ibodicltg «Doss

“if you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to wno
yourself like
now and when you get there, you will discover
i you are, here and
g lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.
t
—Masaru Emoto, Secret Life of Water
ii eel
eae
|

How did ancient thinkers view a human being? Who were those curious enough

to study how human beings perceive themselves? One aspect that makes us humans
different from all other creatures on earth is our capacity to build on knowledge. We
learn, we apply it in our lives, and we use acquired ideas to create.
Philosophical musings have produced some of the most important original ideas over
the centuries. Their contributions to all areas of learning are inestimable. Some views
_ may| be more popular, others a bit unknown, but humanity’s development is founded
on the’ of our ancient thinkers. What is philosophy? Philosophy is from the Greek
~ words while” (loving) and Sophia (knowledge, wisdom). At its simplest, philosophy means
“loving knowledge” or “loving wisdom.” The term philosophy as originally used by the
Greeks meant “the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.”
Naturally, the need to understand the “self” did not escape the philosopher’s curious
mind. Hence, here are the most relevant philosophical views that will give you ahistorical
framework in your quest of understanding yourself.

§) DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES IN THE EXPLANATION OF SELF

philosophical
How do you define “self”? Do you have the same definitions of self in
and psychological perspectives?
the early and
Let's find out how the philosophers define or describe self during
ributions in the
modern times. But before going into the details of their significant cont
standing of the self, let’s have an exercise first.

OCAIIICU WILT UdlITI.

 “ PHILOSOPHER'S
Aelia |
GALLERY WALK”
Roam around, and let
your classmates answer each box. After each
orally, let him/her sign in ‘
has a Nisy
the box being answered. "rey
f ‘otmmann,

He believes that the

human mind at birth isa A philosopher who states Explain this Statement
“tabula rasa.” that “I act, therefore | am” “I think, therefore | amr |

J q j I __
bonny

\¢ , ——
: |
Knows the philosophy Discuss the philosophy Recite the three kinds
of Immanuel Kant. of Hume. of being by Plato,

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i. y, ,
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fr he f

ai Ex lain. this h |
Explain the Give an example/personal— is C le |
“So con c method’ experience of the phrase: sig sia |
“Lact, therefore lam. ‘

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i he

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Know the life of John Discuss the statement, Descartes’ and Gilbert
Locke. | sense, therefore | am. | yle’s views about the'sel |

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— This philosopher states | Give the background of |

Tell who Augustine is. thatreasonisthefinal | | Descartes.
authority of morality. | fo j= ©
|

“OUdINICU WILT eae

 —iphilosophy

Socrates

Socrates was a Greek philosopher and one of the

very few individuals who shaped Western thought
(Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2017). However,
unlike the other philosophers during his time,
Socrates never wrote anything. Knowledge about
Socrates is through second-hand information from
the writings of his student Plato (another of the
most influential Western thinkers) and historian
Xenophon (The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy,

Socrates was known for his method of inquiry “I Know ThatI Don’t Know”
in testing an idea. This is called the Socratic Method
Source: https://www.biography.com/
whereby an idea was tested by asking a series of people/socrates-9488126
questions to determine underlying beliefs and the
ee ae
extent of knowledge to guide the person toward ea mee
better understanding (Maxwell, 2015). Socrates was described to have gone epeaen in
Athens questioning everyday views and popular Athenian beliefs. This apparently
offended the leaders in his time. He was then accused of impiety or lack of reverence
for the gods and for corrupting the minds of the youth. At 70 years old, Socrates was
sentenced to death by drinking a cup of poison hemlock (Brickhouse & Smith, 2002).
Some of Socrates’ ideas were:
- The soul is immortal.
- The care of the soul is the task of philosophy.
- Virtue is necessary to attain happiness
Socrates believed that philosophy had a very important role to ray 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 yourself can you hope to improve your life (Rappe, 1995). Socrates believed
that you as a person should consciously contemplate, turn your gaze inward, and analyze
the true nature and values that are guiding your life.
He added self-knowledge would open your eyes to your true nature; which contrary
to pop culture, is not about what you own, how many “Likes” you get in your social media
Posts, or how successful you are in your career. In fact, your real self is not even your
body, According to Socrates, the state of your inner being (soul/self) determines the
quality of your life. 4

SUdINICU VWILIT Udi I

 Socrates said existence is of two kinds-
-
1. The visible, and
2. The invisible.
The visible existence changes while the
invisible existence remains co
(Connolly, 2017). According to Socrates, this S const:
is the state of the human being. The in
which is visible, changes; the other part, the kind that is invisible
to huma ty,
yet sensed
mind remains constant. In the Socratic Dialogue, ns Plato
and d un understood by y the the mi
‘
wr
what Socrates said about the body and the soul: “When ’
the soul and body are togeth .
ot

e
nature assigns our body to be a slave and to be ruled and the soul to be ruler and Maste
:
(Hamilton et al., 1961; Organ, 1986). However, Socrates said that the body was
. .
: .

Sa
reluctant slave, and the soul gets dragged toward what is always changing. This woulg
leave the soul confused (Organ, 1986).
Socrates also believed that the goal of life is to be happy. How does one become
happy? According to Socrates, the virtuous man is a happy man, and that virtue alone
;s the one and only supreme good that will secure his/her happiness. Virtue is defined as
moral excellence, and an individual is considered virtuous if his/her character is made up
of the moral qualities that are accepted as virtues, i-e., courage, temperance, prudence,
and justice (The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2017). According to Socrates, even
death is a trivial matter for the truly virtuous because he/she has realized that the most
important thing in life is the state of his/her soul and the acts taken from taking care of
the soul through self-knowledge.

Ces are ea a
eee
“Good ac ions give strength to
ourselves and inspire good actions in
others.” : }

—Plato |i
§

Plato was the student of Socrates. He

wrote the Socratic Dialogue where Socrates
was the main character and speaker. Platos
—— philosophical method was what he identified
Balance between mind and body as “collection and division” (Phaedrus, 265¢;
Ln . : : her
Plato - From Raphael's School of Athens (1509). Smith, 20U7) Iathis method tbe pater
Public Domain, Courtesy of Wikipedia. would “collect” all the generic pga Wet
| seemed to have common characteristics and
then divided them into different kinds until the subdivision of ideas became specific. He
. vst known for his Theory of Forms that asserted the physical world is not really the
€ al’ world because the ultimate reality exists beyond the physical world.
°

aoe
, ‘aes if
c oC hh ‘
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 important influence of the Western concept of
Plato is perhaps the single most
of the human
“cel¢” According to Plato, the “soul” is indeed the most divine aspect
a spiritual being but rather one that has
being. However, his concept of the divine is not
to Plato is the aspect of the
an intellectual connotation. The self/soul/mind according
are known.
human beings by which the Forms (ideas)

The Three parts of the soul according to Plato are:

The appetitive (sensual)
The element that enjoys sensual experiences, such as food, drink, and sex

. The rational (reasoning)

The element that forbids the person to enjoy the sensual experiences; the part
that loves truth, hence, should rule over the other parts of the soul through the
use of reason

. The spirited (feeling)

The element that is inclined toward reason but understands the demands of
passion; the part that loves honor and victory

St. Augustine
Saint Augustine, also called Saint Augustine of
Hippo, is one of the Latin Fathers of the Church, one
of the Doctors of the Church, and one of the most
significant Christian thinkers. His philosophical
approach to Christian thinking is the most
influential theological system. His written works
are among the foundations of medieval and modern
Christian thought (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2017).
Saint Augustine was deeply influenced by
Plato’s ideas. Not surprisingly, he adopted Plato's snnenannineneee a
view that the “self” is an immaterial (but rational) All knowledge leads to God.
soul. Giving the Theory of Forms a Christian
perspective, Augustine asserted that these Forms were concepts existing within the
_ perfect and eternal God (The Catholic University of America Press, 1982) where the soul
belonged. Saint Augustine held that the soul held the Truth and was capable of scientific_
thinking. Saint Augustine’s concept of the “self” was an inner, immaterial “I” that had
self-knowledge and self-awareness. He believed that the human being was both a soul
and body, and the body possessed senses, such as imagination, memory, reason, and
mind through which the soul experienced the world,
He also reasoned that human beings through the senses could sense the material,
temporal objects as we interacted with the material world; the immaterial but intelligible

(CGERAG) 9
Ocdaimieu wiul CaMSc
 would only },
oo d 0 nly by the intellect, not by the senses) God g
(def. able to be und er st
/he r im ma ter ial sel f/s oul.
e into his
to t he mind if one tun
clear or obvious are:
to Saint Augustine’s
The as pects of the self/soul according
itself.
. Itis able to be aware of
istic one.
It recognizes itself as a hol
. [tis aware of its unity.
d body is meant
Au gu st in e bel iev ed tha t the human being who is both soul an
Saint her our capacity to asceng
to hi gh er , di v ine, and heavenly matters because of his/
to tend n of the sou] with
re he nd tru ths thro ug h the mi nd. He connected the ascensio
and comp
ion tha t everything related to the phy sical world belongs to the physical body
his ass ert
hi mself/herself with this physical world then he/she will dt
and if a person concerns
als. Saint Augustine pointed out that a person is similar to
be any different from anim
d its ability; that by ignoring to use his/her mind (or the
God as regards to the mind an
he/she would lose his/her po ssi
bility to reach real and lasting
incorrect use of the mind)
in es s (Th e Stan fo rd En cy cl op ed ia of Ph ilosophy, 2017; Mendelson, 206).
happ

Rene Descartes
René Descartes was a French philosopher
mathematician, and scientist. He is considered the
father of modern Western phil hy. Descartes is
often regarded as the firs asi
use of reason to describe, pr ct, and understand
natural phenomena based on observational and
empirical evidence (Bertrand, 2004; Grosholz, 1991),
Descartes proposed that doubt was a principal
tool of disciplined inquiry. His method was called
hyperbolical/metaphysical doubt, also sometimes
, Think, Therefore I Am.” | referred to as methodological skepticism. It is a
of one’s beliefs . systematic process of beingeing skeptical
skeptical z
about the truth
nn obelefs in order to determine which beliefs could be ascertained as | aa
; Philosophy Glossary University of Houston) e a o paar
René Descartes’ famous line “Cogito er ”
am” became a fu 'g0 sum’ translatteed as “I thi : ,
itlenmpliage ii ae of Western philosophy as it societal aici
Senses could not be used as ne Be aascrtey that everything perceived.b the
He added that there = as proof of existence because human senses co Id b , f ‘i d |
s only one thing we could be sure
everything could b of in this world id ates
e doubted. - I 10 turn, by doubti
Descartes. proved
hi :
that there is :
a thinkin : that is doin
g entity
ng | xistence,
Dis own exist
g the act of doubting a

OcdIIHeU WIT UdINSC

 Descartes’ claims about the “self” are:
. It is constant; it is not prone to change; and it is not affected by time.
.» Only the immaterial soul remains the same throughout time.
The immaterial soul is the source of our identity.

He further asserted that this thinking entity could exist without the body because
a
itis an immaterial substance. Nevertheless, this immaterial substance (self) possesses
body and is so intimately bound/joined by it that the “self” forms a union with its body.
Despite this body-soul union, Descartes reasoned that the soul is still distinct from the
body.
Some distinctions between the soul and body as-pointed out by Descartes are:
THE SOUL _ THE BODY

It is a conscious, thinking substance that is It is a material substance that changes

unaffected by time. through time.

It is known only to itself (only you know It can be doubted; The public can correct
your |own mental event and others cannot claims about the body.
correct your mental states).

It is not made up of parts. It views the It is made up of physical, quantifiable,

entirety of itself with no hidden or separate divisible parts. '
compartments. It is both conscious and
aware of itselfat the same time.

John Locke

John Lock was a philosopher and physician and was one

of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers. The Age ‘|
of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason was an intellectual
and philosophical movement that dominated the ideas in
Europe during the 18th century.
If Descartes described the “self” as a thinking thing,
Locke expanded this definition of “self” to include the
memories of that thinking thing. Locke believed that
the “self” is identified with consciousness and this “self”
consists of sameness of consciousness. This is usually
Human mind at birth is a
interpreted to mean that the “self” consists of memory;
tabula rasa, which means
that the person existing now is the same person yesterday
that knowledge is derived
because he/she remembers the thoughts, experiences, or
from experience
tions of the earlier self (Natsoulas, 1994; Fuchs, 2017).
s memories provide a continuity of experience that allows him/
srself as the same person over time. This theory of personal
ju stify a defense of accountability (Winkler, 1991). According

( A Hits An LURE TAN 1 GainSc

 the act, which meant the person was igno
rant.

David Hume
tish philo
David Hume (1711 - 1776) was a Scot
sopher,

ring the Age of Enlii ghten me}

nt.
economist, and historian du i
tes’ Rationalism.
He was a fierce opponent o f Descar
n
Rationalism is the theory that reason, rather tha
knowled ge. Hume,
experience, is the foundation of all
op George Berkeley, was
along with John Locke and Bish
influential British
one of the three main figureheads of the
idea that the
Empiricism movement. Empiricism is the
It emphasized Sat
origin of all knowledge is sense experience.
An knowledge a7eal
Se

(especially sensory
the role of experience and evidence
fom imma series
perception) in forming concepts, while discounting the
| : |
notion of innate ideas (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy,
2017).
Hume is identified with the bundle theory wherein he described the “self” or
person (which Hume assumed to be the “mind”) as a bundle or a collection of different
perceptions that are moving in a very fast and successive manner; therefore, it is in a
“perpetual flux.” Hume’s theory began by denying Descartes’ view of the immaterial
soul and of its experiences. Empiricists like Hume believed that human intellect and
experiences are limited; therefore, it is impossible to attribute it to an independent
persisting entity (.e., soul). David Hume concluded that the “self” is merely made up of
successive impressions (Pike, 1967; Seigel, 2005).
Hume divided the mind’s perceptions into two groups stating that
the difference
between the two “consists in the degrees of force and livel
iness with which they strike
upon the mind” (Hume, p. 10):

1, Impressions. These are the perceptions that

are the most strong. They enter the
senses with most force. These are directly expe
rienced; they result from inward
and outward sentiments,
2. Ideas, These are
the less forcible and les
Theseare mechanisms th y counterparts
s livel of impressions.
at co Py and reproduce sen
upon the Previous se data formulated based
ly perceived j mpression
s.

12 A Hetate Appreach Se Ut map

Ocdaimeu wiur CaMSc

 observation.
Hume asserted that the notion of the “self” could not be verified through
you know are mere objects of what
He argued that if you can directly know, then what
is no logical justification
your senses are experiencing. With this idea, he believed there
enced. For Hume, the
for the existence of anything other than what your senses experi
d by the senses. This
“elf” was nothing but a series of incoherent impressions receive
ently subsisting self
description of experience revealed, according to Hume, no perman
(Montgomery, 1889).
Hume comparedthe, “self” to a nation; whereby a nation retains its “being a nation
posed of different, constantly
not by some single core or identity but by being com
e, and beliefs. In the same manner,
changing elements, such as people, systems, cultur
sion but a mix and a loose cohesion
the “self” according to Hume is not just one impres
stant impression
of various personal experiences. Hume insisted that there is no one con
that endures throughout your life.
r ceptions
Hume did not believe on the existence of the “self.” He stressed that you per
uld your perception
are only active for as long as you are conscious. According to Hume, sho
ger sense
be “removed” for any time (such as when you are sleeping), and you can no lon
“self” asa
yourself then you also cease to exist. In this line, Hume seemed to reduce the
light bulb that may be switched on or off.
the eyes
Hume's “self” is a passive observer similar to watching one’s life pass before
like a play or on a screen; whereby the total annihilation of the “self” comes at death.

Immanuel Kant
Philosopher Immanuel Kant is a central figure in
modern philosophy. His contributions to metaphysics,
epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics have had a profound
impact on almost every philosophical movement that
followed him. Among other ideas that Kant proposed was
that, the human mind creates the structure of human
pexperience;
which
| is Kant's view of the “self” is transcendental,
ysical — ; 7
meal s the “self” is related to a spiritual or nonph
REASON is the final
realm. For Kant, the self is not in the body. The self is
authority of morality.
outside the body, and it does not have the qualities of the
Kant stressed that the —
body. Despite being transcendental, Morality is achieved only
wo
: qualities ue” .
body and its are rooted to the self.” He proposed
,
a. “self yz8 and the material when there is absence of
that itwe is knowledge that bridges the war because of the result
; .
things together (Boeree, 1999; Brook, 2004) of enlightenment

OUCdIIICU WILIT Udll loc

 (rationality): y sense, and
Two kinds of consciousness of se If a

self and o of ap perception,

1. Consciousness of one forming acts
by per
f and on e’s states
2. Consci ou sn es s of on es el
ma ke 3 sense of an idea by
h a pers on
ental wh ic
Apperception is the m e already poss
esses
as,
dy 0 fideas he or
sh kn ow ledge of your ide
assimilating it to the bo your ideas and your
ted. oy;
what truly exist are ideas. Kant poin
ur
Kant's point is tha t se lf thw atith yoyou are merely seeing objects,
rough th,e
de wor. Jd th ension a n d '
outsi
that you perceive the ju st an ex t l r e a d y an idea re
siding
world isn ot se ther e i is a
that the material e world becau ed the
pe rc ei ve the ou ts id
xt erna ] w o r l d. He defend
you to the e
He insisted that t connect you “bodies are object
s of
e id eas ar e wh a
e s e n ti ng th at
within you. Th
es f) pr
state of th e bo dy and soul (sel 2004).
diverse quality or of in ne r se ns e” (Carpenter,
are objects
outer sense; SO uls
of the “self”: in your own State,
Two com ponents ar e of alterations
yo u are aw
lf” by which as moods,
1. Inne r self, The “se yo ur ps y¢ holo gical state, such
tional i ntellect and
This includes your ra
feelings, and sensa tio
ns, pleasure, and pain.
is the common
es yo ur se ns es and the physic al world. It
2. Outer self. It includ r self. It gathers informatio
n
ern al wor ld and the in ne
boundar y between the ext r sel f interprets and
the exte rn al wo rl d th ro ugh the senses, which the inne
from
coherently expresses.
information in three ways:
Kant proposed that the “self” organizes
1. Raw perceptual input,
2. Recognizing the concept, and
3. Reproducing in the imagination.

Kant s “self” has a unified point of self-reference. You are

conscious of yourself as the subject, and you are conscious of
yoursel as a common subject of different representations
ne Kant confirms
dere an i i ressions you perceive point
that the imp
ngle common fact — the “self” is the subject of these
experiences,

“Wish fulfillment nt isic+t,, | °ontury: y. HisHi most i

the mportant contributi
road to th : | psych a particularly in
IE unconscious,” | ychology, was psychoanalysis na
j »a practice devised to treat
y

mSc
 (from Plato and Aristotle
The vast majority of European philosophers before Freud
Descartes) regarded human beings ag having an “essence” to which the
to Kant and
self/soul is ascribed. The “self” was an entity in itself characterized as the subject (the
and
focal point: the topic and doer of the action) of the physical and mental actions
experiences. 1 he notion is that the self is essence and subject points to the idea of an
entity that is unified, single, undivided, and unaffected by time
Freud, however, did not accept the existence of any single entity that could be put
groundbreaking
forwardas the notion of “self.” His work in the field of psychoanalysis was
else had
because it answered questions about the human psyche in a way that no one
mind, both conscious
before him. In psychology, the psyche is the totality of the human
and unconscious. (Watson, 2014),
In his earlier structural division of the psyche, Freud distinguished three levels of
consciousness:

1. Conscious, which deals with awareness of present perceptions, feelings,

thoughts, memories, and fantasies at any particular moment;
2. Pre-conscious/subconscious, which is related to data that can readily be
brought to consciousness; and
3. Unconscious, which refers to data retained but not easily available to the
-
individual's conscious awareness or scrutiny.

existence of the
Central to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory was the proposed
unconscious as:,
1. Arepository for traumatic repressed memories; and
or ethically unacceptable
9. The source of anxiety-provoking drives that is socially
Te a
to the individual.
PERCEIVED REALITY
Psychoanalytic Theory is a personality theory
d
based on the notion that an individual gets motivate
s and | He
by unseen forces, controlled by the consciou
exactly |r
the rational thought. Sigmund Freud did not Ps
ous r
create the notion of the conscious versus unconsci a
making it
mind, but he certainly was responsible for
ye]
4
ributions
popular, and this was one of his main cont | Unconscious
to psychology (McLeod, 2008).
ogy of
To explain his model, Freud used the anal
mind.
an iceberg to describe the three levels of the
i

: SEA OF
oP TaeyD ee
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 rts:
ps yc he / m i nd into three pa
ctured the ¢,
Freud furthe r stru
ci pl e. Every wishful impulse should be satig
re pr in
on the pleasu its dem, ‘‘d
1, Id. It operates co ns eq u ences. When the id achieves ds,
ess of the u experience “unpleasure”
i

immediately, reg ardl

. a“

ni ed , yo
it is de %
easure; whe n
you experience pl
tic way
tension.
lity pri nci ple . It works out. realis s
ac co rd in g to the rea ni ng sa ti sf ac ti oy of
Ego. It operat es
as
or postpo
2.
m an ds (o ft en comp romising to
s de
satisfying the id’ of society). The ego consi ders socia l realit ies and
consequences
avoid ne ga ti ve
in deciding how to beha
ve. If the ego fails to use th Q
e, an d rul es
norm 1s, etiquett and unconscious defense mechan;
is experience d,
aNistn,
in ci pl e, an xi et y
reality pr sant feelings.
em pl oy ed to help war d off unplea
a re iety. The supere TQ’
co rp orat es th e values and morals of soc
3. Supere go. It in
pul ses . It persuades the ego to choose morale Ic
ntro 1 the id’s im
function is to co realistic ones.
and to st ri ve for pe rfection rat her than simply
goals

of two systems:
The superego consists
gives in to the id’s demands,
1. Conscience. If the ego
rson feel bad through
the superego may make the pe
guilt.
picture of how you
2. Ideal self. It is an imag inary
how to
ought to be. It represents career aspirations;
member
treat other people; and how to behave as a
of society.
According to Freud’s structure of the mind, the ego and
i
£ i i i
Pp
. e

.d ; world as it operates
id, on the other hand, is unaffected by reality, logic, or the everyday
within the unconscious part of the-mind.

Gilbert Ryle |
Philoss per and professor, Gilbert Ryle produced 2
critique on Descartes’ idea that the mind is distinct from
the body. He wrote The Concept of Mind (1949) where he
rejected the notion that mental states are separable from
physical states. Ryle called the distinction between mind
and matter a “category-mistake” because of its attempt " |
analyze the relation between “mind” and “body” as if th?
two were terms of the same categories (Nath, 2013). |
| 1c, therefore IAm”
( Se ia ns

16
AMA Appoach Se lasting
Ths Sl» eS
Ocaimieu witth GaMSc
 Ryle’s points against Descartes
’ theory are:
» The relation between mind and body are not isolated processes
- Mental processes are intelligent acts, and are not distinct from each other.
The operation of the mind is itself an intelligent act.
According to Ryle, the rationalist view that mental acts are distinct from physical
acts and that there is a mental world distinct from the physical world is a misconception.
Ryle described this distinction between mind and body as “the dogma of the ghost in the
machine” where he explained there is no hidden entity or ghost called “soul” (also
understood as mind or self) inside a machine called “body” (Ryle, 1992). e

Ryle criticized the theory that the mind is a place where mental images are
apprehended, perceived, or remembered. He asserted that sensations, thoughts, and
feelings do not belong to a mental world separate from the physical world. Knowledge,
memory, imagination, and any other abilities or dispositions do not reside “within” the
mind as if the mind were a space in which these could be stored orlocated. =
If Ryle believed that the concept of a distinct “self” is not real, wherede we get our
sense of self? Ryle asserted that it is from our behaviors and actions. For example, you
think of yourself as a kind person because of your acts of kindness. In Ryle’s view, your
OOO

aE
actions define your own concept of “self” (who you are).
™—'.vO0 00

Paul Churchland
Philosopher and professor Paul Churchlandisknown for /
his studies in neurophilosophy and the philosophy of mind.
His philosophy stands on a materialistic view or the belief —
that nothing but matter exists. In other words, if something
can be seen, felt, heard, touched, or tasted, then it exists. ”

There is nothing beyond the sensoryexperience.. = - ¥.—

Thus, in Churchland’s view the immaterial, unchanging |

rienced by -
soul/self does not exist because it cannot be expe
the senses (1989).
Churchland insisted that the idea of a mind or soul is not
3
in consonance with the physical changes that have occurred
characteristics of the human species “The physical brain and
in the hereditary
Churchland’s NOT the imaginary
successive generations. Specifically,
sense
"idea is called,eliminative materialism or the claim that | mind gives us our
“Over

of self”
people’s common-sense underst anding of the mind (or folk
psychology) is false, and that certain classes of mental states
which most people believe in do not exist (Churchland,
1989: Baker, 1995).

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ions
condidititio
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ini
ur ch la nd po in te out that of his mi nd” because
To pro ve his point, Ch erson is “o ut
; t to be
tec hni cal ly wro n g to sa y th at
ai n $ ha pe , appears
depression, it is d even br
nd tha t bra in activity, ee ou t th at in a severe head
neuroscientists have fou i nted
Mo re over, t he po e mind were a
associated with severe
mood dis ord ers .
po in te d out that if th
He despite the
’s pers on al it y changes © ccur. s/her pe ysonality
injury, the vic tim re ta in ed hi
have a ed
ginnat
ori‘ci from th e
separate entity, then ictimtim
the vic s should of “self” roduced by the
b ain. Thus, Churchland asserted the sense 7
signals
i Is P
“self” i roduct of electrochemical
itself,Se aed that this
ne in vit
brain.
-_—™

Maurici e erie -Pon ty Maurice Merleau-Ponty was a philosopher and author,

the primary site of
knowing the
bo
thedy as
Emphasizin died
aoe Me rl ea u- Po n ty’s idea of “self” isan embo
rid, Mauric means to
vi ty . Th e te rm “e mb odied” is a verb that
subjecti e like a soul).
immaterial substanc
an
givea body to (usually subject
ty , in ph il os op hy , is the state of being a
Subjectivi s, such
— an entity that posses ses conscious experience
beliefs, and desires. Moreover,
as perspectives, feelings,
some other entity, which in
a subject acts upon or affects
A subject, therefore, is
philosophy is called the object.
, and can cause real
something that exists, can take action
“Physical body is an effects (on an object).
Merleau-Ponty rejected the Cartesian mind-body
| import partan the
of t
dualism and insisted. that the mirld_and body are
| : self”
y connected. By emphasizing the primacy of the
sicall—
intrin—_—
———
center
body in an-experience, he also veered away from the established notion that the
of consciousness is the mind (Thompson, 2004).
He asserted that human beings are embodied subjectivities, and that the
understanding of the “self” should begin from this fundamental fact. He added that
the body is not a mere “house” where the mind resides. Rather it is through the lived
experience of the body that you perceive; are informed; and interact with the world
(Varela, Thompson, & Rosch, 2017).
Merleau-Ponty argued that the body is part of the mind, and the mind is part of the
body; that although there could be a stand-alone mental faculty that percéives what the
senses experience, it needs the body to receive these experiences, act on its perceptions,
and communicate with the external world. According to Merleau-Ponty, the body acts
what the mind perceives as a unified one.
|

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 ( SUMMATIVE TEST»
Smet mt

tenets —<.

Name: . Date:

Cours‘se and Year: Score:

cre CA /

Sethe CNMI
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en tasty“your2 meno]
|, Identify what is being asked in each statement below. Write your answers before

He believed that the most important thing in life is the state

of an individual's soul.

He believed that human being is both a soul and body.

. He asserted that “self” does not exist; instead, he stressed

that perceptions are only active for as long as an individ
s ee

conscious.
f

He proposed the existence of the unconscious. y Z

He believed that there are three parts of the soul, namely,

appetitive, rational, and spirited. |

He claimed that human knowledge is derived from experience.

He believed that self is not in the body, and he stressed that

the body and its qualities are rooted to the self.

e it —
He viewed that the immaterial soul does not exist becaus
cannot be experienced by the senses.

own
He believed that an individual’s actions define his/her
concept of “self.” ts,
és +

He asserted that the soul is distinct from the body. ‘ae

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 oN
I].
Match the descriptions/concepts in Column Awl ith the Philosophe;,
/ the,
umn B, Options can be answered ONC E.

Column A
{
i di, He is known for his Theory of Forms.

>
A He claimed that the soul holds the Truth, Churchlang

Aw
which is capable of scientific thinking.
Descartes
He is famous for this phrase, “I Think,
Freud
Therefore I Am.”

mo
Hume
L. 4. He proposed that human mind at birth _
is a “tabula rasa.”
ae

com
He asserted . Locke
that rationalisis
OT

m the .
foundation of all knowledge.
. Merleau-Ponty
He proposed that knowledge
bridges the Plato
“self” and the material thin
gs together.
Ryle
ao

He practiced psychoanalysis in Socrates

answering questions
about the human
psyche. | d
8. He was known for this phrase, “] Act,
Therefore, J am.”

He was famous
forhisidea on
Eliminative
Materialism.

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