THE SELF FROM THE VARIOUS

PERSPECTIVES
UNIT 1
CHAPTER 1
PHILOSOPHI
CAL
PERSPECTIVE
OF THE SELF
SOCRATES: AN UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT
WORTH LIVING

• SELF IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THE SOUL

• 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.
• 2 DICHOTOMOUS REALMS: PHYSICAL (CHANGEABLE, TRANSIENT, & IMPERFECT)
AND IDEAL (UNCHANGING, ETERNAL, & IMMORTAL).
• SOUL IS THE ESSENCE OF THE SELF. SOUL STRIVES FOR WISDOM & PERFECTION,
& REASON IS THE SOUL’S TOOL TO ACHIEVE THIS EXALTED STATE.
• ONE SHOULD BECOME VIRTUOUS AND KNOWS THE VALUE OF HIMSELF THROUGH
SELF SEARCHING. SELF OF SOURCE OF ALL KNOWLEDGE & SIGNIFICANCE.
• SOCRATIC METHOD “INTROSPECTION IS A METHOD OF CAREFULLY EXAMINING
ONE’S THOUGHTS & EMOTIONS TO GAIN SELF KNOWLEDGE.
PLATO: THE SELF IS AN IMMORTAL SOUL

• SELF IS SYNONYMOUS TO SOUL

• PROCESS OF SELF KNOWLEDGE & PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL.
• 3 PART SOUL/SELF: REASON (DIVINE ESSENCE THAT ENABLE US TO THINK DEEPLY,
MAKES CHOICES, & ACHIEVE A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF ETERNAL TRUTH),
PHYSICAL APPETITE (BASIC BIOLOGICAL NEEDS LIKE HUNGER, THIRST & SEX), &
SPIRIT OR PASSION (BASIC EMOTIONS LIKE LOVE, ANGER, AMBITION,
AGGRESSIVENESS, & EMPATHY.
• GENUINE HAPPINESS CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY PEOPLE WHO CONSISTENTLY MAKE
SURE THAT THEIR REASON IS IN CONTROL OF THEIR SPIRITS & APPETITE.
• 2 WORLDS: WORLD OF FORMS (NON PHYSICAL: REAL & PERMANENT) AND WORLD
OF SENSE (REALITY: TEMPORARY & REPLICA OF THE WORLD)
• MAN SHOULD GIVE MORE IMPORTANCE TO THE SOUL SINCE ITS PERMANENT.
ARISTOTLE: THE SOUL IS ESSENCE OF
THE SELF

• THE SOUL IS MERELY A SET OF DEFINING FEATURES & DOES NOT CONSIDER THE
BODY & SOUL AS SEPARATE ENTITIES.
• ANYTHING WITH LIFE HAS A SOUL.
• SOUL IS THE ESSENCE OF ALL LIVING THINGS.
• HUMANS DIFFER FROM OTHER LIVING THINGS BECAUSE OF RATIONAL THINKING.
• 3 KINDS OF SOUL: VEGETATIVE (PHYSICAL BODY) , SENTIENT (SENSUAL DESIRES,
FEELINGS, & EMOTIONS), AND RATIONAL (WHAT MAKES MAN HUMAN, ITS OUR
INTELLECT).
• THUS, THE RATIONAL NATURE OF THE SELF IS TO LEAD A GOOD, FLOURISHING, &
FULFILLING LIFE (SELF-ACTUALIZATION).
• THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS IS A SEARCH FOR A GOOD LIFE THAT INCLUDES DOING
VIRTUOUS ACTIONS.
ST. AUGUSTINE: THE SELF HAS AN
IMMORTAL SOUL

• HE INTEGRATES IDEAS OF PLATO & TEACHINGS OF CATHOLIC CHURCH.

• PHYSICAL BODY IS RADICALLY DIFFERENT FROM AND INFERIOR TO THE IMMORTAL SOUL.
• BODY IS THE SPOUSE OF THE SOUL, BOTH ATTACHED TO ONE ANOTHER BY A NATURAL
APPETITE.
• SOUL IS WHAT GOVERNS AND DEFINES MAN.
• HUMANKIND IS CREATED IN THE IMAGE & LIKENESS BY GOD WHO IS ALL GOOD (ALL IS
GOOD).
• SELF KNOWLEDGE IS A CONSEQUENCE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
• REFLECTION, PRAYERS, AND CONFESSIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO ARRIVE AT A
JUSTIFICATION FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. KNOWLEDGE CAN ONLY COME BY SEEING
THE TRUTH THAT DWELLS WITHIN US.
• “I AM DOUBTING, THEREFORE I AM”
RENE DESCARTES: I THINK THEREFORE
I AM

• FATHER OF MODERN PHILOSOPHY

• THE ACT OF THINKING ABOUT THE SELF – OF BEING SELF-CONSCIOUS – IS IN ITSELF
PROOF THAT THERE IS A SELF. THE ESSENCE OF THE HUMAN SELF (A THINKING
ENTITY) DOUBT, UNDERSTANDS, ANALYZES, QUESTIONS, AND REASONS.
• 2 DIMENSIONS OF THE SELF: SELF AS THINKING ENTITY, AND SELF AS A PHYSICAL
BODY
• SELF (SOUL) AS NON MATERIAL, IMMORTAL, CONSCIOUS BEING, & INDEPENDENT OF
THE PHYSICAL LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE.
• PHYSICAL BODY IS A MATERIAL, MORTAL, NON THINKING ENTITY, FULLY GOVERNED
BY THE PHYSICAL LAWS OF NATURE.
• SOUL AND BODY ARE INDEPENDENT FROM ONE ANOTHER.
• THINKING SELF CAN EXIST INDEPENDENTLY OF THE PHYSICAL BODY
JOHN LOCKE: THE SELF IS
CONSCIOUSNESS

• TABULA RASA (BLANK STATE), HUMAN MIND AT BIRTH

• EXPERIENCES (WHAT PEOPLE SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE, AND FEEL)
CONSTRUCT PERSONAL IDENTITY.
• SELF CONSCIOUSNESS IS NECESSARY TO HAVE A COHERENT
PERSONAL (SELF) IDENTITY OR KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF AS A
PERSON.
• CONSCIOUSNESS IS WHAT MAKES IDENTITY OF A PERSON SIMILAR IN
DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.
DAVID HUME: THERE IS NO SELF

• WHAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE IS JUST A BUNDLE OR COLLECTION OF

DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS.
• DISTINCT ENTITIES: IMPRESSIONS AND IDEAS (PEOPLE FIND THESE
WHEN THEY CAREFULLY EXAMINE THEIR EXPERIENCES).
• IMPRESSIONS ARE THE BASIC SENSATIONS OF PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES
SUCH AS HATE, LOVE, JOY, GRIEF, PAIN, COLD, & HEAT.
• IDEAS ARE THOUGHTS 8 IMAGES FROM IMPRESSIONS SO THEY ARE
LESS LIVELY * VIVID.
IMMANUEL KANT: WE CONSTRUCT THE
SELF

• IT IS THE SELF THAT MAKES EXPERIENCING AN INTELLIGIBLE WORLD

POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT IS THE SELF THAT IS ACTIVELY ORGANIZING
AND SYNTHESIZING ALL OF OUR THOUGHTS 7 PERCEPTIONS.
• SELF IN THE FORM CONSCIOUSNESS, UTILIZES CONCEPTUAL
CATEGORIES CALLED TRANSCENDENTAL DEDUCTION OF CATEGORIES
TO CONSTRUCT AN ORDERLY & OBJECTIVE WORLD THAT IS STABLE
AND CAN BE INVESTIGATED SCIENTIFICALLY.
• THE SELF CONSTRUCTS ITS OWN REALITY, ACTIVELY CREATING A
WORLD THAT IS FAMILIAR, PREDICTABLE, & MOST SIGNIFICANTLY,
MINE.
SIGMUND FREUD: THE SELF IS
MULTILAYERD

• 3 LAYERS OF THE SELF:

• CONSCIOUS SELF IS GOVERNED BY THE REALITY PRINCIPLE.
• UNCONSCIOUS PART OF THE SELF CONTAINS THE BASIC INSTINCTUAL
DRIVES
• PRECONSCIOUS SELF CONTAINS MATERIALS THAT IS NOT
THREATENING AND IS EASILY BROUGHT TO MIND.
GILBERT RYLE: THE SELF IS THE WAY
PEOPLE ARE

• I ACT THEREFORE I AM
• MIND AND BODY ARE INTRINSICALLY LINKED IN COMPLEX AND
INTIMATE WAYS.
• THE MIND EXPRESSES THE ENTIRE SYSTEM OF THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS,
AND ACTIONS THAT MAKE UP THE HUMAN SELF.
PAUL CHURCH: THE SELF IS THE BRAIN

• ELIMINATIVE MATERIALISM OR THE IDEA THAT THE SELF IS

INSEPARABLE FROM THE BRAIN AND THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE BODY.
• ALL A PERSON HAS IS THE BRAIN, IF THE BRAIN IS GONE, THERE IS NO
SELF.
• PHYSICAL BRAIN GIVES PEOPLE THE SENSE OF SELF.
• MIND IS NOT EXPERIENCED BY SENSES THEREFORE ITS NONEXISTENT.
MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY: THE SELF IS
EMBODIED SUBJECTIVITY

• ALL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE SELF IS BASED ON THE PHENOMENA OF

EXPERIENCE.
• EVERYTHING THAT PEOLE ARE AWARE OF IS CONTAINED WITHIN THE
CONSCIOUSNESS.
• PERCEPTION IS NOT MERELY A CONSEQUENCE OF SENSORY
EXPERIENCE, RATHER, IT IS A CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE. THUS, THE
SELF IS EMBODIED SUBJECTIVITY