Understanding The Self

NAME: Keanu S. Estrada College Level

____________________________________________ Day 2

Materials:
Lesson Title: White Board Marker, White Board,
TV/Projector
A survey on the concept of self through generations: A
Philosophical Perspective - Part I

Lesson Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students will: Reference/s:

http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/aug
1. Have an overview of the composition of self. ustine/section1.rhtml
https://www.tes.com/lessons/CMfHIsTp2X
2. Be able to apply the views of the philosophers in real life. FD6w/compare-and-contrast

Note: 1 point for Lesson Title and 1 point for Learning Objectives Total Points: 40

Review

Give three importance of understanding the self? (3 points)

1. It enables us to know ourselves better.
2. Seek a better understanding of other people’s reaction to us.
3. It boosts our confidence level and self-steem.

Concept Notes

What is the Self according to Greek Philosophers? Greek philosophers like Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle tried solving the
puzzle of the self. They called the self as the “soul”. (5 points)
PLATO

Invented the phrase He rgued that the self and

SOCRATES

ARISTOTLE

“Know thyself” Defined self (soul) as the the body are inseparable
This assertion, imperative essence of living being. and the self is the
in the form, indicates that He considered the body actuality of the body.
man must stand and live and the self as a separate When the body dies the
according to his nature. entities. self ceases to exist.
Man has to look at He thus, claimed that
himself. To find what? By mind-body dualism where
what means? This could be the body is from the
done with the use of material world, but the self
Socratic Method. is from the immortal world
of ideas.

Pre-Printed Notes

For Socrates, the goal of philosophy was to "Know thyself". Knowing others is wisdom. Knowing the self is enlightenment.
Mastering others requires force. Mastering the self requires strength. "Self-knowledge alone eradicates misery". Self-
knowledge alone is the means to the highest bliss." "Absolute perfection is the consummation of Self-knowledge."
Knowledge of oneself can be achieved only through the Socratic Method, that is to say, the dialogue between the soul and
itself, or between a student and his teacher. Socrates is as often in the role of questioner, as an attendant emotional. Socrates’
questions because he knows nothing, knows he knows nothing, has nothing to learn, but it can help its followers to discover
the truths they have in them. Without this work on yourself, life is worthless according to Socrates.

Plato is a dualist; there is both immaterial mind (soul) and material body, and it is the soul that knows the forms. Plato
believed the soul exists before birth and after death. Thus, he believed that the soul or mind attains knowledge of the forms,
 Understanding The Self
NAME: Keanu S. Estrada College Level
____________________________________________ Day 2

as opposed to the senses. Needless to say, we should care about our soul rather than our body. The soul (mind) itself is
divided into 3 parts: reason; appetite (physical urges); and will (emotion, passion, spirit.) The will is the source of love,
anger, indignation, ambition, aggression, etc. When these aspects are not in harmony, we experience mental conflict. The
will can be on the side of either reason or the appetites. We might be pulled by lustful appetite, or the rational desire to find a
good partner. To explain the interaction of these 3 parts of the self, Plato uses the image is of the charioteer (reason) who tries
to control horses representing will and appetites. Elsewhere he says that reason uses the will to control the appetites.

Aristotle defined the soul as the core essence of a living being, but argued against its having a separate existence. For
instance, if a knife had a soul, the act of cutting would be that soul, because 'cutting' is the essence of what it is to be a knife.
Unlike Plato and the religious traditions, Aristotle did not consider the soul as some kind of separate, ghostly occupant of the
body (just as we cannot separate the activity of cutting from the knife). As the soul, in Aristotle's view, is an activity of the
body, it cannot be immortal (when a knife is destroyed, the cutting stops). More precisely, the soul is the "first activity" of a
living body. This is a state, or a potential for actual, or 'second', activity. "The axe has an edge for cutting" was, for Aristotle,
analogous to "humans have bodies for rational activity," and the potential for rational activity thus constituted the essence of
a human soul. Aristotle used his concept of the soul in many of his works; the De Anima (On the Soul) provides a good place
to start to gain more understanding of his views.

St. Augustine in his Confessions takes this idea and expands it into an entire genre that critically inquires what it means to be
a person. This identity is achieved through a twofold process: self-presentation, which leads to self-realization. Only in the
presence of the Omnipotent and the Omniscient can the self-attain happiness and completeness.

Descartes thought that the self is a thinking thing distinct from the body. His first famous principle was” Cogito, ergo sum",
which means “I think, therefore I am." Although the mind and body are physically together as a whole, the mind and body
are mentally independent and serve their own function.

Comprehension Activity

Directions: Compare and contrast the idea of Plato and Aristotle towards self. (6 points)

PLATO ARISTOTLE

Idea on
body
Body and soul are Body and soul are not
and
separated separated entities.
soul of
a “Humans are rational
Soul has three parts:
human beings.”
reason, will appetite
being

Guided Practice

Directions: Get a partner and discuss among yourselves your answers on the following questions. Write your answer
on the space provided below.

1. What are the ways by which you can know yourself, and which do you think is the most and least effective way?
Why? (2 points)
The ways of which you can know yourself are observing your behaviors like listing down in a journal and the
second one is to ask people that you are close with because they may something that you do not know.

Most Effective: (1 point)

 Understanding The Self
NAME: Keanu S. Estrada College Level
____________________________________________ Day 2

Ask people that you are close with

Least Effective: (1 point)

observing your behaviors

2. In what way could we achieve our happiness and completeness according to St. Augustine and how? (2 points)
Only in the presence of the Omnipotent and the Omniscient.

Independent Practice

Directions: According to St. Augustine, our identity is achieved through a twofold process: self-presentation that
leads to self-realization. Inside the box, draw an object that best represents you and reflect on why it
represents you. (6 points)

Reflection:

Like a snail who moves so slow, I am a slothful person. I tend to

work during the day before the deadline.

Additional Practice – Enrichment Activity

Directions: Read the situation and write your answer to the question on the space provided below.

Situation: Say for instance you are in front of a mirror and having a dialogue. Below write the questions that you wanted to
ask about yourself and give an honest answer to it. (6 points)

1. Why do you like playing video games and watching anime?

Ans. I like it because I am so invested in the story.

2. Why did you continue the College seminary?

Ans. I continued because I want to pursue my vocation as a priest.

3. Why are you slothful?

Ans. It is because of the quarantine that I am always in the house doing
nothing.

Thinking about your learning (6 points)

Three things I’ve learned today:

1. “Knowing yourself is an enlightenment” from Socrates.
 Understanding The Self
NAME: Keanu S. Estrada College Level
____________________________________________ Day 2

2. “Body and Soul are not separate entities” from Aristotle.

3. “The reason uses the will to control the appetite.” from Plato.

Two things I would like to learn more/further about this topic:

1. More information about three parts of the soul
2. More information about the ideas of Rene Descartes

One question I would like to ask regarding this topic:

1. What is the Socratic Method?

RUBRICS FOR SHORT ESSAY:

SCALE ORGANIZATIONS MECHANICS CONTENT LENGTH

Logical progression of
ideas with a clear
structure that enhances the
essay. Transitions are
mature and graceful.
Logical progression of
ideas. Transitions are
present equally
throughout essay.
Organization is clear.
Transitions are present.
No discernable
organization. Transitions
sre not present.
Total
Punctuation, spelling,
capitalization are correct.
No errors.
Punctuation, spelling,
capitalization are
generally correct, with
few errors (1-2)
A few errors in
punctuation, spelling,
capitalization (3-4)
Distracting errors in
punctuation, spelling,
capitalization.
Answer is appropriate to
the question. Content is
factually correct.
Answer is appropriate to
the question. Content
may have one or two
factual errors.
Content relates
peripherally to the
question; contains
significant factual errors.
Content unrelated to
question.
Essay is clear in 4-5
sentences
Essay is clear in 3 or 6
sentences
Essay is clear in 2 or 7
sentences
Essay is clear either in 1,
2, 8 or more sentences in
length