Philosophy of Self

THE PHILOSOPHY OF SELF REFERS TO THE CONDITIONS OF IDENTITY THAT

MAKE THE INDIVIDUAL DISTINCT FROM ALL OTHERS. IDENTITY MEANS THE
QUALITIES, CHARACTERISTICS, BELIEFS ETC. THAT MAKES A PERSON OR
GROUP UNIQUE FROM ONE ANOTHER.

THE CONCEPT OF SELF MAY BE EXAMINED IN FIVE WAYS:

1. SELF- KNOWLEDGE
2. SELF- ACTIVITY
3. SELF- INDEPENDENT
4. SELF- IDENTITY
5. SELF- IMAGE

EASTERN PHILOSOPHY OF SELF

• HINDU INDIGENOUS BELIEVE THAT THE SELF IS MADE UP OF

TWO ASPECTS:
1. "ATMAN" (SELF-SOUL) IS A SECULAR WORD WHICH MEANS
"ESSENCE, BREATH OR SOUL." ATMAN MEANS "REAL SELF" OF
THE INDIVIDUAL, THE INNERMOST ESSENCE AND SOUL OF THE
PERSON.
2. "BRAHMAN"- UNIVERSAL SOUL

BUDDHA'S TEACHING OF SELF IS TO UNDERSTAND THE

NATURE OF SELF WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF FIVE
AGGREGATES OF EXISTENCE KNOWN AS THE "FIVE SKANDHAS
OR THE FIVE HEAPS”:
1. FORM
2. SENSATION
3. PERCEPTION
4. MENTAL FORMATION
5. CONSCIOUSNESS.

• CONFUCIANISM
Created by Confucius
More about Collectivism

VIRTUES IN CONFUCIANISM
1. JEN- HEART OF COMPASSION
2. YI- HEART OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
3. LI- HEART OF PROPRIETY
4. CHIH- HEART OF WISDOM

WESTERN PHILOSOPHY OF THE SELF

More on INDIVIDUALISM

• SOCRATES :
FIRST MORAL PHILOSOPHER
"KNOW THYSELF"

• THIS KNOWLEDGE OF ONESELF CAN BE ACHIEVED ONLY

THROUGH THE SOCRATIC METHOD THROUGH THE DIALOGUE
BETWEEN THE SOUL AND ITSELF.
• WITHOUT THIS WORK ON ONESELF, LIFE IS WORTHLESS
ACCORDING TO SOCRATES.

ARISTOTLE:
FATHER OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY
• THE SELF IS MADE UP OF THE SOUL
• ARISTOTLE, IN HIS TREATISE ON THE SOUL (PERI PSYCHE),
POSITS THREE KINDS OF SOUL ("PSYCHES"): THE VEGETATIVE
SOUL, THE SENSITIVE SOUL, AND THE RATIONAL SOUL.
• HUMANS HAVE A RATIONAL SOUL BUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE EGYPTIANS, HE PLACED THE RATIONAL SOUL IN THE HEART,
RATHER THAN THE BRAIN.

RENE DESCARTES:
• TO HIM THE "SELF" IS A THINKING PERSON.
• IN HIS WRITING "COGITO ERGO SUM" (I THINK THEREFORE; I
AM") HE STRESSED THAT THE MIND IS A SUBSTANCE WITHIN THE
BRAIN CAPABLE OF THINKING (AFFIRMING, DOUBTING, JUDGING
ETC.)

DAVID HUME:
• THE SELF IS NOTHING MORE THAN THE MENTAL PERCEPTIONS
• ALL PERCEPTIONS OF THE MIND IS DIVIDED IN TWO DISTINCT
KINDS, THE "IMPRESSION" AND "IDEAS." IMPRESSIONS ARE THE
ORIGINAL FORM OF ALL OUR IDEAS.
• THE MIND IS SIMPLY A BONDED OF PERCEPTIONS AND
EXPERIENCES LINKED BY THE RELATIONS OF CAUSATIONS AND
RESEMBLANCE.