Mater Dei College

Cabulijan, Tubigon, Bohol

Tel. No. 508-8106, 508-8166, Fax No. 508-8166

Understanding the Self/Pag-unawa sa Sarili (PERDEV 100)

Instructor: Miss Chiara Genevieve I. Lastimado, COE Faculty

THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PHILOSOPHICAL

PERSPECTIVES
Week 1 Topic

At the end of the discussion, you are expected to:

a) Explain the role of philosophy in understanding the concept of the self;

b) Discuss the different philosophical viewpoints about the self;
c) Analyze the relevance of various philosophical standpoints to one’s sense of self.

I. INTRODUCTION
Philosophy is often called the mother of all disciplines simply because all fields of study began
as philosophical discourses. Philosophy employs the inquisitive mind to discover the ultimate
causes, reasons, and principles of everything. It goes beyond scientific investigation by exploring
all areas of knowledge such as religion, psychology, politics, physics and even medicine. Hence,
the etymological definition of philosophy (Philo- love; Wisdom- sophia) “love of wisdom” could
pertain to the desire for truth by formulating never ending questions to provide answers to every
inquiry about the nature of human existence.
The nature of the self is a topic of interest among philosophers. Different philosophers
introduced specific characteristics and meanings of the self, which, over time, transformed from
pure abstractions to explanations that hold scientific proofs. This module presents an overview of
the philosophical perspective of the self to give a wider viewpoint in understanding the self. The
different views of prominent philosophers regarding the nature of the self will be discussed.

II. THE PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE OF UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Prominent philosophers have different views regarding the nature of the self. The ancient
philosophers explained the self from their conceptual understanding of the world since scientific
evidence was hard to obtain due to lack of measures. Meanwhile, contemporary philosophers have
incorporated science to their theories in the light of the technological advancements they have been
exposed to.

The Self from Various Philosophical Perspectives 1

▪ SOCRATES: THE UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING
Socrates was a Greek philosopher who believed that philosophy had a very important role to
play in the lives of the people. One of his most quoted phrases is, “The unexamined life is not
worth living”. According to Socrates, self-knowledge or the examination of one’s self, as well as
the question about how one ought to live one’s life, are very important concerns because only by
knowing your self can you hope to improve your life.
Socrates suggested that the self consists of two dichotomous realms: physical and ideal realms.
The physical realm is changeable, transient and imperfect. The ideal realm is unchanging, eternal,
and immortal. The physical world in which we live belongs to the physical realm. For Socrates,
our body belongs to the physical realm while the soul belongs to the ideal realm.
Socrates explains that the essence of the self―the soul― is the immortal entity. The soul
strives for wisdom and perfection, and reason is the soul’s tool to achieve this dignified state.
Socrates suggests that man must live an examined life and a life of purpose and value. The
individual person can have a meaningful and happy life only if he becomes virtuous and knows
the value of himself that can be achieved through incessant soul-searching. Self-knowledge is the
ultimate virtue.

▪ PLATO: THE SOUL IS IMMORTAL

Plato was the student of Socrates who also believed that the self is synonymous with the soul.
Plato elaborated the concept of the soul, specifically he introduced the idea of a three-part soul:
reason, physical appetite and spirit or passion.

⮚ Reason is the divine essence that enables us to think deeply, make wise choices and achieve
a true understanding of eternal truths.

⮚ Physical appetite includes our basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst and sexual
desires.

⮚ Spirit or passion includes basic emotions such as love, anger, empathy.

These three elements are in a dynamic relationship with one another, sometimes in conflict.
When conflict occurs, Plato believes it is the responsibility of our Reason to sort things out and
exert control, restoring harmonious relationships among the three elements. Further, Plato believed
that genuine happiness can only be achieved by people who consistently make sure that their
Reason is in control of their Spirit and Appetite.

▪ ARISTOTLE: THE SOUL IS THE ESSENCE OF THE SELF

Aristotle is the first philosopher who had incorporated Ethics, Aesthetics, Politics, Logic, and
Science that made a comprehensive and systematic philosophy. According to him, anything with
life has soul.

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 For Aristotle, the body and soul are not two separate elements, but are one thing. He believes
that the soul is simply the form of the body, and is not capable of existing without the body.
Without the body the soul cannot exist, and the soul dies along with the body. The soul is that
which makes a person a person. Therefore, the soul is the essence of the self.
He introduced the three kinds of soul: vegetative, sentient, and rational.
➢ The vegetative includes the physical body that can grow.
➢ Sentient includes the sensual desires, feelings, and emotions.
➢ Rational is what makes man human. It includes the intellect that makes man know and
understand things. Aristotle suggests that the rational nature of the self is to lead a good,
flourishing, and fulfilling life.

▪ ST. AUGUSTINE: I AM DOUBTING, THEREFORE I AM

African philosopher Augustine is regarded as a saint in the Catholic Church. As religious
philosopher, he contemplated on the nature of man with an emphasis on the soul as an important
element of man. He believed that the soul is what governs and defines the human person.
Augustine described that humankind is created in the image and likeness of God. Everything
created by God who is all good is good. Therefore, the human person being a creation of God is
always geared towards the good. Augustine was convinced that the self is known only through
knowing God. For Augustine, “knowledge can only come by seeing the truth that dwells within
us.” The truth that which Augustine spoke refers to the truth of knowing God. God is transcendent
and that the self seeks to be united with God through faith and reason.

▪ REŃE DESCARTES: I THINK, THEREFORE I AM

French philosopher Descartes is the father of Modern philosophy. He brought an entirely new
perspective to philosophy and the self. The Latin phrase Cogito ergo sum―”I think therefore I
am” is the keystone of Descartes’ concept of self. For him, the act of thinking about the self―of
being self-conscious― is in itself proof that there is a self. It was then that he developed his theory
of knowledge because he is confident that no rational person will doubt his or her own existence
as a conscious, thinking entity while we are aware of thinking about ourselves. For Descartes, this
is the essence of the human self- a thinking entity that doubts, understands, analyzes, questions
and reasons.

▪ DAVID HUME: THERE IS NO SELF

Hume abandoned the idea of self and soul, thus believes in the notion that there is no self. He
suggests that if people carefully examine their sense experience through the process of
introspection, they will discover that there is no self. According to Hume, what people experience
is just a bundle or collection of different perceptions, impressions, sensations, ideas, thoughts, and
images. The idea of personal identity is a result of imagination.

The Self from Various Philosophical Perspectives 3

▪ IMMANUEL KANT: WE CONSTRUCT THE SELF
For German philosopher Kant, it is the self that makes experiencing an understandable world
possible because it is the self that is actively organizing all our thoughts and perceptions. In other
words, the self constructs its own reality, actively creating a world that is familiar, predictable, and
most significantly, mine. The self is the product of reason, a regulative principle, because the self
regulates experience by making unified experiences possible. The self transcends experience
because the mind can grasp aspects of reality which is not limited to the senses.

▪ SIGMUND FREUD: THE SELF IS MULTI-LAYERED

According to Freud, the self consists of three layers: conscious, unconscious, and
preconscious.
• The conscious self is governed by the reality principle and is organized in ways that are
rational, practical, and appropriate.
• The unconscious self contains the basic instinctual drives that would be considered socially
taboo and is governed by the pleasure principle. Much of the self is determined by the unconscious.
• The preconscious self is located between the conscious and unconscious part of the self that
is not threatening and is easily brought to mind.

The Self from Various Philosophical Perspectives 4

▪ GILBERT RYLE: THE SELF IS THE WAY PEOPLE BEHAVE
British philosopher Ryle believed that the self is best understood as a pattern of behavior, the
tendency for a person to behave in a certain way in certain circumstances. Ryle’s concept of the
human self thus provided the philosophical principle, “I act therefore I am”. Ryle considers the
mind and body intrinsically linked in complex and intimate ways. In short, the self is the same as
bodily behavior. Ryle is convinced that the mind expresses the entire system of thoughts, emotions,
and actions that make up the human self.

▪ PAUL CHURCHLAND: THE SELF IS THE BRAIN

American philosopher Churchland advocated the idea of eliminative materialism or the idea
that the self is inseparable from the brain and the physiology of the body. All a person has is the
brain and so, if the brain is gone, there is no self. For Churchland, the physical brain and not the
imaginary mind, gives people the sense of self.

HOME-BASED ACTIVITY #1
Title: “Who am I?”
In your Journal notebook, answer in 250 words the persistent question “Who am I?”.
Describe yourself, your physical features, your personal and intellectual interests, and your
social/spatial trajectory (your future plans).
In your composition, you may paste two pictures of yourself: your younger self and
your present self.
You shall be graded based on the following criteria:
• Ideas 35%
• Organization of thoughts 30%
• Relevance to the topic 25%
• Mechanics (Use of language, grammar, punctuation etc.) 10%
TOTAL – 100%

Submit your Journal notebook during our next face-to-face class.

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