Week-2-3-The-Self-from-Philosopher-View.pptx

Our self from philosophy

1. Philosophical View of the Self This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

2. Learning Outcomes Explain the different philosophical theories about the self; Demonstrate self-examination through writing a journal; and Create your philosophy in life.

3. Questions to Ponder 1. How would you describe yourself? 2. What are the qualities that differentiate you from other selves? 3. What are the ways have yourself changed during the course of your life? 4. How would you describe the relation of yourself to your body? 5. Do you know the other selves? 6. What do you think will happen to yourelf after you die? 7. Will you recognise other selve who have died?

4. A Comparative View of the Self from Asian and Western Perspectives Asian Western Self ‘anata’ non-self Impermanent Part of continual process of change and transition of nature Self has a soul. Dualistic self Thinking Self

5. Socrates ‘Know yourself’ The self has a soul (immortal). Functions of the soul: direct, govern and influence the self. Soul is the seat of activity of ‘Thinking’ and ‘Doing’. Socratic Method/Art of Questioning/ Art of midwifery Guide to know yourself by defining universal concept. Eg. beauty, justice etc. Knowledge is a virtue while ignorance is a vice. (Knowledge is virtue or Virtue is knowledge) This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

6. Socratic Method Example 1:

7. Example 2: Socratic Dialogue In Ancient Greece, Socrates had a great reputation of wisdom. One day, Marites came to find the great philosopher and said to him: Mar: Do you know what I just heard about your friend? Soc: A moment. Before you tell me, I would like to test you the three sieves. Mar: The three sieves? Soc: Yes, Before telling anything about others, it's good to take time to filter what you mean. I call it the test of the three sieves. The first sieve is the TRUTH. Have you checked if what you're going to tell me is true? Mar: No, I just heard it. Soc: Very good! So, you don't know if it's true. We continue with the second sieve, that of KINDNESS. What you want to tell me about my friend, is it good? Mar: Oh, no! On the contrary. Soc: So, you want to tell me bad things about him and you're not even sure they're true? Maybe you can still pass the test of the third sieve, that of UTILITY. Is it useful that I know what you're going to tell me about this friend? No, really. So, concluded Socrates, what you were going to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor useful. Why, then, did you want to tell me this? Moral Lesson: "Gossip is a bad thing. In the beginning it may seem enjoyable and fun, but in the end, it fills our hearts with bitterness and poisons us, too!" - Pope Francis”

8. Plato The Ideal Self and Perfect Self The self is all-knowing prior to their birth in this world. The self forgot their knowledge which t he self recollect s it through the process of dialogue . Socratic method is necessary in recollecting the forgotten truth. Through recollection of universal truth, the self can do what is good.

9. Plato Perfect Self Educated Self on the world of forms . Master of virtues Participate in the state. PERFECT SELF VIRTUES STATE CLASS RATIONAL WISDOM LEADERS GOLD SPIRIT COURAGE SOLDIERS SILVER APPETTITE MODERATION SKILLED WORKERS BRONZE

10. Theory Forms and Allegory of the Cave

11. Aristotle Happy Self (Eudaimonia/Human Flourishing) “Man is a goal-seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals. ~Aristotle~ “Every action and pursuit is taught to aim at some good” Aristotle Happiness

12. ARISTOTLE Types of good/ends Instrumental- acts done for other good. Ex. Ballpen Intrinsic – acts done for their own sake. Gardening Studying Playing Basketball/Volleyball Attending the Class Excellence “Happiness … is working of the soul in the way of excellence or virtue”. Stumpf, 1999

13. How to achieve Excellence/Happiness? Virtue as “golden mean” Between Excess and Defect Extreme…………Mean……… Deficiency Deliberation and Choice Rational Soul: Theoretical Knowledge = Potentiality Practical Knowledge = Actuality Friendship for Harmonious Relationship Instrumental Intrinsic

14. Assessment Task Recitation Journal Writing Directions: Write your reflection on the Q&A

15. Augustine ‘Activity’ Directions : Read the question and write your answer below. Why the self feels emptiness, unsatisfied and incomplete?

16. Augustine’ Answers 1. Human soul is not in communion with God. 2. The illumated/unenlighten mind of human person. 3. Human person abused his or her freedom. 4. Misdirected love 5. Human Person lives in the city of man.

17. Augustine on Immortal Soul There is an immaterial reality that exists separate from the physical world. There is a radical distinction between an immaterial soul and physical body. There are immortal souls that find their ultimate fulfillment in union with the eternal, transcendent realm (for Augustine, this is God).

18. God and Evil blended the Platonic world of ‘form’ and ‘shadow’ as ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ with the Christian teaching . The ‘Form’ is ‘God’-creator, omnicient, omnipotent, powerful and good. Shadow is evil- absence of light. The self is complete only if the soul is in communion with God while incomplete self is possessed by the evil.

19. Illuminated Mind Believe first to see GOD as...... good, creator, omniscient, self-sufficient and all-knowing - illuminated us. An illuminated self aspires to be unifie d with God through faith and reason. An e nlightened self loves God while unenlightened one is in darkness that cause them to turn away from loving God. ‘ My life is restless until it rests in You’ - Augustine

20. Freedom and Love Did God created evi l in the world? Why? Ans: NO Augustine assumed that God created human person with FREEDOM to do good or bad action. Illuminated mind can do good things while unenlightened mind can do bad deeds. Human person who loves God will do things that glorified God while who misdirected their love to God will do evil.

21. Rene Descartes Complete the Following Sentences: 1. I doubt that____________________. 2. I affirm that ____________________. 3. I deny an accusation that __________________. 4. I feel complete that ______________________. 5. I refuse that ____________________. 6. I imagine that ___________________.

22. Rene Descartes What is the self? Cogito Ergo Sum

23. Rene Descartes The Self as Dualistic 1. Cogito - The thinking Self is boubting. For Descartes, we are certain that self that is doubting which we can’t doubt. So, if we are thinking/doubting then it follows that we are existing. 2. Res extenza refers to the body which Descartes considered it like a machine or clock. “ The essence of your self—you are a “thinking thing,” a dynamic identity that engages in all of those mental operations we associate with being a human self” Chaffer

24. John Locke The self is a person and has consciousness. A person is a thinking, intelligent being who has the abilities to reason and reflect. A person is also someone who considers himself/herself to be the same thing in different times and different places. Consciousness—being aware that we are thinking—always accompanies thinking and is an essential part of the thinking process. Consciousness of what makes possible our belief that we are the same identity in different times and different places.

25. David Hume The Self as bundle of impressions. The impressions of the self were originated from our experiences. Hume conducted a thought experiment to discover himself. He noticed that when we enter to ourself ‘there is no self’ but rather we know only a bundle of impressions. The impressions are live experience of the self. Ideas of the self are copies from impressions.

26. Immanuel Kant We construct the Self According to Kant, our minds actively sort, organize, relate, and synthesize the fragmented, flactuating collection of sense data that our sense organs take in. Example: During night time, you notice the scattered stars in the sky. At first, you can’t figure out the connections of ramdom stars-unrelated to one another and meaningless. However, when you assembled those unrelated stars, then graduallly coherent images like horse, unicorn etc.. will be formulated.

27. Immanuel Kant Kant says our mind has an active role in synthesizing and relating these sensations in constructing the self. The self is transcendental ego that exist independently from experience. The self is autonomous in deciding for himself/herself. The self is a subject that unified our knowledge of the self based on the categories of the mind - Quality, Quantity, Relation and Modality Categories Quality - Reality, Negations, Limitations Quantity - Totality, Plurality, Unity Relation- Inherence, Community, Casuality Modality - Potentiality, Existence and Necessity

28. END THANK YOU