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LESSON 2

WHAT PHILOSOPHY SAYS ABOUT SELF

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the of this lesson you are expected to;

1. Discuss the different philosophical standpoints about self;

2. Discuss the conceptualization and representation of the self from various disciplines and
perspective.

PHILOSOPHY OF THE SELF

Philosophy is often called the mother of all disciplines simply because all fields of study
began as philosophical discourses. Ancient philosophers attempted to explain natural and social
phenomena, coming up with their own definitions on how the world works and what factors
contribute to such phenomena. Thus, it was inevitable to come up with various conceptions of
what it means to be human and in so doing the different definitions of the self.
SELF- is defined as “a unified being, essentially connected to consciousness, awareness, and
agency (or at least, with the faculty of rational choice.)
Different philosophers introduced specific characteristics and meanings of the self, which
over time transformed from pure abstractions to explanations that hold scientific proofs.

SOCRATES: KNOW YOURSELF

Socrates to principally concern with man. He considers man from the point of view of his
inner life. The famous line of Socrates “Know yourself” tells each man to bring his inner self to
light. A bad man is not virtuous through ignorance, the man who does not follow the good fails
to do so because he does not recognize it.
The core of Socratic ethics is the concept of virtue and Knowledge. Virtue is the deepest
and most basic propensity of man knowing one’s own virtue is innate in the mind and self-
knowledge is the source of all wisdom, an individual may gain possession of oneself and the one’s
own master through knowledge.
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Page

Course: Understanding the Self www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph

Instructor: Leah Santa M. Detera
E-mail: leahsantadetera2019@gmail.com
 COMPUTER COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
Learning Management System

PLATO: THE IDEAL SELF AND THE PERFECT SELF

According to Plato, man was omniscient or all-knowing before he came to be born into this
world. With his separation from the paradise of truth and knowledge and his long exile on earth,
he forgot most of the knowledge he had. However, by constant remembering through
contemplation and doing good, he can regain his former perfections.
Man who is now an exile on earth have a guiding star, a model, or a divine exemplar which
he must follow to reach and attain his destiny. In practical terms this means that man in this life
should imitate his former self more specifically, he should live a life of virtue in which true human
perfection exists. Happiness, which is the fruit of virtue, is attained by the constant imitation of the
divine exemplar of virtue, embodied in man’s former perfect self.

IMMANUEL KANT: RESPECT FOR SELF

Man is the only creature who governs and directs himself and his actions, who sets up
ends for himself and his purpose. And who freely orders means for the attainment of his aims.
Every man is thus an end in himself and should never treated merely as a means as per the order
of the Creator and the natural order of things. This rule is plain dictum of reason and justice:
Respect others as you would respect yourself. A person should not be used as a tool, instrument,
or device or so accomplish another’s private ends. Thus all men are persons gifted with the same
basic rights and should treat other as equal.

RENE DESCARTES “I THINK, THEREFORE I AM”

States that the Self is thinking entity distinct from the body. His first famous principle was
“ Coglito, ergo sum” which means “ I think, therefore I am”. Although the mind and the body are
independent from each other and serve their own functions, man must use his own mind and
thinking abilities to investigate, analyze, experiment and develop himself.
JOHN LOCKE: PERSONAL IDENTITY
Personal Identity (the Self) is a matter of psychological continuity, For him, personal
identity is founded on consciousness (memory), and not on the substance of either the soul or
body.
Personal Identity is the concept about oneself that evolves over the course of an
individual’s life. It may include aspects of life that man has no control over, such as where he grew
up or the color or his skin, as well as the choices he makes, like how he spends his time and what
HE BELIEVES.
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Course: Understanding the Self www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph

Instructor: Leah Santa M. Detera
E-mail: leahsantadetera2019@gmail.com
 COMPUTER COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
Learning Management System

DAVID HUME: THE SELF IS THE BUNDLE THEORY OF MIND

Hume is skeptical about the existence of the self, specifically, on whether there is a simple,
unified self that exists over time. For him, man has no “clear and intelligible” idea of the self. He
posits that no single impression of the self exists; rather the self is just the thing to which all
perceptions of a man is ascribed. Moreover, even if there were such an impression of the self, it
would have to remain to constant over time to constitute identity. However, man’s impression vary
and always change, Even attempts to have impressions of the self must fail for all these attempts
are really just occasions for one to notice perceptions. Put simply, a person can never observe
oneself without some other perception. Thus Hume asserts that what we call the “self” is really
just a “bundle or collection of different perceptions which succeed each other with an
inconceivable rapidity.
THE CHRISTIAN OR BIBLICAL VIEW OF SELF
The Holy Bible
“God created man in his image in the divine image He created him; male and female He
created them, saying “Be fertile and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Have domination over
the fish of the sea, the birds in the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.”
Genesis 1:34-28
According to the holy Writ, man, following his redemption by the savior from eternal
bondage, now shares in the infinite merits of his Redeemer and has become not only the inheritor
of the new earth but also the heir of heavenly kingdom. Thus, it is appropriate to think the “self”
as the multi bejeweled crown of creation the many gems thereof representing and radiating the
glorious facets of man’s self that include the physical, intellectual, moral, religious and social
aspects.

ST. AGUSTINE: LOVE AND JUSTICE AS THE FOUNDATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SELF.
St. Augustine believes that a virtuous life is a dynamism of love. It is a constant following
of and turning towards love while a wicked life is a constant turning away from love. Loving God
means loving one’s fellowmen; and loving one’s fellowmen denotes never doing harm to another
or as the golden principle of justice estates, doing unto others as you would have them do unto
you.
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Page

Course: Understanding the Self www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph

Instructor: Leah Santa M. Detera
E-mail: leahsantadetera2019@gmail.com
 COMPUTER COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
Learning Management System

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL VIEW OF SELF

Sigmund Freud: The psychoanalytic Theory of Self
Freud’s asserts that the human psyche (personality) is structured into three parts
(tripartite). These structures – the Id, ego, and super ego- all develop at different stages in
person’s life. These three structures are systems and not physical parts of the brains. Although
each part comprises unique features and contributes to an individual’s behavior, they interact to
form a whole.
PARTS OF PERSONALITY
1. Id (internal desires) also called internal drives or instinctive drivers, it consist of the body
primitive biological drives and urges which concerned only with achieving pleasure and
self-satisfaction. Id lives completely on the unconscious.

2. Ego (reality) It is the “I” part of the individual that gives him/ her the sense of his/her own
identity. The ego is the rational part of the personality.

3. Superego (conscience) it is the part of the personality concerned with moral, precepts,
standards and ideas. The superego is also the critical faculty of the personality.

Freud's theory provides one conceptualization of how personality is structured and how the
elements of personality function. In Freud's view, a balance in the dynamic interaction of the
id, ego, and superego is necessary for a healthy personality. While the ego has a tough job to do,
it does not have to act alone.

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Page

Course: Understanding the Self www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph

Instructor: Leah Santa M. Detera
E-mail: leahsantadetera2019@gmail.com
 COMPUTER COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
Learning Management System

Erik Erikson: The Psychosocial Stages of Self – Development

States that personality develops in a predetermined order through eight stages of
psychosocial development, from infancy to adulthood. During each stage, the person experiences
a psychosocial crisis which could have a positive or negative outcome for personality
development. For Erikson (1958, 1963), these crises are of a psychosocial nature because they
involve psychological needs of the individual (i.e., psycho) conflicting with the needs of society
(i.e., social).

According to the theory, successful completion of each stage results in a healthy

personality and the acquisition of basic virtues. Basic virtues are characteristic strengths
which the ego can use to resolve subsequent crises.
Failure to successfully complete a stage can result in a reduced ability to complete
further stages and therefore a more unhealthy personality and sense of self. These
stages, however, can be resolved successfully at a later time.

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Page

Course: Understanding the Self www.ccdisorsogon.edu.ph

Instructor: Leah Santa M. Detera
E-mail: leahsantadetera2019@gmail.com