UNDERTANDING THE SELF - REFLECTION

A.

➢ Do you agree with what these philosophers have concluded about the self?

Certainly, yes. Those ideology, both long-believed or newly established notions, were
able to provide its grounds to show beyond doubt, that it could be an act towards
understanding self. Despite of those corroborations, their ideas were still criticized. But,
it is just an accustomed human action since contemporary beliefs were made to
challenge the legitimacy of the past ideologies. As I scrutinized what was being tackled,
it made me think of its necessity not only for myself but also to the future that I am
constructing now. Socrates’ notion of questioning everything drives me further to be
conscious about the reality within myself and in the society, I am in. Who am I? What is
my ultimate goal? Is the reality I am seeing now, is the reality that other people also
perceive?

➢ If you are to choose one particular philosophy of the self, what would it be and
why?

Sympathizing those ideas that were formulated by our ancient to modern

philosophers, I need to accentuate that Patricia Churchland’s Neurophilosophy
was praiseworthy. Nevertheless, the idea of materialism that was caught alongside
this philosophy is quite adverse in my dogma. For some reasons, one might think that it
is “being scientific” that made me commend Churchland’s conclusion about self,
absolutely not. All the studies and conclusions rendered by other philosophers evidently
made a huge impact on the process of understanding self. Thus, their influence is
undeniable.
From empirical studies – an analysis through senses, to rational studies – an analysis

through innate knowledge, philosophers intended to enlighten the knowledge of self with
regards to various factors such as senses, infinite spirit, morality, and a whole lot more.

Yet, merely Churchland touches the sagacity of the magnitude that the correlation

between mind and brain will dispense. The philosophy of mind and neuroethics that

Churchland brought to the process of understanding self, facilitates me of the interface

between neuroscience and philosophy. As far as I have known, Patricia Churchland had

her meaningful encounter of an epileptic patient who managed to have two selfconsciousness after his
brain hemispheres were separated. That encounter made her

think that consciousness, as well, is a function of human physical brain.