understanding the self Unit 1 Philosophical SELF

DISCUSSION

1. 1
Chapter 1
The Self from the Different
Perspectives
Unit 1: The Philosophical Self
Angelyn B. Machate, RPm
Instructor

2. 2
Attheendoftheunit,thestudentsareexpectedto:
❑Describethedifferentnotionsoftheselffromthepoints-of-
viewofthevariousphilosophersacrosstimeandplace.
❑Comparehowtheselfhasbeenrepresentedindifferent
philosophicalschools.
❑Examineone’sselfagainstthedifferentviewsofselfthat
werediscussedinclassandintegratetheseconceptstocreate
one’sphilosophicalperspectiveoftheself.

3. 3
ACTIVITY
DO YOU TRULY KNOW YOURSELF?
1.How would you characterize yourself?
2.What makes you stand out from the rest?
3.How has yourself transformed itself?
4.How is your self connected to your body?
5.What will happen to your self after you leave this world?

4. 4
Questions Easy or Difficult
to Answer
Why?

5. Greeks
◉Knowingoneselfisanimperativeanda
requirement.
◉Itisimperativetoknowthelimitsofselfso
thatoneknowswhatoneiscapableofdoing
andwhatoneisnot.
◉Knowingoneselfisarequirementforself-
moderation,prudence,goodjudgmentand
excellenceofthesoul.
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6. Socrates
◉“Theunexaminedlifeisnotworth
living.”
◉Anexaminedlifeisalifedutyboundto
developself-knowledge,aselfdignified
withvaluesandintegrity.
◉Onlyintherecognitionofone’signorance
thatapersoncantrulyknowoneself.
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7. Socrates
◉Everymanisdualistic,thatis,composed
oftwoimportantaspectsofhis
personhood:
-Body–imperfect,impermanentaspect
-Soul –perfect and permanent
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8. Plato
◉Psyche(thecoretheself)iscomposedofthree
elements:
▪Appetitive-includesone’sdesires,pleasures,
physicalsatisfactions,comforts,etc.
▪Spirited–excitedwhengivenchallenges,or
fightsbackwhenagitated,orfightsforjustice
whenunjustpracticesareevident.Thehot-
bloodedpartofthepsyche.
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9. Plato
◉Psyche(thecoretheself)iscomposedofthree
elements:
▪Mind–themostsuperiorofallelements.It
decides,analyses,thinksahead,proposes
whatisbest,andrationallycontrolsboththe
appetitiveandspiritedelements.
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Themindornousisthesuperpowerthatcontrolsthe
affairsoftheself.

10. Plato
◉Inordertohaveagoodlife,onehasto
developthenousandfillitwith
understandingofthelimitsoftheself,
andthecorrectethicalstandards.
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11. St.Augustine
◉Thedevelopmentoftheselfisachieved
throughself-presentationandself-
realization.
◉Theunderstandingoftheselfwas
centeredonhisreligiousconvictions
andbeliefs
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12. St.Augustine
◉To him, man’s end goal is happiness. And
only in God can man attain true and eternal
happiness.
◉Aspects of Man:
▪Body–bound to die on earth
▪Soul–stay after death in an eternal realm
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13. Thomas Aquinas
◉Maniscomposedoftwoparts:
▪MatterorhyleinGreek(body)–
common stuffthatmakesup
everything.
▪FormormorpheinGreek(soul)–
essenceofliving.
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Whatmakesahumanpersona
humanishissoul/essence.

14. Rene Descartes
◉FatherofModernPhilosophy.
◉Doubtstheexistenceofhisownphysical
body.
◉Wecannotreallyrelyonoursenses
becauseoursenseperceptionscanoften
deceiveus
◉Everythingmustbedoubted!
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15. Rene Descartes
◉Theselfisacombinationoftwodistinct
entities:
▪Cogito(mind)–thethingthatthinks.
▪Extenza(body)–extensionofthe
mind.
◉“Cogito,ergoSum,”“IthinkthereforeI
am”or“IdoubtthereforeIexist.”
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16. Rene Descartes
◉Human rationality–theprimary
conditionoftheexistenceoftheself.
◉Weneedreasoninordertoevaluateour
thoughtsandactions.
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17. John Locke
◉British philosopher and politician.
◉Opposed the idea that only reason is the
source of knowledge of the self.
◉Man is born a “tabula rasa.”
◉Experienceis an important requirement
to have sense data.
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18. John Locke
◉Perception
▪Ischangingfromoneindividualto
another.
▪Itisverysubjective.
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19. David Hume
◉AScottishphilosopher
◉InfluencedbyEmpiricism–istheschoolof
thoughtthatespousestheideathat
knowledgecanonlybepossibleifitissensed
andexperienced.
◉ForHume,theselfisnothingelsebutjust
bundlesoftemporaryimpressions.
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20. David Hume
◉Experiencecanbecategorizedintotwo:
▪Impressions–basicobjectsofourexperienceor
sensation;vivid,productsofdirectexperience.;
formthecoreofourthoughts.
▪Ideas–copiesofimpressions;imagination.
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Whenoneimaginesthefeelingofbeinginloveforthefirsttime,
thatstillisanidea.
Whenonetouchesanicecube,thecoldsensationisanimpression.

21. Immanuel Kant
◉APrussianmetaphysicist.
◉Accordingtohim,theselfisalways
transcendental.
◉Weallhaveaninnerandanouterselfwhich
togetherformourconsciousness.Theinnerselfis
comprisedofourpsychologicalstateandour
rationalintellect.Theouterselfincludesoursense
andthephysicalworld.
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22. Immanuel Kant
◉Thereisalsoamindthatorganizesthe
impressionsthatmengetfromtheexternal
world.
◉Withouttheself,onecannotorganizethe
differentimpressionsthatonegetsinrelationto
hisownexistence.
◉Theselfistheseatofknowledgeacquisitionfor
allhumanpersons.
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23. Sigmund Freud
◉Austrianneurologist,psychologist
◉Heregardedtheselfasthe“I”that
ordinarilyconstituteboththemental
andphysicalactions.
◉Heproposedtwomodels:The
TopographicalandStructuralModels.
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24. Sigmund Freud
◉TheTopographicalModel
-Apersonmaybothknow(conscious)
anddon’tknow(unconscious)certain
thingsatthesametime.
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Weknowthedisadvantageandperilsofmissing
classeswithoutanyreason,butwearenotreally
surewhywestilldoitanyway.

25. Sigmund Freud
◉TheStructuralModel
-Selfisrepresentedinthree(3)different
agencies:
▪Id–primitiveorinstinctivecomponent.
▪Ego–partoftheidwhichhasbeen
modifiedbydirectinfluenceofthe
externalworld.
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26. Sigmund Freud
◉TheStructuralModel
-Selfisrepresentedinthree(3)different
agencies:
▪Superego–morals,values,andsystems
insocietythatservesascontroloutpost.
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AccordingtoFreud,theid—thedevil,instinctual,
unthoughtful,fearless,andprimitiveagencyof
themind—thatisthecoreofourbeing.

27. Gilbert Ryle
◉Britishphilosopher
◉HecritiquedDescartes’dualismofthemind
andbody.
◉Themindisneverseparatefromthebody.
◉Physicalactionsorbehaviorsare
dispositionsoftheself.
◉Themindisadispositionoftheself.
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28. Gilbert Ryle
◉“IactthereforeIam”or“Youarewhatyou
do”
◉Theselfisnotanentityonecanlocateand
analyzebutsimplyrefertoallthebehaviors
thatpeoplemake.
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29. Paul and Patricia Churchland
◉Theypromotedthe“eliminative
materialism” which brings
neuroscienceintotheforeof
understandingtheself.
◉Theselfisdefinedbythemovementof
ourbrain.
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30. Paul and Patricia Churchland
◉Understandingthedifferentneural
pathways,howtheyworkandwhat
implicationsarethosemovementsto
peopleisameasurableclassificationon
one’sbehavior.
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31. Maurice Merleau-Ponty
◉Denies the dualistic ideas.
◉Themindandbodycannotbe
separated.Theyarealwaysconnected
toeachother.
◉Thelivingbody,histhoughts,
emotions,andexperiencesareallone.
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32. Thank you!
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