or personal identity.  Philosophical Perspectives David Hume There is no self Scottish philosopher If people carefully examine their sense experience through the process of introspection, they will discover that there is no self. Our memories and experiences are made up of impressions and ideas.  Philosophical Perspectives David Hume Impressions: basic sensations of people’s experiences such as hate, love, joy, grief, pain, cold, and heat. These are vivid perceptions and are strong and lively. Ideas: thoughts and images from impressions so that they are less lively and vivid The idea of personal identity is a result of imagination.  Philosophical Perspectives Immanuel Kant We construct the self. German philosopher For Kant, it is the self that makes experiencing an intelligible word possible because it is the self that is actively organizing and synthesizing all our thoughts and perceptions (apperception) The self constructs its own reality, actively creating a world that is familiar and predictable  Philosophical Perspectives Sigmund Freud The self is multi-layered Level of Mental Life Conscious: Contains whatever we are thinking about or experiencing at a given moment. Contains the ego. Preconscious: Contains memories that are not part of the current thoughts but can readily be available in the mind if the need arises. Where memories and knowledge are stored. Contains superego. Unconscious: Contains thoughts, desires, and impulses of which we are unaware.  Philosophical Perspectives Sigmund Freud Provinces of the Mind Id(Pleasure Principle) Instinctual drive that is in the unconscious. Subjective and directed toward self. Seeks immediate gratification of impulses and drives like unacceptable urges, desires, memories, and impulses found in the unconscious.  Philosophical Perspectives Sigmund Freud Provinces of the Mind Ego(Reality Principle) In contact with the outside world. Objective and directed outside self. Operates according to the reality principle by delaying gratification  Philosophical Perspectives Sigmund Freud Provinces of the Mind Superego (Morality Principle) Conscience. Center of moral standards of an individual. Supressesexpression of sexual, aggressive, and antisocial instincts.  Philosophical Perspectives Sigmund Freud Provinces of the Mind 2 Aspects of Superego Conscience: internal ages that punishes us when we do wrong Ego Ideal: rewards all behaviourthat is considered right, appropriate, and morally acceptable  Philosophical Perspectives Sigmund Freud Provinces of the Mind Note: The nature of each personality is the outcome of the dynamic relationship involving the interaction of the id, ego and superego.  Philosophical Perspectives Sigmund Freud 2 Types of Instincts Eros Thanatos Life Instinct or Sexual Death Instinct. Promotes Instinct. Known as libido aggressiveness that may (energy of life instinct). explain wars, atrocities, The physical desire, and religious erotic tendencies, sexual persecutions. desires, and the motive of sexual life. Energy for preserving life and others.  Philosophical Perspectives Paul Churchland The self is the brain Canadian philosopher Eliminative materialism: self is inseparable from the brain and the physiology of the body 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.  Philosophical Perspectives Maurice Merleau-Ponty The self as embodied subjectivity All knowledge about the self (e.g., understanding the nature of the self) is based on the “phenomena of experience.” Perception is not merely a consequence of sensory experience; rather, it is a conscious experience. Thus, the self is embodied subjectivity In his book, Phenomenology of Perception, that everything that people are aware of is contained within the consciousness.