The Self: Philosophical

Perspectives

Prof. Frisian M. Cruz, RPm

Learning outcomes:
at the end of the discussion, the students are expected to:

1. Explain the role of philosophy in understanding the concept of the

self;
2. Discuss the different philosophical viewpoints about the self;
3. Analyze the relevance of various philosophical standpoints to one’s
sense of self.
Philosophy
“Philo” is a Greek word for “Love”
“Sophia” Greek word for “Wisdom”

• Love of Wisdom
• Philosophy is the “mother of all disciplines”
 Empiricism VS Rationalism
• The philosophy of the self has been defined through two distinct
approaches:
1. Empiricism- there is no such thing as innate knowledge; knowledge is
derived from experience.
2. Rationalism- there is innate knowledge.

* Some philosophers applied empirical views of the self; others used the
rational approach.
Socrates
• Socrates (470-399) was a classical Greek
philosopher and a pioneer in Western moral
philosophy.
• The first to believe that a person is composed of
body and soul (Dualistic)
• The soul strives for wisdom and perfection, and
reason is the soul’s tool to achieve an exalted state
of life.
• The goal of which was to “Know thyself”
• There should be a dialogue between the self and
the soul.
Socrates
• One should accept that he knows nothing, and he knows and accept
that he knows nothing as this leads to learning and discovering the
truth.

“An unexamined life is not worth living.”

Plato (424-347 BC)
• a classical Greek philosopher and
the founder of Academy in Athens,
the first Institution of higher
learning in the western world.
• An influential figure in western
philosophy and the founder of
western spirituality.
Plato
• The psyche or the mind is comprised of three elements:
1. The appetites which involve our pleasurable desires such as those
which provide us physical pleasure and physiological comfort.
2. The spirited which denotes the part within us that is agitated most of
the time. It is highly spirited and motivated to surpass and conquer
life challenges. It is the area within us that enjoys triumph, honor,
greatness and affirmation.
3. The mind is the conscious awareness which thinks, meditates,
weighs choices, and assesses situations in our lives. This side is
rational and logical as it chooses only the best for us.
Saint Augustine
• Saint Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430) was
Christian theologian and philosopher to have
greatly contributed to the progress of Western
Christianity through his writings specifically
The City of God, On Christian Doctrine and
Confessions.
• He pointed onto sin as the source of of human
unhappiness as it impairs human free will.
• The soul is united with the body so that man
may be entire and complete
Saint Augustine
• He reiterated that one transforms as he struggles in both body and soul
to ultimately achieve happiness specifically found in God’s love.
• The self is known only through knowing God.

“Understanding of the self and the formation of identity is achieved

through the process of ‘Introspection’ or ‘self-analysis’
René Descartes (1596-1650)
• Believed to be the father of modern-western
philosophy. He was a French scientific
thinker, mathematician and philosopher.
• He developed the Cartesian philosophy
which holds that mental acts determine
physical acts. Moreover, he reiterated on
the role of cognition as the active
acquisition of knowledge involving the
individual’s imagination, intellect,
perception as well as memory.
René Descartes
• He described the mind as the “intellectual substance” which possess a will.
• Descartes pointed onto the relationship between the mind and the body.
And from such insight begun his quest for true knowledge and stated his
very brilliant principle which state that “Cogito, ergo sum” which means
“I think, therefore I am.”
• This is method to assess oneself. This is his first theory of knowledge
which laid the foundation in his concept of self.
• For Descartes, being self-conscious is necessary to develop a personal
identity.
“The essence of your self make you a ‘thinking thing’ engaged in all
forms of mental operations determinant of being a human with a distinct
persona.”
 John Locke (1632-1704)
• A predominant thinker during the “Age of
Reason.”
• He is an English philosopher and physician.
• Considered the “Father of Liberalism” as
he had posited the ‘theory of mind’ which
is a breakthrough in the origin of modern
understanding of the concept of identity
and the self.
John Locke
• He developed the concept of ‘Tabula Rasa’ where he pointed that at
birth, the mind is a blank slate without innate ideas, and its experience
that provides us knowledge provided by sensory experiences and
reflections.
• John Locke stated that personal identity of the self is found in the
consciousness. He identified the brain as comprising the
consciousness which has one’s identity.
David Hume (1711-1776)
• A prime mover in western philosophy.
• He is a Scottish philosopher from
Edinburgh, known for his insights on the
psychological basis of human nature
where he posited that passion, rather
than reason governs human behavior.
David Hume
• He argued against the existence of innate ideas, positing that all human
knowledge is ultimately founded solely in experience.
• Hume reiterated that reason is only the slave of passion which implies
that logic and intellect is basically superseded by an individual’s
passion, drive, and motivation.
• He also perceived that experiences are derived from internal and
external stimulus, and they create impressions on the individual.
“the self and one’s mind is like a machine that can be turned on and
off as they are only active when one is conscious.”
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
• Was a neurologist from Austria.
• He established psychoanalysis, a school
of thought revolving around the role of
psychological conflicts within the
unconscious which is relevant in the
development of human behavior as well
as personality.
Sigmund Freud
• It was Freud who stated that there are
three components in the mind that
interact to produce the individual
persona. This concept is the structural
theory of personality involves the id,
ego, and superego which are largely
found in the unconscious.
• The conflict between these three
components gives rise to human
persona.
Sigmund Freud
• The id and the superego are in constant conflict brought about by
differences in their desire. As the id demands pleasure and
gratification of urges, the superego requires compliance to societal
norms.
• The conflict is resolved by the ego which is ‘the self’ by maintaining
the balance between these two structures of the mind.
• Freud considered the ego as the realistic area of one’s persona that
maintains the balance and harmony within the individual.
Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976)
• Born in Brighton, England.
• He was a British philosopher, a
behaviorist who coined the phrase “the
ghost in the machine.”
• Ryle believed that mental phenomena are
explained by observing public behavior.
Gilbert Ryle
• In his book ”The Concept of the Mind,” he explained how the mental
states are inseparable from the physical states. Ryle focused on
observable behavior in defining the self. He stated that every human
being has both a physical body and a non-physical mind which are
ordinarily “harnessed together” while we are alive.

“A person therefore lives through two collateral histories, one

consisting of what happens in and to his body, and other consisting of
what happens in and to his mind. The first is public, the second is
private.”
Paul Montgomery Churchland
(1942)
• From Vancouver, Canada. He is a modern-day
philosopher whose studies greatly focuses on
the workings of the brain.
• He argued that nothing but matter exists’
which is also known materialism
• Paul hypothesized that the human
consciousness can be explained through the
neutral networks communicating through its
hub in the brain which is the thalamus
Paul Montgomery Churchland
• As we begin to use empirical evidence to describe how our brains and
bodies function we learn to determine how we feel and how certain
situation affects us.
• Churchland believes that many are unaware of the appropriate terms to
determine the exact emotions and sentiment that they are undertaking.
Hence, this leads to confusion as to how we understand ourselves.
Activity: Try to identify whether the following philosophers
are either Empiricist or Rationalist. Explain why.

1. Socrates
2. Plato
3. St. Augustine
4. Rene’ Descartes
5. John Locke
6. David Hume
7. Sigmund Freud
8. Gilbert Ryle
9. Paul Montgomery Churchland
Reference:
Cruz, E., Lauigan, M., Magalona, E. & Sadsad, E. (2018).
Understanding the self: developing life skills. Mindshapers Co, Inc.
Intramuros, Manila.