UNDERSTAN

the

Self
DING
philosophical
view Of the

Self
PHILOSOPHERS TO BE DISCUSSED
 Rene Descartes
BORN ON MARCH 31, 1596
IN LA HAYE EN TOURAINE, FRANCE

EXTENSIVELY EDUCATED AT
A JESUIT COLLEGE AT 8, EARNED A LAW
DEGREE AT 22

FRENCH PHILOSOPHER,
MATHEMATICIAN AND A SCIENTIST

DIED ON FEBRUARY 11, 1650

IN STOCKHOLM, DUE TO PNUEMONIA

PERSONAL BACKGROUND
 AN INFLUENTIAL TEACHER
TEACHER SET HIM ON A COURSE TO APPLY MATHEMATICS AND LOGIC TO
UNDERSTANDING THE NATURAL WORLD. THIS APPROACH INCORPORATED
THE CONTEMPLATION OF THE NATURE OF EXISTENCE AND OF KNOWLEDGE
ITSELF, HENCE HIS MOST FAMOUS OBSERVATION;

“ THINK;
THEREFORE I
AM.
”
PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF RENE DESCARTES
 Body is nothing
conceived else but a machine
that is attached to the
of the human mind. The human
person as person has it, but it is
having a body not what makes man
a man. If at all, that is
and a mind. But what then, am I?
the mind.
A thinking thing. It has
been said. But what is a
thinking thing? It is a
The fact the one thing that doubts, Self is also a
thinks should lead understands (conceives), combination of two
one to conclude affirms, denies, wills, distinct entities: the
without a trace of refuses; that imagines cogito, the thing that
doubt that he also, and perceives. thinks which is the mind,
exists. and the extenza or the
extension of the mind
which is the body.

PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF RENE DESCARTES

PHILOSOPHERS TO BE DISCUSSED
 John Locke
BORN ON AUGUST 29, 1632
AT WRINGTON, SOMERSET, ENGLAND

WENT TO WESTMINISTER
SCHOOL IN LONDON, STUDIED MEDICINE IN
OXFORD UNIVERSITY

FATHER OF LIBERALISM
ENGLISH PHILOSOPHER AND DOCTOR

DIED ON OCTOBER 28, 1704

AGED 72, IN OATES, ENGLAND

PERSONAL BACKGROUND
 Principle of Individuality
the idea that Locke believed
a person keeps our identity was tied
the same identity to
over time our consciousness
Locke or memory. Our
distinguished memory give us our
Objections
3 terms: identity.
a. Memory-loss
1. Substance
b. Punishing
2. Man
3. Person
the drunkard

PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF JOHN LOCKE

 THE
HUMAN Tabula
rasa
the idea that
MIND
a person keeps
the same identity
AS Atime
over

LOCKE
JOHN ARGUED
LOCKE IN HISTHAT
ESSAYPEOPLE ACQUIRE
CONCERNING KNOWLEDGE
HUMAN FROM THE
UNDERSTANDING RESTATED THE
IMPORTANCE
INFORMATIONOF THE EXPERIENCE
ABOUT OF THEINTHE
THE OBJECTS SENSES OVER SPECULATION
WORLD AND SETS
THAT OUR SENSES
OUT THE CASE
BRING. THATBEGIN
PEOPLE THE HUMAN
WITH MIND
SIMPLEAT BIRTH
IDEASISAND
A COMPLETE, BUT RECEPTIVE,
THEN COMBINE THEMINTO
BLANK
MORESLATE ( SCRAPED
COMPLEX ONES.TABLET OR TABULA RASA ) UPON WHICH EXPERIENCE
IMPRINTS KNOWLEDGE.

PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF JOHN LOCKE

PHILOSOPHERS TO BE DISCUSSED
 David Hume
BORN ON MAY 7, 1711
AT EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM
ENTERED EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY
WHEN HE WAS 12 YEARS OLD, STUDIED LAW BUT FOUND IT
DISTASTEFUL, ATTENDED JESUIT COLLEGE

SCOTTISH PHILOSOPHER
HISTORIAN, ECONOMIST AND ESSAYIST

DIED ON AUGUST 25, 1776

IN EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM

PERSONAL BACKGROUND
 Hume’s Concept of Self
All ideas are The self is
derived from nothing but There is no permanent
self because impressions
impressions so a bundle of of things are based from
as the idea of impressions our experiences where
the self and ideas we can create our ideas
and knowledge. Thus, it
may improve or totally be
replaced.
THERE IS Concludes
that the idea
NO MIND of the self is
OR SELF. simply a
fiction

PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF DAVID HUME

 ACCORDING TO BUNDLE THEORY
HENCE, THERE CANNOT BE AN OBJECT WITHOUT PROPERTIES NOR CAN ONE
EVEN CONCEIVE OF SUCH AN OBJECT. FOR EXAMPLE, A BALL IS REALLY A
COLLECTION OF THE PROPERTIES GREEN (COLOR), 50CM IN DIAMETER (SIZE),
5KG (WEIGHT), ETC. BEYOND THOSE PROPERTIES, THERE IS NO "BALL."

IN PARTICULAR, THERE IS NO SUBSTANCE

IN WHICH THE PROPERTIES IN HERE.

ACCORDING TO DAVID HUME

THE IDEA OF AN ENDURING SELF IS AN ILLUSION

BUNDLE THEORY OF DAVID HUME

 A PERSON IS SIMPLE A COLLECTION
OF MENTAL STATES AT A PARTICULAR TIME; THERE IS NO
SEPARATE SUBJECT OF THESE MENTAL STATES OVER AND
ABOVE THE STATES THEMSELVES.

WHEN THE STATE SUBSIDES, THIS THEORY

IMPLIES, AND ARE REPLACED WITH OTHER STATES, SO TOO
THE PERSON SUBSIDES
AND IS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER.

BUNDLE THEORY OF DAVID HUME

philosophical
view Of the

Self