Lesson 1 | PHILOSOPHY Motivational Activity: “Who Am I?” On January 12 of 2020, Taal Volcano situated in Tagaytay, Philippines began erupting forcing several families to evacuate. Taal is the second most active volcano in thePhilippines islands which is situated at several tectonic plates. If eruption will intensify, it is capable of producing deadliest volcanic hazards - tsunamis, mudflows, and superheated flows of gas and debris. You and your family live in Tagaytay. The government issued an Alert 4 level forcing residents to leave the place immediately. At the same time, you are required to fill up an Information Sheet for profiling and monitoring purposes. (Source: Scientific American 175, Natural Disasters, January 14, 2020) © activity t: [Name Sex ()Nale_() Female Others: Religion Gitizenshi Civil Status Tribal Affiliation: Date of Birth Place of Birth: ‘Address Highest _ Educational Attainment | ‘Occupation Employer/Address [Contact No. Body marks If married Name of Spouse: ‘Occupation: No. of children. No. of people in the house: Name of father Name of mother Siblings (specify) INFORMATION SHEET (please specify) Email Address: EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND Nursery/Address | Kinder/Address | GECC 108- Understanding the Self =Module I-[ Elementary/Address n school/Address _ Senior High School/ Address [College/Address ‘Vocational School | Eligibitities Skills | Hobbies/inter ith Issues | | Fears Tf Problem/s at present | In case of Name: emergency, whom to | Address: contact Contact Details: Processing Questions: 1. How did you feel about the activity? 2. Was it difficult to fill up the form? Why? 3. What are your reflections about yourself? 4, What are your realizations about the activity? Reflections to Ponder: 1, Relevance of information about the self 2. Preparedness during a crisis - calamity 3. Value of life PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS OF THE SELF: The etymology of the word PHILOSOPHY is a two-Greek words, PHILOS which means “LOVE” and SOPHIA which means “WISDOM” translated to “love of knowledge” likely instituted by Pythagoras (c. 570- 495 BCE). In other words, Philosophy deals with the rationality employed by individuals in learning. Aristotle for instance, an Ancient Greek philosopher from the nineteenth century tried to explore and understand the rationality employed in understanding and learning things. He looked into regular reasoning in discovering and learning. Aristotle introduced stargazing, pharmaceutical, and material science. Newton's 1687 Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy named a book of material science. In the nineteenth century, the development of current research, methods of inquiry has evolved. Thus, various approaches to inquiry by different colleges drove scholarly rationality and different orders to professionalize and practice the continuous search for learning. In the cutting edge period, a few examinations that were customarily part of logic wound up particular scholarly approaches including brain science, humanism, phonetics, and financial matters. The question on, “Who Am 2”, continuously baffled and challenged philosophers to answer. The Self becomes a subject of scholarly studies GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module |-among philosophers who made impact on our lives and influenced the way we view human life. Who are these philosophers who contributed in the understanding the self? Let us study them one by one and find out their perspectives about individuality. SOCRATES (469-399 BC Philosophy on Understanding the Self: The goal of life is to "Know Thyself” and improve the self through virtuous living and pursue of goodness. The key to self- discovery is meditation. Know the self means a person who can think, reflect and know what is right. The central concern of philosophy is the psyche, the “true self” or “soul” being the core identity, the unique spirit that makes one distinct. This is the authentic personality, the distinctive character. The soul is the source of deepest thoughts and highest aspirations, the unique life force that shapes and defines itself through choices made on a daily basis. The soul is “immortal and imperishable, and after death should continue to exist in another world.” Thus, every soul seeks happiness. Only through the pursuit of goodness that one can bring happiness. The Law of Karma is very strong. The formation of a person’s thinking and character is typically the result of many influences throughout their lives. Core Life Teachings: . “The unexamined life is not worth living”. . “The truth lies within each of us”. . “We should strive in excellence in all areas of life”. |. “No one knowing does evil”. . “It is better to suffer wickedness than to commit it”. wawno Place of Origin: ATHENS, GREECE Significant Experiences: * Philosophical Career - His pursuit of wisdom which became his full time job for the rest of his life because of his fascination with intellectual conversation (parties, going to Agora marketplace). * Pelodonnesian War - He became a soldier influencing students towards his teachings, challenged the government which leads to fighting for democracy and questioning tyranny. GECC 108- Understanding the Self “HoduleSocrates’ Trial - He became more popular among Philosophers when he was indicted to be polluting the minds of Greek students. His defense ‘on reason put him to death, yet he was able to influence great Philosophers like Plato, Euclid and Xenophon. Schools of Thought: RATIONALISM, DUALISM a. Rationalism - the search for truth and clarity through questioning, through reason b. Dualism - The self is the immortal soul that exists over time. The self is not separated from the soul. About Socrates that explains and manifests his schools of thought: * Socrates laid down the conceptual framework and method of inquiry for Western consciousness and culture. + The Father of Western Philosophy, Wisest man in Greece, Crown Jewel in the native city for the following: a. He was a catalyst for a significant advancement in human consciousness. “Know thyself,” Socrates was the first important Western thinker to focus the light of human reason and intelligence ‘on human beings themselves. . He was an archetypal thinker, a quintessential model of rational inquiry. Socrates believed in the supreme importance of thinking as well as possible, and for him, everything in human experience was an appropriate subject for exploration and critical analysis. . He was committed to making our actions reflect our convictions. For Socrates, striving to think well-meant striving to live well, developing consistent and rigorous standards of conduct and then following through with the choices that we make. |. He believed that philosophical inquiry was a social activity. In contrast to the “ivory tower” dreamer. He found his greatest pleasure engaging in passionate and energetic discussions with others. He was certainly capable of deep, introspective thought. . He was a heroic martyr to enlightened thinking and virtuous living. It wasn’t just that he died but rather that he died willingly for the moral principles and values on which his life was constructed. * His martyrdom, and the genius of Plato, made him a secular saint, the superior man confronting the ignorant mob with serenity and humor. This was Socrates’ triumph and Plato’s masterpiece. Socrates needed the hemlock, as Jesus needed the Crucifixion, to fulfill a mission. GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module |-© Proponent of Socratic Method - Seeking clarity and truth through penetrating questioning and astute analysis. Reason is the path to the truth. * Uses several strategies to converse with people a. Dialectic, which is derived from a Greek word for conversation, and its goal was to achieve a deep, clear, rationally founded understanding of the most significant areas of human experience: knowledge, justice, morality, religion, beauty, goodness, and the traits of good character such as courage and piety. b. Master of irony used to expertly create a false sense of security in his dialogue partners and create the conditions for unmasking their foolishness and ignorance. PLATO (427-347 BC) “Lam the wisest man alive, for | know one thing, and that is, that | know nothing.” Philosophy on Understanding the Self: Plato believes in the presence of a soul which he called “psyche” consisting of three elements: (1) Reason - refers to the divine essence that enables a person to think deeply, make wise choices, and achieve a true understanding of eternal truths (2) Physical Appetite - refers to the basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desire (3) Spirit or Passion - refers to basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness, empathy. These three elements of our selves are working together. They are in a dynamic relationship with one another either sometimes working in concert or sometimes in bitter conflict. When conflict occurs, Plato believes it is the job of our Reason to fix things out and exert control, reestablishing a harmonious relationship between the three elements of our selves. He shows his view of the soul/self in Phaedrus with a vivid metaphor - the soul is likened to a winged chariot drawn by two powerful horses: a white horse, symbolizing the Spirit, and a black horse, embodying Appetite. The charioteer is Reason, whose task is to guide the chariot to the eternal realm by controlling the two independent- minded horses. Those charioteers who are successful in setting a true course and ensuring that the two steeds work together in harmonious unity achieve true wisdom and banquet with the gods. However, those charioteers who are unable to control their horses and keep their chariot on track are destined to experience personal, intellectual, and spiritual failure. ‘GEC 108- Understanding the Self “Module I-Plato’s Lessons About the Soul and the Body According to Plato, the body, with its deceptive senses, keeps us from real knowledge; it rivets us in a world of material things which is far removed from the world of reality; and it tempts us away from the virtuous life. It is through the soul that we shall have knowledge, be in touch with reality, and lead life of virtue. Only the soul can truly know, for only the soul can ascend to the real world, the world of the Forms or Ideas. Plato also tells us about the nature of beauty. Beauty has nothing essentially to do with the body or with the world of material things. Real beauty cannot “take the form of a face, or of hands, or of anything that is of the flesh.” Yes, there are beautiful things, but they only are entitled to be described that way because they “partake in” the form of Beauty, which itself is not found in the material world. Real beauty has characteristics which merely beautiful things cannot have. An individual may develop a romantic relationship with someone who is an intellectual companion (Reason), with whom he/she is passionately in love (Spirit), and whom he/she finds sexually attractive, igniting lustful appetites (Appetite). Or he/she may find himself/herself in personal conflict, torn between three different relationships, each of which appeals to a different part of our self: Reason, Spirit, Appetite. Illustration 2: A student who is thirsty for knowledge and driven towards the achievement of her goal enrolled at DMMMSU Open University System (Reason). She met friends and hang out with them during their vacant time, discovering food hubs (Appetite). These friends for her brought her happiness and a feeling of belongingness (Passion). Activity 2: Make your own example how the three elements - reason, appetite and spirit interact and collaborate. ST. AUGUSTINE (354-430 C.E.) Philosophy on Understanding the Self: For St. Augustine, the Self is a great mystery. A person regardless of RERTGNG the many sins he/she had committed ante can have a great and mysterious life, through the mercy and forgiveness of God. The self must continue to search for the truth in order for his/her soul tobe rested. Augustine combines the philosophical concepts of Plato with the tenets of Christianity. He was convinced that Platonism and Christianity were natural partners, thus he enthusiastically acopted Plato’s vision of a bifurcated universe in which “there are two realms, an intelligible realm where truth ———— GECC 108- Understanding the Self =Module F-10 itself dwells, and this sensible world which we perceive by sight and touch,” but then adapted this metaphysic to Christian beliefs. Thus, Plato's ultimave reality, the eternal realm of the Forms, became in Augustine's philosophy a transcendent God. In the same way, Plato's vision of immortal souls striving to achieve union with this eternal realm through intellectual enlightenment became transformed by Augustine into immortal souls striving to achieve union with God through faith and reason, The transient, finite nature of the Physical world described by Plato became in Christianity a proving ground for Cur eternal destinies. Plato's metaphysical framework thus provided Philosophical justification for Christian beliefs that might otherwise have been considered farfetched. Place of Origin: Taghaste, North of Africa Significant Experiences: * He received a Christian education when he was young, but deferred receiving the sacrament and became a heresy which his mother Monica greatly suffered, + He was sent to Carthage for a forensic career but he succumbed to the Pleasure of the city and his good virtues were corrupted. Hence; he made his inquiring mind to search for the origin of evil. * In Milan through the influence of Bishop Ombrose his souls long and difficult quest finally rested. He Possessed the certainty that Jesus Christ is the only way to truth and salvation. School of Thought: * Platonism-the use of reason to influence a person to do good RENE DESCARTES (1596-1650} “If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.” Philosophy on Understanding the Self: He introduced the modern Perspective of the self. According to him, everything must be subjected to doubt. “Cogito ergo sum” translated as “I think therefore lam” means that there should be the doubting | first then all other existence (God, universe, events, etc.) become certain. + A French philosopher, the founder of Modern philosophy. In. his Meditations on First Philosophy (1637), he dealt with issues surrounding GECC 108- Understanding the Self “Module FJOHN LOCKED (163. 1 skepticism, mind/body dualism, and he applied the geometric method to philosophy. The influence of this work was not only important to the modern period, but is also incredibly influential to this day He wanted to penetrate the nature of our reasoning process and understand its relation to the human self. He was convinced that to develop the most informed and well-grounded beliefs about human existence, we need to be clear about the thinking instrument we are employing. For if our thinking instrument is flawed, then it is likely that our conclusions will be flawed as well. He is a mathematician having invented analytic geometry and an aspiring scientist, Descartes was an integral part of the scientific revolution that was just beginning. (His major philosophical work, Meditations on First Philosophy, was published in 1641, the year before Galileo died and Isaac Newton was born.) The foundation of this scientific revolution was the belief that genuine knowledge needed to be based on independent rational inquiry and real-world experimentation 704 Philosophy on Understanding the Self: “Before we can analyze the world and our success to it, we have to know about ourselves. It is only once we understand our cognitive capabilities that we can suitably direct our researches into the world” The Self is comparable to an empty space (tabula rasa) where everyday experiences contribute to knowledge. The self is consciousness. A British philosopher. In his Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690) Locke lays the groundwork for empiricist philosophy. His theory that the mind is a tabula rasa, a blank slate, on which experience writes, challenges the rationalist philosophy that preceded him. Founder of the school of thought “British Empiricism” where foundational contributions to modern theories of limited liberal government Believed that government should be more tolerant of religious diversity Argued that many beliefs traditionally believed to be mandatory for Christians were necessary GECC 108- Understanding the Sel “Module F12 School of Thought: * Knowledge consists of a special kind of relationship between different ideas. DAVID HUME (1711-1776 Philosophy on Understanding the Self: The self is just a bundle or collection et , different perceptions, which succeed eacl ‘ature, other with an inconceivable rapidity, and are in a perpetual flux and movement. It is just an impression or a fiction. To Hume, there is no Self. * Scottish philosopher whose philosophy is seen as drawing out the logical consequences of a thoroughgoing empiricism. His skepticism concerning causation, induction, and religion is still widely influential today. * According to Hume, there are only two distinct entities, "impressions" and "ideas": Impressions—Impressions are the basic sensations of our experience, the elemental data of our minds: pain, pleasure, heat, cold, happiness, grief, fear, exhilaration, and so on. These impressions are “lively” and “vivid.” Ideas are copies of impressions, and as a result they are less “lively” and “vivid.” This include thoughts and images that are built up from our primary impressions through a variety of relationships, but because they are derivative copies of impressions, they are once removed from reality. IMMANUEL KANT (1724-1804) “All our knowledge begins with the senses proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason.” Philosophy on Understanding the Self: The self is always transcendental. His philosophy is called the Transcendental Unity of Apperception. The self is not in the body, instead it is outside the body and qualities of the body. It is something that is mystical. * German Philosopher widely regarded as the greatest philosopher of the modern period. He attempted to synthesize the two competing schools GECC 108- Understanding the Self “Module |-13 of the modern period, rationalism and empiricism, by showing the important role both experience and reason play in constructing our knowledge of the world. * According to him, it is the self that makes experiencing an intelligible world possible, because it is the self that is responsible for synthesizing the discreet data of sense experience into a meaningful whole. The self is the weaver seen metaphorically who, using the loom of the mind, weaves together the fabric of experience into a unified whole so that it becomes his/her experience, his/her world, his/her universe. Without the self to perform this synthesizing function, experience would be unknowable, a chaotic collection of sensations without coherence or significance. SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939) “Look into the depths of your own soul and learn first to know yourself, then you will understand why this illness was bound to come upon you and perhaps you will henceforth avid falling ill.” Philosophy on Understanding the Self: There are two selves - one Unconscious and one Conscious. The self is regarded as the “I” which; constitutes both the mental and physical actions. The self was multitiered, divided among the _—_—_conscious, preconscious, and unconscious as seen in his theory on psychoanalysis. * Psychologist. Freud founded the school of psychoanalysis which became one of the most influential theories of psychology and therapy in the twentieth century. * The two levels of human functioning - the conscious and the unconscious differ radically both in their content and in the rules and logic that govern them. The unconscious contains basic instinctual drives including sexuality, aggressiveness, and_ self-destruction; traumatic memories; unfulfilled wishes and childhood fantasies; thoughts and feelings that would be considered socially taboo. The unconscious level is characterized by the most primitive level of human motivation and human functioning. The most basic instinctual drives that seek immediate gratification or discharge. In contrast, the conscious self is governed by the “reality principle” (rather than the “pleasure principle”), and at this level of functioning, behavior and experience are organized in ways that are rational, practical, and appropriate to the social environment. ‘GECC 108- Understanding the Self =Module F-14 GILBERT RYLE (1900-1976) “I discover that there are other minds in understanding what other people say and do.” [eee Philosophy on Understanding the Self: The self is how you behave. No more inner selves, immortal souls, states of consciousness, or unconscious entities: instead, the self is defined in terms of the behavior that is presented to the world, a view that is known in psychology as behaviorism. * Analytic Philosopher, Ryle introduced the ‘Linguistic Analysis’ which focused on the solving of philosophical puzzles through an analysis of language. He mounted an attack against Cartesian mind/body dualism and supported a behaviorist theory of mind. ‘+ ABritish philosopher whose book, The Concept of Mind, had a dramatic Behaviorism The view that the “self” is defined by observable behavior. Ryle’s behaviorism was a different sort from that of psychology. He thought of his approach as a logical behaviorism, focused on creating conceptual clarity, not on developing techniques to condition and manipulate human behavior. PAUL (1942) AND PATRICIA CHURCHLAND Philosophy on Understanding the Self: The self is the brain. The self can be understood in terms of neuroscience that focuses on the function of the brain and how it affects one’s behavior. The couple thus introduced —_Eliminative Materialism. * Paul Churchland is an American philosopher (Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1969); Areas of interest include philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, cognitive neurobiology, epistemology, and perception. Authored several works on mind, including The Engine of Reason, The Seat of the Soul: A Philosophical Journey into the Brain (MIT, 1995) * He introduced a simple identity formula—mental states = brain states— is a flawed way in which to conceptualize the relationship between the mind and the brain. He develops a new, neuroscience-based vocabulary that will enable us to think and communicate clearly about the mind, GECC 108- Understanding the Self “Module F15 consciousness, and human experience. He refers to this view as “eliminative materialism.” * Churchland’s central argument is that the concepts and theoretical vocabulary about selves using such terms as belief, desire, fear, sensation, pain, joy are actually misrepresent the reality of minds and selves. All of these concepts are part of a commonsense “folk Psychology that obscures rather than clarifies the nature of human experience. Eliminative materialists believe that emotional connection should be understood with reference to the neurophysiology of the brain. Eliminative Materialism develops a new vocabulary and conceptual framework that is ground in neuroscience that will be a more accurate reflection of the human mind and self. MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY (1908-1961) eucmeemen | Philosophy on Understanding the Self: The self is embodied subjectivity. The division between the “mind” and the “body” is a product of confused thinking. The self is seen as a unity in which the mental and physical are seamlessly woven together. This unity is the primary experience of the self, and one only begins to doubt it when the mind is used to concoct abstract notions of a separate “mind” and “body.” There is no mystery in the bodv. * The philosophy of Ponty is known as Phenomenology of Perception which is derived from the conviction that all knowledge of the self and the world is based on the “phenomena” of experience. Perceptions are caused by the intricate experiences of the self, and processed intellectually while distinguishing truthful perceptions from illusory. Thus, the self is regarded as a phenomenon of the whole, which is a Gestalt understanding of perceptual synthesis. EI] SUMMARY Lesson 1 on Philosophy helped us to explore the answers to the question, “Who Am I?” as based on philosophical views. This question actually is oftentimes difficult to answer as the self is so complex and intriguing. However, philosophers tried to provide us with an in-depth understanding as based on their studies. The self is a puzzle that must be solved and discovered. GECC 108- Understanding the Self “Module16 This lesson surely guided you to understand the mysteries of who you are and helped you deepen your insights about yourself. [v] OUTPUT PLAN (1) Formulate your own Philosophy in Life and make a video clip. It can be in Filipino or English. Be creative. Running time at least 1 minute. Upload your video clip via fb and submit a screenshot of the comments and feedbacks. GECC 108- Understanding the Self -Module F-