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Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar Memorial College of Las Piñas

Understanding the Self

Class Activity for Module 1

Name: FLORES, MAUREEN DE VEGA Section: BSA I-1

ACTIVITY 1: Pre-Assessment
Read carefully the following statements/questions. (Write your answers on the
space provided)

1. What is Philosophy?

Philosophy came from the Greek word “philos” which means love and
“sophia” which means wisdom. Thus, philosophy is considered the "love of wisdom"
or the desire for truth by formulating never-ending questions to provide answers to
every inquiry about the nature of human existence. It is the study of human reason to
investigate the ultimate causes, reasons and principles which govern all things.

2. Give at least three ancient philosophers.

Socrates (469-399 B.C.), Plato (428-347) and Aristotle (385-322 B.C.) _

3. He accepted that the soul is merely a set of characterizing features and does not
consider the body and soul as separate entities.

ARISTOTLE_ _

4. He introduced the idea of a three-part soul/self: reason, physical appetite, and spirit
or passion.

PLATO __

5. He was the primary to focus on the total control of reason on the human self, who we
are, who we ought to be, and who we are going ended up.

SOCRATES _
ACTIVITY 2: Pre-Activity:

Write a 3-paragraph essay answering the question, "Who Am I?"

(Write your answers on the space provided)

When we’re little, we know nothing but to throw tantrums and cry over toys and

sweets, unaware of the reality, still enswathed with our bare innocence. But as we

continue to grow up, our over bounding curiosity drives us to ask questions, some of

which has no definite answers. “Where did we came from?”, “Why do we exist?” of “For

what purpose were we created?”. I would like to start answering the question as to who

am I by stating that I am a child of God whom He made in His own image and in His

likeness. A creation He formed from the dust of the ground and breathed into His

nostrils the breath of life, then became a living being, as it is written in the book of

Genesis. Everything that I am now, wherever or whoever I may be is because of the

love and grace of the Almighty. I was redeemed when He gave His only begotten son,

Jesus, who died in the cross for my sins. With that, I am new creation. Second, I am a

woman, who plays a major role in the society having enough rights to participate in

promoting gender equality and whose essence is to bear a child when the right time

comes.

Also, I am my parents’ daughter. I was conceived in my mother’s womb, born

and welcomed by the world. I was raised, loved, protected, and disciplined. I was taught

to know the difference between right and wrong, to accept boundaries and obey, to be

respectful at all times, to always be mindful of my words and actions, to always dream

big and up until now that I am already on my way to college, I am still being guided as I

continue to discover the world around me. Of course, I am a friend. A person who

interacts with other human beings. “No man is an island”, just like how we usually hear

it. It is my responsibility to live harmoniously and in unity with other people, to show

them that they’re worthy, precious and to value their existence. I believe that no one can

achieve their own fulfilment if they have no regard for the fulfilment of others and to

show God how much we love Him, we must also show it by loving His creations.

Lastly, I am a unique human being . I am special. I am a bubbly type of person, I

love to sing, read, laugh out loud and play instruments. I am used to going to

adventures, exploring, and taking risks. I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses

and I learn from it. Even though there are many people who acts and does things like

the way I do, I believe that there is something in me that makes me distinct from them,

something that makes me authentic. Pondering deeply, I realized that we may all be

created by God in His likeness, but we still have traits and specific characteristics which

makes us different. Everybody is gifted in our own way and God called us all according

to His purpose. Indeed, that there is no definite answer to the question as to who we

are. As we continue grow up and mature, we realize that there are still lots to discover

about ourselves. Let us learn to embrace it, its flaws and imperfections showing God

how spectacular His creations could be.

ACTIVITY 3: Activity/Evaluation:

Analyze each statement and identify whether the given statement is from
Socrates, Plato, or Aristotle. (Write your answers on the space provided)

1. He suggested that life has a soul.

ARISTOTLE _

2. He introduced the idea of a three-part soul/self.

PLATO _

3. He was the first to focus on the full power of reason on the human self.

SOCRATES _

4. There are two dichotomous realms: the physical and ideal realm.

SOCRATES _

5. He also believes that the self is synonymous with the soul.

PLATO _

6. The soul is only a set of defining features and does not consider the body and
soul as separate entities.
ARISTOTLE _

7. There are three kinds of souls: vegetative, sentient, and rational.

ARISTOTLE _

8. The cornerstone of his philosophy is “Know Thyself.”

SOCRATES _
ACTIVITY 4: Reinforcement/Reflection

Write an essay on the ancient philosophical perspective of the self. Consider the
following questions in writing your essay. (Write your answers on the space
provided)

1. Explain how each ancient philosophy of the self impacts your self-
understanding

Perhaps, we thought that simply knowing what your face and body looks like,
your physical attributes, or knowing things such as your favorites, skills and hobbies are
enough to say that you know yourself well. But the truth is, no. Studying about the self
from various perspectives of ancient philosophers made me realize that there is
something in ourselves, far more important, deeper and worth understanding than our
outlook appearance.
As Socrates mentioned that an unexamined life is not worth living, I felt as if he
is speaking straight through me. Honestly, there are a lot of times when I still question
myself and my identity. I tend to be unauthentic and copy other people, mask myself in
order to please the society. Reading that, made me realize that is important for us to
know and understand ourselves above anyone and everything else. It is a must that we
carefully examine our thoughts and emotions because then and only then can we live a
life of happiness and virtue. Plato, on the other hand, opened my mind about the
importance of having harmonious relationship among the three components of the
soul/self. The Reason, the Physical Appetite and the Spirit or Passion, respectively.
There are times when I tend to put my emotions superior to the three. Love, for
example. Even though I am given the ability to reason out and make wise decisions, I
sometimes neglect what my mind and just follow impulsively what my heart says. Which
is why it is important, as Plato implied, to make the reason part be superior and let it
sort things out and exert control. Your mind and heart cannot sometimes be friends.
But they should be neighbors. Aristotle, as well enlightened me about the superiority of
the humans among all God’s creation. It is because even though every life has a soul,
we are the only ones having the ability to think rationally. Animals, on the other hand,
just rely on their instincts and body natures.

2. Which ancient philosophy relates to your own belief?

Among the three, If I am to ask, Plato’s belief is what I can relate to the most.
Specially his perspective about the Theory of Forms. I once encountered his Allegory of
the Cave when I’m browsing and reading random literary works back then. It is a story
about men who were chained in a cave since birth. Because they are trapped inside,
they have no idea of what the world outside looks like. They just see the shadows of the
creatures emitted from the light coming outside the cave. Then, one of them was freed
and was able to go out. He was amazed to see the real beauty and forms of the things
and went back to tell others. But they ignored him, and refused to believe in him. I
believe that just like the men in the cave, who remain so caught up in the shadows and
choose to neglect what the man who went outside revealed to them, people nowadays
are being blinded up by the things THEY THINK are important. Money, houses, cars,
fame or followers for example. These are all materialistic things in the physical realms
that some of us thought would lead us to happiness and contentment. But then, the
theory aims to make us realize that we should always give regards and more
significance in the world of forms than the world of sense.

3. What is your philosophy of the self?

My philosophy of the self is the profound and expanded version of Socrates’

“Know thyself” perspective. Yes, it is true that man should live an examined life and a
life of reason and value, an unexamined life is not worth living and that an individual can
only have a significant and happy life only if he becomes virtuous and knows the
importance of himself.
But how can we really do that? Specially nowadays where it is easy to drift away
and be confused, I believe that, “Knowing God is the key to knowing thyself.” God
created humans. He is the main reason of our existence. I believe that everything that
makes us now, wherever or whoever we may be is because of the love and grace of the
Almighty. And the only way to know yourself is to know your Creator, he knows you
more than anyone else in this world.

4. What is the importance of having a philosophy of the self?

I believe that each of us is a philosopher, even we do not take a degree in

philosophy at all. We all have the ability to philosophize for we all possess the capacity
to wonder, to reflect on our experiences and the endless need to learn and discover.
Having a philosophy of the self is important for it encourages us to know who we
really are, be aware of our strengths and weaknesses, establish an identity and find our
purpose. It leads us to what Plato says “self-knowledge”. How can you suppose to love
and understand other people if you cannot do it within yourself?

5. Describe who you are, the meaning of your life, its purpose, and how to
achieve a happy and successful life.

I would answer the question as to whom am I by saying that I am a child of God.

His wonderful creation whom He created in His own image and likeness. I as well
believe that the meaning of my life is Jesus itself. As John 14:6 says, “I am the way and
the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I am still
currently on my way to finding my purpose, still I believe that some of it is to love Him
and to love others, as well as to spread happiness and peace. I always strive to be a
great example of how spectacular His creations could be.
To achieve a happy and successful life, we must first seek His kingdom. Because
I believe that, when only focused in Him, He’s going to deal with everything and other
things will soon fall into their places. It can also be helpful if we surround ourselves with
like-minded and positive people. Let us free ourselves from worrying and anxiousness
which are the thief of all joy. These will just make our hearts sad. Instead, allow
ourselves to cultivate gratitude and abundance. We all get what we think we can have.

NOTE: BE HONEST NO SHARING OF ANSWERS WITH YOUR CLASSMATES