Activity – Concept Check

Choose 5 philosophers and complete the table format below. You can present your work as
graded recitation next week.

Socrates (Greek)

Plato (Greek)

St. Augustine (Numidia)

Rene Descartes (French)

John Locke (English)

David Hume (Scott)

Immanuel Kant (German)

Sigmund Freud (Prussian)

Gilbert Ryle (British)

Paul Churchland (Canadian)

Maurice Merleau-Ponty (French)

Philosopher 5 facts about Summary on the Concept of “Self” Your own created "Self
him/her Concept" based on his/her
philosophy
- René Descartes René Descartes was a well-known The act of questioning itself
Early life and philosopher who popularized the confirms my existence—"Cogito,
Education. idea of the self with his well-known ergo sum"—I think, therefore I
- He Wrote the statement, "Cogito, ergo sum" (I am. I discover my true self in the
Discourse on Method think, therefore I am). He put up a mental sphere, where the
dualism theory that made a boundaries of the material
- He Constructed a
Rene Descartes distinction between the body and world do not apply.
Metaphysics in
(French) the mind. Descartes placed great
Meditations on First
emphasis on the need of distinct and Doubt and skepticism are my
Philosophy
unclouded vision for self- partners as Rhose Descartes,
- He Is the Author of understanding that is based on the leading me to a more profound
“I Think, Therefore I presence of God. He argued for the comprehension. The strength of
Am” unity of the ego despite this dualism, my own consciousness defines
-René Descartes Was with close interaction between the me, not any outside forces. My
Controversial intellect and body. Descartes identity is defined by my quest
(Sometimes) focused on the significance of for knowledge and truth as I use
consciousness and rationality in reason and reflection to
characterizing human life in his negotiate life's complexity.
investigation of the self, which
 sought to lay a solid foundation for
knowledge.
I embrace uncertainty as a
catalyst for growth, delving into
the depths of philosophical
inquiry to uncover the
fundamental truths of reality.
My self-concept is dynamic,
evolving through reflection and
intellectual exploration.

I am Rhose —a seeker of
wisdom, navigating the
complexities of existence with
courage and curiosity."
-principally known
for his critique Cartesian dualism is criticized by The Embodied Self: Continuous
of Cartesian dualism Gilbert Ryle, who rejects the idea Development Guided by Ryle's
of an immaterial, distinct mind or Philosophy
-ghost in the
self. He challenges the notion of
machine I reject Cartesian dualism and
a "ghost in the machine," putting consider myself to be an
- He was a out an alternative theory in integrated entity with a mind-
representative of the which cultural conventions and body connection. Motivated by
generation of behavioral patterns serve as the Ryle, I welcome life's intricacies
British ordinary basis for the self's emergence as and handle them with inquiry
language a distinct entity. Ryle highlights and flexibility. Being socially
philosophers who the significance of language and integrated, I cherish
Gilbert Ryle shared Ludwig established habits in molding our relationships that influence how
(British) Wittgenstein's I see the world and how I am
conception of who we are.
approach to changing as a person.
philosophical
problems

- Ryle was known for

his use of
"conceptual
cartoons" to
illustrate his
philosophical ideas

-concept mind

David Hume -was a prominent Empiricism's David Hume My perspective of the self idea
(Scott) empiricist maintained that all knowledge emphasizes its fluidity and
philosopher, comes from sensory experience. In connectivity with our
emphasizing sensory his ground-breaking book "A Treatise perceptions and experiences,
experience in of Human Nature," he examined drawing inspiration from David
understanding. perception, causality, and morality, Hume's philosophy. According
among other aspects of human to this perspective, the self is a
It seems like you're cognition. Inductive reasoning was dynamic, ever-evolving
asking for a brief put questionable by Hume's criticism construct that is continuously
summary or of the rational defense of the molded by our encounters with
encapsulation of uniformity of nature thesis. He the outside world rather than a
each of the five facts profoundly influenced ethical theory static idea. The self is similar to
about David Hume. by arguing that moral judgments are a group of perceptions, feelings,
Here they are: grounded in sentiment rather than memories, and experiences
 pure reason. In addition, Hume's bound together by the threads
- His major work, "A interests went far beyond of association, as suggested by
Treatise of Human philosophy; his writings on history, Hume's bundle theory. There is
Nature," explored politics, economics, and religion are no fundamental essence or
perception, clear in his essays and "The History substance to our sense of self;
causation, and of England." rather, it is derived from the
morality. constant stream of these
experiences. Rather of chasing a
-He famously single, stable self, we accept the
critiqued the rational diversity of who we are and
justification for belief acknowledge that the tides of
in the uniformity of life's varied experiences mold
nature, known as the our identities. In the same way
problem of that Hume's philosophy
induction. provokes doubt about the
existence of a substantial self,
- He proposed that my view promotes a closer
moral judgments examination of our own
stem from sentiment identities, recognizing their
rather than pure complexity and the significant
reason, influencing impact of our subjective
subsequent ethicists. experiences.

-he wrote
extensively on
history, politics,
economics, and
religion, notably in
his essays and "The
History of England."

-Freud's death may Sigmund Freud broke with
have been physician- conventional wisdom when he
assisted suicide proposed a model of the self that
included the id, ego, and superego—
three interconnected parts. The ego
-His chain smoking
acts as a reasonable mediator
led to more than 30
between these impulses and the
cancer surgeries
outside world, whereas the id
represents primordial instincts
-Freud once thought seeking quick pleasure.
cocaine was a Concurrently, the superego functions
Sigmund Freud miracle drug as the conscience by embodying
(Prussian) moral principles and cultural norms.
The dynamic tension between these
-He turned down components, which shapes human
$100,000 from a behavior and personality, is
Hollywood mogul highlighted by Freud's approach.
Furthermore, he emphasizes how
-“The Interpretation unconscious processes impact the
of Dreams” was self, adding to our understanding of
initially a commercial human psychology in a more
failure. complex way.
My conceptualization of the self,
which is based on Sigmund
Freud's philosophy, consists of
three interconnected facets: the
rational facet, which serves as a
mediator between instinct and
reality by using reason to
navigate the outside world and
find socially acceptable ways to
fulfill desires; the instinctual
core, which represents primal
desires and fears driven by
biological needs; and the moral
compass, which is shaped by
societal norms and personal
ethics and serves to guide our
sense of right and wrong and
motivates adherence to moral
principles. These factors work
together in a dynamic way to
shape identities, motives, and
behaviors while recognizing the
conflict between morality and
primal instincts.
 Merleau-Ponty's conception of the
-Merleau-Ponty was self is firmly based on "The Embodied Relational Self":
a French existential phenomenology and emphasizes This idea, which draws
phenomenologist how inseparable the self is from the inspiration from the philosophy
known for environment it lives in. He suggests of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, sees
emphasizing an embodied person that is deeply the self as an embodied being
perception and the entwined with its surroundings in that is inextricably linked to its
embodied nature of place of the Cartesian dualism that surroundings. It understands
human experience. divides thought and body. Merleau- identity as connected and
Ponty contends that the self is not a flexible, rejecting the idea of a
- His famous work static object but rather a product of distinct, isolated person. The
"Phenomenology of continual interactions with the self develops by continual
Perception" rejected outside environment, continually contacts with the outside
Cartesian dualism in changing as a result of perceptual environment, which are
favor of experiences. Since our sense of continuously molded by bodily
understanding selfhood is mostly derived from our exchanges and perceptual
perception as interactions with the outside world experiences. The self is not an
inherently linked to and our bodily experiences, isolated entity; rather, it is
the body. perception is essential to the deeply entwined with its
formation of the self. This viewpoint environment, and perception is
Maurice
- Influenced by emphasizes how the self is relational the main means by which it
Merleau-Ponty
Husserl and and dynamic, constantly changing as interacts with and comprehends
(French)
Heidegger, he a result of interactions with the the outside world. This
emphasized the role outside environment. viewpoint highlights the ongoing
of lived experience in process of self-formation
cognition. through physical contact with
the world, emphasizing the
- Politically active, he dynamic and reciprocal link
initially associated between the self and its
with the French environment.
Communist Party but
later distanced
himself due to
disagreements over
Soviet policies.

- His ideas on
embodied cognition
continue to influence
various fields,
including philosophy,
psychology,
sociology, and
cognitive science.