UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

CHAPTER 1 : LESSON 1
DEFINING THE SELF : PERSONAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE ON SELF AND IDENTITY
( LESSON 1 : THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE )

* names represent who we are

* human beings attach names that are meaningful to birthed progenies.
* GREEKS are the ones who seriously questioned myths .

PHILOSOPHERS AND THEIR PRINCIPLES

- GREEK THINKERS ARE CALLED PRE-SOCRATICS

- MEN LIKE THALES, PYTHAGORAS , PARMENIDES, HERACLITUS, AND EMPEDOCIES ARE CONCERNED
WITH EXPLAINING WHAT THE WORLD IS REALLY MADE UP OF.
- HOMER AND HESIOD ARE ENDEAVORED TO FINALLY LOCATE AN EXPLANATION ABOUT THE
NATURE OF CHANGE.

SOCRATES

-MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF THE SELF.

- FIRST PHILOSOPHER WHO ENGAGE A SYSTEMATIC QUESTIONING ABOUT SELF AND BECAME HIS
LIFE LONG MISSION. THE TASK IS TO KNOW ONE SELF.
-HE ENGAGE YOUNG AND OLD MEN TO QUESTION THEIR PRESUPPOSITIONS ABOUT THEMSELVES
AND ABOUTH THE WORLD PARTICULARLY ABOUT WHO THEY ARE ( PLATO 2012 )
- GADFLY - refers to himself as a gadfly as a way of representing the fact that his philosophical
investigations are annoying but necessary to the moral health of Athens
- HE THOUGHT THAT THIS IS THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE. TO LIVE BUT DIE INSIDE
- HE BELIEVE THAT EVERY MAN IS COMPOSED OF BODY AND SOUL , EVERY HUMAN IS DUALISTIC.
- ALL INDIVIDUAL HAVE AN IMPERFECT IMPERMANENT ASPECT TO HIM WHICH IS BODY AND WHILE
MAINTAINING THE SOUL THAT IS PERFECT AND PERMANENT.
- 5 STUDENTS SUPPORTED THE IDEAS THAT MAN IS DUAL NATUREOF BODY AND SOUL.

PLATO
- HE AFFIRMED TO SOCRATES THAT THE UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING.
- 3 COMPONENTS OF SOUL
* RATIONAL SOUL - REASONING
* SPIRITED - EMOTIONS
* APPETITIVE - DEISIRES LIKE EATING IS CONTROLLED WHEN THE IDEAL STATE IS ATTAINED.

AUGUSTINE
- HUMANS PERSON REFLECTS THE ENTIRE SPIRIT OF THE MEDIEVAL WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO
MAN.
-AGREE THAT MAN IS BIFURCATED NATURE.
- THE BODY IS BOUND TO DIE ON EARTH AND THE SOUL IS ANTICIPATE LIVING ETERNALLY IN
REALM OF SPIRITUAL BLISS IN COMMUNICATION WITH GOD.

THOMAS AQUINAS
- MOST EMINENT 13TH CENTURY SCHOLAR AND STALWART OF THE MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPY.
- MAN IS COMPOSED OF 2 PARTS

*MATTER OR HYLE IN GREEK “ COMMON STUFFS THAT MAKES UP EVERYTHING IN UNIVERSE“

(MAN BODY IS COMPOSED OF THIS MATTER.)
*FORM OR MORPHE IN GREEK “ ESSENCE OF THE SUBSTANCE OR THING “
RENE DECARTES
- FATHER OF MODERN PHILOSOPHY
- CONCEIVED OF THE HUMAN PERSON AS HAVING A BODY AND MIND IN HIS FAMOUS TREATISE.
-” MUCH OF WHAT WE THINK AND BELIEVE ARE NOT INFALLIABLE” AND THEY MAY TURN OUT
FALSE.
-CLAIMS THAT THERE IS SO MUCH THAT WE SHOULD DOUBT.
-THE ONLY ONE THAT CANNOT BE DOUBT IS THE EXISTENCE OF THE SELF.
- FAMOUS COGITO ERGO SUM “ I THINK THEREFORE , I AM”
- 2 COMBINATION OF OF DISTINCT ENTRIES
* THE COGITO THE THINKS - MIND
* EXTENZA OR EXTENSION OF THE MIND - BODY
- THE BODY IS NOTHING ELSE BUT A MACHINE THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE MIND.

DAVID HUME
- SCOTTISH PHILOSOPHER
- UNIQUE WAY OF LOOKING A MAN.
-EMPIRICIST WHO BELIEVES THAT ONE CAN KNOW ONLY WHAT COMES FROM THE SENSES AND
EXPERIENCES
- ARGUES THAT THE SELF IS NOTHING LIKE WHAT HIS PREDESSORS THOUGHT OF IT.
-SELF IS A BUNDLE OF IMPRESSIONS
-SELF IS A COLLECTION OF DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS / COMBINATION OF ALL EXPERIENCES WITH A
PARTICULAR PERSON.
-SKEPTICISM IDEA THAT WE KNOW A LOT LESS THAN WE ORDINARILY TAKE OURSELVES TO

IMMANUEL KANT
-THINKING OF THE SELF AS MERE COMBINATION OS IMPRESSION WAS PROBLEMATIC FOR KANT.
- WITHOUT THE SELF , ONE CANNOT ORGANIZE THE DIFFERENT IMPRESSION THAT ONE GETS THE
RELATION TO HIS OWN EXISTENCES.
- SELF IS NOT JUST WHAT GIVES ONE HIS PERSONALITY , IN ADDITION ITS ALSO A SEAT OF
KNOWLEDGE ACQUISTION FOR ALL THE HUMAN PERSON.
- FOR HIM THERE IS NECESSARILY A MIND THAT ORGANIZE IMPRESSION THAT MEN GET FROM
ETERNAL WORLD.
- APPARATUSES OF MIND - IDEAS THAT ONE CANNOT FIND IN THE WORLD BUT BUILT IN OUR
MIND.

GILBERT RYLE
- SOLVES THE MIND BODY DICHOTOMY
- WHAT TRULY MATTER FOR HIM IS THE BEHAVIOR THAT PERSON MANIFEST IN HIS DAY TO DAY
LIFE.
-SELF IS LIKE VISITING YOUR FRIEND’S UNIVERSITY.
- SELF IS NOT AN ENTITY, ONE CAN LOCATE AND ANALYZE BUT SIMPLY THE CONVENIENT NAME
THAT PEOPLE USE TO REFER TO ALL BEHAVIORS THAT PEOPLE MAKE.

MERLEAU - PONTY
- PHENOMONOLOGIST
- MIND AND BODY ARE SO INTERWINED THAT THEY CANNOT SEPARATED FROM ONE ANOTHER.
- CARTESIAN PROBLEM IS NOTHING ELSE BUT PLAIN MISUNDERSTANDING . THE LIVING BODY , HIS
THOUGHTS , EMOTIONS AND EXPERIENCE ARE ALL ONE.