UNDERSTANDNG

THE SELF
Part 2
• Part 2. The Self from various
Persperctives
A.Philosophy ( Socrates, Plato, Aristotle,
Augustine, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant,
Freud, Ryle, Churchland and Merleau-
Ponty) – all try to answer the question
“Who are you?”
 Philosophy has been called the mother of all
disciplines simply because all fields of studfy began
as philo”l discourses.
The self has been defined as a “unified being,
essentially connected to consciousness,
awareness…
Different philosophers introduced specific
characteristics and meanings of the self, which over
time, transformed from pure abstractions to
explanations that hold scientific proofs.
• The ancient philosophy of the self can be
traced from one of the 147 Greek aphorisms
prominently in the temple of Apollo at Delphi-
know thyself.
• It was Plato, Socrates prized student, who
thoroughly expounded on Socrates ideas of
the self. Platos’s conceptualization of the self
was profoundly introduced in his dialogue,
Phaedrus which has been popular text for
many decades in the subject of philosophy.
 The main idea in this dialogue is that
the truth can be distinguished in 2
forms: the metaphysical realm (mind)
and the physical world (body).
• Plato suggested that the self is fundamentally
an intellectual entity whose nature exists
independent from the physical world.
• Plato’s idea of truth about the human self was
even more expounded and formalized by his
prized student, Aristotle.
• While Plato emphasized the separation of the
ideal and phenomenal existence or being,
Aristotle suggested that the ideal is subsumed
in the phenomena which refers to the
manifestation of the ideal.
While Plato emphasized the separation
of the ideal and phenomenal existence
or being, Aristotle suggested that the
ideal is subsumed in the phenomena.
• Aristotle called the ideal as essence and the
phenomena as matter.
• The philosophy of t he self has been defined
through 2 distinct lens: empiricism and
rationalism.
• In empiricism – there is no such thing as
innate knowledge, instead, knowledge is
derived from experience-either perceived with
the 5 senses or processed it through and
bodily responses.
• Rationalism – argues that there is innate
• knowledge, however, there are different
sources of innate knowledge.
• Rationalism explains self from the standpoint
of what is “ideal” and “true” and not rooted in
what is felt by the senses of body.
• Conclusions are derived through logic and
reasoning.
 ORIENTAT PHILOSOPHY DESCRIPTION
PHILOSOPH ION
ER
SOCRATES Idalism Socratic • Knowledge is the personification of
Philosophy good while ignorance is that of evil.
• Self-knowledge is the ultimate virtue-it
will lead to ultimate happiness.

PLATO Idealism Dualism and • Moral virtue is rooted in the intellect

Idealism and leads to happiness.
• Wisdom and knowledge lead to virtue
which will lead to happiness.
ARISTOTLE Empiricist Aristotelian • Ideal is found inside the phenomena
Philosophy and the universals inside the
particulars.
• Ideals are ESSENCE and Phenomena is
MATTER.
• Matter has no form. Essence has no
mass.
• Matter and Essence need each other.
AUGUSTINE Platonism Neoplatonis • All knowledge leads to God.
m • Only the pure in heart can see God.
• Love of God, faith in Him, and
understanding of his Gospel will
ultimately lead to happiness.

RENE Rationalis Mind-Body • “I think, therefore. I am”

DESCARTES t Dualism • The mind and soul can exist without the
body.
• Establishing a distinction of souls from
the body can make people believe in the
afterlife and soul’s immortality.

JOHN LOCKE Empiricist Theory of • It is the consciousness alone that identity

Personal exists, not in the body and soul.
Identity • There is a distinction between man and
person.
• The soul may change, but consciousness
remain intact.
DAVID Empiricist Skptical • All knowledge passes through the senses.
HUME Philosophy • Separate ideas can be joined in the mind.

IMMANUEL Empiricist Metaphysics • Reason is the final authority of morality.

KANT of the Self • There is inner self and other self.
• The inner self includes rational reasoning
and psychological state.
• The outer self includes the body and
physical mind where representation
occurs.
GILBERT Empiricist The concept • “I act, therefore, I am:.
RYLE of the Mind • The mind is not the seat of self. It is
separate, parallel thing to our body.
PATRICIA Empricist Neurophilos • A fully matured neuroscience will
CHURCH ophy eliminate the need for beliefs since “they
LAND are not real”.
• The physical brain gives us sense of self.
MAURICE Existential Phenome • Both empiricism and intellectualism are
MERLEAU- ist/Empiri nology of flawed in nature.
PONTY cist Perception • “We are our bodies”.