Philosophers Belief Example/Explanation

Rene Descartes  Cartesian  An individual’s mind is separate from the body and the outside
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.