UNDERSTANDING
THE SELF- Lec.5
PREPARED BY: CLAIRE R. AGRIPA, LPT
GILBERT RYLE (1900-1976)
– An English philosopher whose ideas contradicted Cartesian Dualism.
– In his book entitled, The Concept of Mind, Ryle argues that dualism involves category
mistakes and is a philosophical nonsense (Ryle, 1949)
– How is a non-material mental substance known as the mind can influence a physical,
material body.
– Many philosophical problems were caused by the wrong use of language.
– The categorical mistake in Cartesian dualism was applying properties to a non-material
thing that are logically and grammatically appropriate only for a category of material
things.
– Stigmatized the mind as the “Ghost in the Machine”
RYLE’S VIEW OF HUMAN
NATURE AND KNOWLEDGE
- Freewill was invented to answer the question of whether the action deserves praise or
blame
- Agrees with can’t who stated that freewill involves a moral responsibility which further
assumes that man’s actions must be moral for it to be free.
2 types of Knowledge
Knowing-what = refers to knowing facts/information, considered as empty intellectualism
Knowing-how = using facts in the performance of some skill or technical abilities
• A person may acquire a great bulk of knowledge but without the ability to use it to
solve some practical problems to make his life easier, this bulk of knowledge is deemed
to be worthless.
• Knowing involves an ability and not just an intellect.
PATRICIA AND PAUL
CHURCHLAND
Neurology- deals with the study of the nervous system, its structure, physiology
and aberrations.
- Modern scientific inquiry looks into the application of neurology to age-old
problems in philosophy, one of which is the mind-problem.
Neurophilosophy- coined by Patricia Churchland who, together with husband
Paul (Canadian philosopher), sought to guide philosophy with scientific inquiry.
Philosophy of neuroscience- the study of the philosophy of the mind, the
philosophy of science, neuroscience and psychology. It aims to explore the
relevance of neuroscientific experiments/studies to the philosophy of the mind.
PATRICIA AND PAUL
CHURCHLAND
Issue of Mind-Brain
- Even if neuroscience found that there is no causal relationship between the brain
and the mind, the mind would still be associated with the brain.
Churchland (born July 16, 1943) Canadian-American philosopher
- Known for her claim that man’s brain is responsible for the identity known as the
self.
- The biochemical properties of the brain according to this philosophy of
neuroscience is really responsible for man’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
THERE ISN’T A SPECIAL THING CALLED THE MIND. THE MIND IS JUST THE BRAIN –
Patricia Churchland
CHURCHLAND’S VIEW OF
HUMAN NATURE
-contentions that are forwarded by neurophilosophy resulted from cases
where individuals’ deviant thoughts, feelings and actions stemmed from
anomalies/aberrations in the brain’s anatomy and physiology.
- It seems that what and who the person is, how he makes decision,
controls impulses and how he sees himself is largely determined by his
neurons, hormones and overall genetic make-up.
- These data provide information on how normal brain functioning
facilitates accepted social behavior and how a compromised brain gives
rise to aberrant behavior patterns.
CHURCHLAND’S VIEW OF
HUMAN NATURE
-human nature is complicated.
- Despite research findings, neurophilosophy states that self is real,
that it is a tool that helps the person tune-in to the realities of the
brain and extant reality.
- It can malfunction
- Man is a work of art, constantly evolving and at the same time
molded by experiences of the world.
MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY
(1908-1961)
- French Phenomenological Philosopher whose thoughts were greatly
influenced by Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger.
- Wrote books on perception, art and political thought.
- At the center of his philosophy is the emphasis placed on the human
body as the primary site of knowing the world.
MERLEAU-PONTY VIEW OF
HUMAN NATURE AND THE SELF
- Developed the concept of body-subject and contended that
perceptions occur existentially.
- The consciousness, the world and the human body are all
interconnected as they mutually perceived the world. Knowledge is
perceived through the body with all its sensory functions which take
place in the here and now.
- The world and the self are emergent phenomena in the ongoing
process of man’s becoming
MERLEAU-PONTY VIEW OF
HUMAN NATURE AND THE SELF
The Phenomenology of Perception (1945)
- Described the nature of man’s perceptual contact with the world.
- Phenomenology provides a direct description of human experience while
perception forms the background of the experience which serves to guide
man’s conscious actions.
- The world is a field of perception and human consciousness assigns meaning to
the world.
- Man cannot separate himself from his perception of the world.
- He stated that consciousness is a process that includes sensing as well as
interpreting/reasoning.
MERLEAU-PONTY VIEW OF
HUMAN NATURE AND THE SELF
-objects may be seen from various perspectives.
Merleau-Ponty has been known as the philosopher of the body.
- Made use of the concept of the body schema, which focus on the
relationship between self-experience and the experience of other people.
REFERENCE: Gazzingan et.al,
Understanding the Self, Panday
Lahi Publishing House, Inc, 2018
