The Self from the

Philosophical
perspective
Ma'am A's lecture notes
Chapter 1
The Philosophers
and their idea of the Self
 mund Freud
Sig Sigmund Freud is a philosopher, physiologist, and
psychologist and one of the most influential thinkers of the
20th century.

His work on the self focused on the "psyche" which is the

totality of the human mind, both conscious (what you think you
know and are aware of) and unconscious (the things you don't
know that you know or aware of)

He distinguished three levels of the psyche consciousness:

1) Conscious - deals with the awareness of present
perceptions, feelings, thoughts, memories, and fantasies at
any particular moment;
2) Pre-concious/subconcious - related to data or
information that can readily be brought to consciousness
3) Unconscious - refers to data retained but not easily
available to the indiviudal's conscious awareness.
"Wish Fulfillment is the road to the
unconscious"
 mund Freud He is known for his psychoanalytic theory, a personality theory

ig
based on the idea that a person gets motivated to act by unseen

S
forces, controlled by the conscious, and the rational thought.
What is unique about this theory is that he proposed existence of
the unconscious as:
1) A database/repository for traumatic repressed memories;
2) The source of anxiety-provoking drives that is socially or ethically
unacceptable to the individual.

Freud further structured the pysche/mind into 3 parts:

1) Id - it operates on the pleasure principle. Every wishful impulse should
be satisfied immediately, regardless of the consequences. When the Id gets
what it wants, you experince pleasure, when it is denied, you experience
"unpleasure" or tension
2) Ego - it operates according to the reality principle. It works out realistic
ways of satisfying the id's demand. (often compromising or postponing
satisfaction to avoid negative consequences of society). The ego considers
social realities and norms, etiquette, and rules in deciding how to behave. If
the ego fails to use the reality principle, anxiety or worry is experienced, and
the unconscious defense mechanisms are employed to help ward off
unpleasant feelings.
3) Superego - It incorporates the values and morals of society, The
superego's function is to control the id's impulses. It persuades the ego to
"Wish Fulfillment is the road to the choose moralistic goals and to strive for perfection rather than simply
unconscious" realistic ones.
 mund Freud Further, the superego consists of two systems:

ig
1) Conscience - If the ego gives in to the id's demands, the

S
superego may make the person feel bad through guilt
2) Ideal Self -An imaginary picture of how you ought to be. It
represents career aspirations; how to treat other people; and
how to behave as a member of society.

For Freud, the self's structure of the

mind operates in the 2 levels -
the conscious and unconscious - where ego and superego is in
the level of consciousness and the id in the level of unconsciouness.

Watch
https://www.yo
utube.com/wat
ch?
v=R0w0db2zR7
Q
"Wish Fulfillment is the road to the
unconscious"
Reflect on this
According to Freud, the superego
consists of the ideal self and
"conscience". What do you think
about your conscience or
"konsensya"? Do you think it's

your soul talking to you?

Reflect on this
According to Freud, the superego
consists of the ideal self and
"conscience". What do you think
about your conscience or
"konsensya"? Do you think it's
your soul talking to
you?
Share your thoughts
on this in the
comment section
(include a GIF)
 ilbert Ryle Gilbert Ryle is a philosopher and a professor.

G For Ryle, he identified the distinction of the mind and matter a

"category-mistake" because of its attempt to analyze the relation
between "mind" and "body". His rationalist view states that mental
acts are distinct from physical acts and that there is a mental world
distinct from the physical world is a misconception.

He described the distinction between mind and body as the

"dogma of the ghost in the machine" where he explained
that there is no hidden entity or ghost called "soul" (or
mind or self) in a machine called "body".

For Ryle, he did not believed that the mind is a place where mental
images are comprehended, perceived, and remembered because
the mind is not a space where thoughts, imaginations, memories,
sensations, feelings are other mental abilities stored.

Ryle's view on the "self" is through actions and behaviors. An

example is, you are an intelligent person because of your smart and
strategic actions. Or you are a kind person, because of your acts of

"I Act, therefore I Am" kindness. Your actions define your own "self" or who you are.
Reflect on this
Do you agree with Ryle that your
actions are the one defining your
self or an individual? Does action
or what a person does define his
character?

Reflect on this
Do you agree with Ryle that your
actions are the one defining your
self or an individual? Does action
or what a person does define his
character?


Share your thoughts
on this in the
comment section
(include a GIF)
 Churchland
Paul Paul Churchland is known for his studies in neurophilosophy and
the philosophy of mind.

He believes that if something can be seen, felt, heard,

touched, or tasted - all experienced by the sensory, then it
exists. But since the immaterial, unchanging soul/self cannot be
experienced by the senses, therefore it does not exist.

He proposed the idea of eliminative materialism which he

states that the "mind" and its mental states do not exist. Rather,
only the "brain" exists, producing electrochemical signals this
producing the "self".

He proved his point by stating that when a person is diagnosed

with mental disorders, he is not "out of his mind" but rather, there
is something wrong with the brain activity. Or when a person has a
severe injury in the head, the person's personality changes
because of the damage in the brain. Thus, the brain, not the mind,
"The physical brain and NOT the imaginary mind is responsible for the self.
gives us our sense of self"
Reflect on this
Do you agree that the
"brain" and its
electrochemical signals
are the major one
responsible for who we
are? (and not the
external factors

such as
our social interaction,
imaginations, or a higher
divine being)
Reflect on this
Like Churchland, do you
agree that the "brain"
and its electrochemical
signals are the major
one responsible for who
we are? (and not the
external factors such as

our social interaction, Comment a brain

imaginations, or a higher emoji if you agree ,
divine being) don't comment if you
don't agree.
 e Merleau-
Ma u ric Maurice Merleau-Ponty was a philosopher and author.

Pon ty He saw the "self" as an embodied subjectivity. From the word itself,
embodied means to give a body to, while subjectivity is the state of
being a subject meaning an entity that possesses concious
experiences, such as perspectives, feelings, beliefs, and desires.
What's more is that a subject acts upon or can affect other entity - or
known as object.

He believed that the mind and body are connected - the mind is
part of the body and vice-versa. He argued that the mind can only do
its mental processing work and it needs the body to received certain
experiences, act on its senses, and communicate to the external
world. It is through the body that one perceives, are informed and
interact with the world, hence, the body acts what the mind perceives
as a unified one. And this mind-body connection, will help form the
"Self"

"Physical body is an important part

of the self"
Reflect and comment on this:
While most philosophers
believed that the soul,
body, and mind, are
separate entity, Ponty
believes that the mind and
body is a team in

producing the "self". Do

you agree?
Reflect and comment on this:
While most philosophers
believed that the soul,
body, and mind, are
Comment a GIF that will
separate entity, Ponty
represent your answer
believes that the mind and
and explain briefly.
body is a team in

producing the "self". Do

you agree?
 The Self according to the Perspective of
Sociology
Up Next... The self as a product of modern society
among other constructions
Mead and the social self

Make sure to reflect on the prompts

Reminders I asked for this note as I will be

asking your thoughts on this in the
next asynchronous schedule.
Thank you!
For questions and clarifications,
don't hesitate to give me a chat