Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Philosophers Belief Example/Explanation
Philosophers Belief Example/Explanation
Rene Descartes Cartesian An individual’s mind is separate from the body and the outside
Dualism/Self world, thinking about itself and its existence.
“Cogito, ergo sum” (“I think, therefore I am”)—the act of
We truly exist doubting one’s existence proves that one truly exists; the self
because we must exist for there to be a thought.
think.
John Locke Tabula Rasa Humans are born with a blank mind, and the identity of the self
(blank slate) is shaped by experience, sensations, and reflections.
It is founded on consciousness, and not on the substance of
either soul or body
Personal
Identity
David Hume There is no The self is presumed to be a definite and consistent identity, but
mind or self. the qualities and characteristics of people are ever-changing.
Thus, there is no self.