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Chapter 1 - The Self From Various Perspective

The document discusses different philosophical perspectives on the self from ancient to modern times. It begins by introducing Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle's ancient views of the self as either the soul, a blank slate shaped by experience, or a combination of matter and form. It then examines perspectives from Augustine, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Freud, Ryle, and others. Freud's influential theory of personality as consisting of the id, ego, and superego is also summarized. The document aims to compare and contrast the varying notions of self across philosophies and time periods.

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John Rey A. Tubieron
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185 views3 pages

Chapter 1 - The Self From Various Perspective

The document discusses different philosophical perspectives on the self from ancient to modern times. It begins by introducing Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle's ancient views of the self as either the soul, a blank slate shaped by experience, or a combination of matter and form. It then examines perspectives from Augustine, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Freud, Ryle, and others. Freud's influential theory of personality as consisting of the id, ego, and superego is also summarized. The document aims to compare and contrast the varying notions of self across philosophies and time periods.

Uploaded by

John Rey A. Tubieron
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MODULE: OVAL01 – UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

CHAPTER 1 – The Self from Various Perspectives

A. Explain why it is essential to understand the self


B. Discuss the different notions of the self from the points of view of the
various philosophers across time and place
C. Compare and contrast how the self has been represented in
different philosophical schools

PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy is derived from the Greek words “Philos” and “Sophia” which literally means “Love
for Wisdom”. It is the study of acquiring knowledge through rational thinking and inquiries that involves
in answering questions regarding the nature and existence of man and the world we live in.
"Who am I"? That question may be one of the most difficult to answer and has
garnered attention right from the start of man's self-reflection. One’s self perception is defined by their
self-concept, self-knowledge, self-esteem and social self
THE ANCIENT TRIUMVIRATE
SOCRATES (469-399 BC): KNOW THYSELF
● "An unexamined life is not worth living."
● He directed philosophy's attention from the
universe to an examination of our existence in
the universe.
PLATO (427-347 BCE)
● He believed that human beings are composed
of two things, a body and a soul.
● "If we are ever to have pure knowledge of
anything, we must get rid of the body and
contemplate things by themselves with the soul
by itself."

ARISTOTLE (384-322 BC)


• The mind (self) is a tabula rasa, a blank slate.
• Self is composed of matter and form wherein he believed matter is in continuous process of
development.
• Knowledge is acquired through the senses.

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MODULE: OVAL01 – UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES

ST. AUGUSTINE (354-430)


● "But my sin was this, that I looked for pleasure, beauty and truth not in Him but in myself and
His creatures, and the search led me instead to pain, confusion, and error."
● He said that man is the image in the likeness of God.

RENE DESCARTES (1596-1650)


● Considered as the Father of Modern Philosophy.
● "I think, therefore; I am."
JOHN LOCKE (1632-1704)
● For since consciousness always accompanies thinking, and 'tis that, that makes everyone to
be, what he calls self; and thereby distinguishes himself from all other thinking things. "What
worries you, masters you."
● Father of Classical Liberalism
DAVID HUME (1711-1776)
● He declared that there is no permanent Self
● "Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never
pretend to any other office to serve and obey them."

IMMANUEL KANT (1724-1804)


● He believes that man is a free agent, capable of making a decision for himself.
● "All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to understanding, and ends
with reason. There is nothing higher than reason."

SIGMUND FREUD (1856- 1939)


● Things are not control of the ego, but the ego only manifests the winner between the ego. If
ego behaves then superego won. If ego misbehaves, the Id won. This battle is all taking place
in the subconscious. The realm of the ego is found in the conscious.
● Father of Psychoanalysis. His works center on the mind and its development.

GILBERT RYLE (1900- 1976)


● His philosophy centers on language. He claims that the problems of philosophy were brought
about only because of the confusion due to misinterpretation, misunderstanding, etc. of
words.
● " Minds are things, but different sorts of things from bodies.”

PAUL CHURCHLAND (b.1942)


● He declared that the brain is the essence of the self.
● "We do have an organ for understanding and recognizing moral facts. It is called
the brain."

MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY (1908-1961)


● He rejected entirely the idea of mind and body dichotomy.
● "We know not through our intellect but through our experience."

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MODULE: OVAL01 – UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

FREUD’S PERSONALITY THEORY


Freud’s personality theory (1923) saw the psyche structured into three parts (i.e., tripartite),
the id, ego, and superego, all developing at different stages in our lives.
These are systems, not parts of the brain, or in any way physical, but rather hypothetical
conceptualizations of important mental functions.

ID:
The id is the primitive and instinctive component
of personality. The id is a part of the unconscious
that contains all the urges and impulses, including
what is called the libido, a kind of generalized
sexual energy that is used for everything from
survival instincts to appreciation of art.

EGO:
Freud’s ego is the rational part of the psyche that
mediates between the instinctual desires of the id
and the moral constraints of the superego,
operating primarily at the conscious level. The
ego is “that part of the id which has been modified
by the direct influence of the external world.”

SUPEREGO:
Freud’s superego is the moral component of the
psyche, representing internalized societal values
and standards. It contrasts with the id’s desires, guiding behavior towards moral righteousness and
inducing guilt when standards aren’t met.

Alata, Castillo, et. al, Understanding The Self. Rex Book Store: 2018

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