Philosophers Belief Example/Explanation

Rene  Cartesian  An individual’s mind is separate from the body and the outside
Descartes 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.
Immanuel  There are two  There is an inner self (termed by Kant as empirical self-
Kant components of consciousness) and outer self (termed as transcendental
the self. apperception). The former comprises the psychological state and
 rational intellect, and the latter includes sense and the physical
world.
Sigmund  Psychic  The human mind is divided into three parts: id (instinctive
Freud Apparatus urges), ego (rational part), and superego (morals).
Gilbert Ryle  Behaviorism  Self comes from behavior. It is best understood as a pattern of
behavior, the tendency or disposition for a person to behave in a
certain way in certain circumstances