The Self From Various

Philosophical Perspectives
S U B J E C T : U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E S E L F
P R E P A R E D B Y : M A . N I Ñ A R O S E P . M O R E
Objective:

At t h e e n d o f t h i s l e s s o n , y o u s h o u l d b e a b l e t o :

 Un d e r s t a n d t h e s e l f f r o m v a r i o u s p h i l o s o p h i c a l p e r s p e c t i v e s .

 Co mp a r e a n d c o n t r a s t h o w t h e s e l f h a s b e e n r e p r e s e n t e d i n d i ff e r e n t p h i l o s o p h i c a l s c h o o l s .

 I d e n t i f y wh y i t i s e s s e n t i a l t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e s e l f .
 ACTIVITY
1. Ho w wo u l d y o u d e s c r i b e y o u r s e l f ?

2. W h a t ma k e s y o u s t a n d o u t f r o m o t h e r s ? Wh a t
ma k e s y o u r s e l f u n i q u e ?

3. Ca n y o u d e s c r i b e h o w y o u r s e l f h a s c h a n g e d o v e r
t i me ?

4. Ho w i s y o u r s e l f c o n n e c t e d t o y o u r p h y s i c a l b o d y ?

5. Ho w d o y o u r e l a t e t o o t h e r s e l v e s ?

6. W h a t wi l l h a p p e n t o y o u r s e l f a f t e r y o u d i e ?
 ANALYSIS
 We re y ou a bl e t o a nswe r t he ques ti ons
on the pre v i ous sl i de e a si l y ? W hy ?

 W hi c h que st i ons we re y ou a bl e to
a ns we r wi th e a se ?

 W hi c h one s we re di ffi c ul t f or y ou? W hy ?

Can one truly know the self? Do you want to know about
self?
DEFINITION OF SELF

MERRIAM WEBSTER

 a n i ndi v i dua l 's ty pi c a l c ha ra c t e r or be ha v i or he r true se l f wa s re v e a l e d

 a n i ndi v i dua l 's te m pora ry be ha v i or or c ha ra c te r hi s be tt e r se l f

 the uni on of e l e m e nts ( s uc h a s body , e m oti ons, thoughts, a nd se nsa ti ons )

tha t c onsti tute t he i ndi v i dua l i t y a nd i de nt i ty of a pe rson
PHILOSOPHY OF SELF

 Th e p h i l o s o p h y o f s e l f d e f i n e s , a mo n g o t h e r t h i n g s , t h e c o n d i t i o n s o f i d e n t i t y t h a t m a k e o n e s u b j e c t
o f e x p e r i e n c e d i s t i n c t f r o m a l l o t h e r s . Co n t e mp o r a r y d i s c u s s i o n s o n t h e
n a t u r e o f t h e s e l f a r e n o t t h e r e b y d i s c u s s i o n s o n t h e n a t u r e o f p e r s o n h o o d , o r p e r s o n a l i d e n t i t y.
SOCRATES

“ Know t hy s e l f ”

 So c r a t e s wa s t h e f i r s t p h i l o s o p h e r wh o e v e r e n g a g e d i n a
s y s t e ma t i c q u e s t i o n i n g a b o u t t h e s e l f ; t h e t r u e t a s k o f t h e
philosopher is to know oneself.

 Fo r So c r a t e s , e v e r y ma n i s c o mp o s e d o f b o d y a n d s o u l ;
a l l i n d i v i d u a l s h a v e a n i mp e r f e c t , i mp e r ma n e n t a s p e c t t o
h i m, a n d t h e b o d y, wh i l e m a i n t a i n i n g t h a t t h e r e i s a l s o a
soul that is perfect and permanent.
PLATO

 Pl a to support e d t he i de a t ha t m a n i s a dua l na ture of

body a nd s oul .

 Pl a to a dde d tha t t he re a re thre e c om pone nt s of the

soul : the ra ti ona l soul , t he spi ri t ed soul , a nd the
a ppe ti t i v e soul .
3 PARTS OF THE SOUL

 Pl a to's i de nt i fi c a t i on of the se t hre e di st i nc t e l e m e nt s of a pe rson's i nne r l i f e i s uni que , a nd

c a n be v a l i da te d by di re c tl y turni ng i nwa rd to one 's own ex pe ri e nc e of t he se l f.

1. The appe t i t i ve whi c h i nc l ude s a l l our m y ri a d de si re s for v a ri ous pl e a sure s, c om forts,

physi c a l sa t i sfa c t i ons, a nd bodi l y e a se .

2. The spi r i t e d or hot -bl oode d pa rt, ex a m pl e , t he pa rt t ha t ge t s a ngry whe n i t pe rc ei v e s a n

i nj ust i c e be i ng done . Thi s i s the pa rt of us t ha t l ov e s to fa c e a nd ov e rc om e gre a t
c ha l l e nge s, t he pa rt tha t c a n st e e l i t se l f to a dv e rsi ty , a nd tha t l ov e s v i c t ory , wi nni ng,
c ha l l e nge , a nd honor.

3. The mi n d/ r at i o n al i s our c ons c i ous a wa re ne ss, i s re pre se nt e d by the c ha ri ot e er who i s

gui di ng ( or who a t l e a s t shoul d be gui di ng) c ha ri ot . Thi s i s the pa rt of us t ha t thi nks,
a na l y z e s, l ooks a he a d, ra t i ona l l y we i ghs opt i ons, a nd t ri e s t o ga uge wha t i s be st a nd
truest ov e ra l l .
ST. AUGUSTINE

 A ugus ti ne a gre e d t ha t m a n i s of a bi furc a t e d

na t ure ; the body i s bound to di e on e a rt h a nd the
soul i s to a nt i c i pa te l i v i ng e t e rna l l y i n a re a l m of
spi ri tua l bl i ss i n c om m uni on wi th G od.

 The body c a n onl y t hri v e i n the i m pe rfe c t , phy si c a l

re a l i ty tha t i s the worl d, whe rea s the soul c a n a l so
st a y a fte r de a th i n a n e te rna l re a l m wi th the a l l -
tra nsc e nde nt G od.
THOMAS AQUINAS

 Aqui na s sa i d t ha t i nde e d, m a n i s c om pos e d of two

pa rt s: m a t te r a nd form . M a t te r, or hy l e i n G re e k,
re f e rs to the “ c om m on st uff tha t m a ke s up
e v e ry t hi ng i n the uni v e rse . ” M a n’ s body i s pa rt of
thi s m a tt e r. Form , on t he ot he r ha nd, or m orphe i n
G re e k re fe rs t o the “ e sse nc e of a substa nc e or
thi ng. ”

 To Aqui na s t he s oul i s wha t a ni m a te s the body ; i t i s

wha t m a ke s us hum a ns .
RENE DESCARTES

 Conc e i v e d of the hum a n pe rson a s ha v i ng a body a nd a

m i nd

 The body i s nothi ng e l se but a m a c hi ne t ha t i s

a tt a c he d t o the m i nd. The hum a n pe rson ha s i t but i ti s
not wha t m a ke s m a n a m a n. I f a t a l l , tha t i s the m i nd.
DAVID HUME

 The s e l f i s not a n e nt i ty ov e r a nd be y ond the

phy si c a l body.

 M e n c a n onl y a tt a i n knowl e dge by ex pe ri e nc i ng.

 Se l f, a c c ordi ng to H um e , i s si m pl y “ a bundl e or
c ol l e c t i on of di ff e re nt pe rc e pti ons , whi c h suc c e e d
e a c h othe r wi th a n i nc onc e i v a bl e ra pi di ty , a nd
a re i n a pe rpe tua l fl ux a nd m ov e m ent. ”
IMMANUEL KANT

 Thi ngs tha t m e n pe rc e i v e a round the m a re not j ust

ra ndom l y i nf use d i nto the hum a n pe rson wi t hout a n
orga ni z i ng pri nc i pl e tha t re gul a te s the re l a ti ons hi p of
a l l thes e i m pre s si ons.

 The re i s ne c e ssa ri l y a m i nd t ha t orga ni z e s the

i m pres si ons tha t m e n ge t from the ex te rna l worl d.

 Ti m e a nd spa c e a re i de a s tha t one c a nnot fi nd i n the

worl d, but i s bui l t i n our m i nds; he c a l l s the se the
a ppa ra tuse s of the m i nd

 The s e l f i s not j ust wha t gi v e s one hi s pe rsona l i t y ; i t

i s a l so the se a t of knowl e dge a c qui si ti on for a l l hum a n
pe rsons.
GILBERT RYLE

 B l a t a ntl y de ny i ng the c onc e pt of a n i nt erna l , non-

phy si c a l se l f ; wha t trul y m a tt e rs i s the be ha v i or
tha t a pe rson m a ni fe st s i n hi s da y- to -da y l i fe .

 “ Se l f” i s not a n e nt i ty one c a n l oc a te a nd a na l y z e
but si m pl y the c onv e ni e nt na m e t ha t pe opl e use to
re f e r to a l l the be ha v i ors tha t pe opl e m a ke .
MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY

 The m i nd a nd body a re s o i nt e rtwi ne d t ha t the y

c a nnot be se pa ra te d from one a nothe r.

 One c a nnot fi nd a ny ex pe ri e nc e tha t i s not a n

e m bodi e d ex pe ri e nc e . A l l ex pe ri e nc e i s e m bodi e d;
one ’ s body i s hi s ope ni ng towa rd hi s ex i st e nc e t o
the worl d.

 The l i v i ng body , hi s t houghts , e m ot i ons, a nd

ex pe ri enc e s a re a l l one .
APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

I n y o u r o w n w o r d s , s t a t e w h a t “ s e l f ” i s f o r e a c h o f t h e p h i l o s o ph er s e nu m e ra t e d b el ow. A f t e r d oi ng s o ,
e x p l a i n h o w y o u r c o n c e p t o f “ s e l f ” i s c o m p a t i b l e w i t h h o w t h ey c on c e i v e d of t h e “ s el f . ”

1. Socrates

2. Plato

3. Augustine

4. Descartes

5. Hume

6. Kant

7. Ryle

8. M e r l ea u - P o n t y
LESSON SUMMARY

 Philosophy has been the subject of inquiry into the nature of the self for centuries.

 Socrates is considered to be the first philosopher to engage in a systematic examination of the self, asking questions
such as "What is the self?" and "What is the nature of reality?"

 Plato believed that man is a dual nature of body and soul.

 Augustine agreed that man is of a bifurcated nature.

 Thomas Aquinas, on the other hand, said that indeed, man is composed of two parts: matter and form.

 Rene Descartes believed that the human person is composed of a body and a mind.

 D a v i d H u m e a r g u e d t h a t t h e s e l f i s n o t a n e n t i t y o v e r a n d b e y o n d t h e p h y s i c a l b o d y.

 Immanuel Kant believed that the mind organizes the impressions that men receive from the external world.

 Gilbert Ryle believed that the "self" is not an entity that can be located and analyzed.

 M e r l e a u - P o n t y b e l i e v e d t h a t t h e l i v i n g b o d y, t h o u g h t s , e m o t i o n s , a n d e x p e r i e n c e s a r e a l l i n t e r c o n n e c t e d a n d
inseparable.