Understanding the Self: The Self According to Philosophy

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing philosophical perspectives and key terminology on the self from classical to modern philosophers.

Philosophy

The study of knowledge or wisdom, derived from the Latin roots philo (love) and sophia (wisdom), and considered the Queen of All Sciences.

Socratic Method

A dialectic method involving questioning to clarify ideas, resolve logical inconsistencies, and discover the correct definition of a thing.

Know Thyself

The Delphic Oracle's command that served as the primary foundation of Socrates' philosophy.

Dichotomous Self

Socrates' view that the self is composed of two realms: the physical realm (changeable, temporal, imperfect body and world) and the ideal realm (unchanging, eternal, immortal soul and intellectual essences).

Reason (Plato)

The divine essence of the self that enables humans to think deeply, make wise choices, and achieve a true understanding of eternal truths.

Physical Appetite (Plato)

The element of the self representing basic biological human needs, such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desire.

Spirit or Passion (Plato)

The element of the self representing basic human emotions, such as love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness, and empathy.

Chariot Metaphor (Plato)

A metaphor in Phaedrus depicting the soul as a winged chariot pulled by two horses—Spirit (white horse) and Appetite (black horse)—guided by Reason (charioteer).

Disordered Love

St. Augustine's concept describing the condition where a person loves the wrong objects in pursuit of happiness instead of loving God first.

Cogito, ergo sum

René Descartes' principle meaning 'I think, therefore I exist,' establishing self-consciousness as fundamental to personal identity.

Thinking Entity

Descartes' definition of the essential conscious self (mind/soul) that engages in mental operations independently of the physical body.

Tabula Rasa

John Locke's concept of the mind as a blank slate, highlighting the influence of environment and nurture on human development.

Personal Identity (Locke)

Locke's idea that personal identity consists of continuous consciousness and self-awareness across different times and places.

Impressions (Hume)

The basic, elemental sensations of experience and direct mind data, such as pain, pleasure, heat, cold, happiness, and grief.

Ideas (Hume)

Derivative copies of primary impressions, including thoughts and images formed through mental associations.

Fictional Self

David Hume's concept of an imaginary entity constructed to unify mental events, asserting that no real, enduring self exists.

Conscious Self (Freud)

The rational, practical part of the self governed by the reality principle and suitable for the social environment.

Unconscious Self (Freud)

The aggressive, destructive, unrealistic, and instinctual part of the self governed by the pleasure principle.

Id

The mental structure in Sigmund Freud's model that operates primarily on the pleasure principle.

Ego

The mental structure in Sigmund Freud's model that operates primarily on the reality principle.

Superego

The mental structure in Sigmund Freud's model that develops from learning right from wrong, operating on the moral principle.

Eros

The life instinct described by Freud, powered by libidinal energy and driving survival behaviors like hunger, thirst, and sex.

Thanatos

The death instinct described by Freud, which manifests in destructive behaviors such as aggression and violence.

Category Mistake

Gilbert Ryle's term for the error of conceptualizing the self as a purely mental entity existing separately from the physical body.

Pattern of Behavior

Gilbert Ryle's definition of the self as a person's tendency or disposition to act in specific ways under given circumstances.

Transcendental Apperception

Immanuel Kant's concept of the mind organizing discrete sensory impressions into a unified whole, enabling comprehensible consciousness.

Neurophilosophy

A field coined by Patricia Churchland examining the application of neurology and neuroscience to traditional philosophical problems.

Eliminative Materialism

The view associated with Paul and Patricia Churchland stating that psychological vocabulary (desires, beliefs) misrepresents reality and must be replaced by neuroscience explanations.

Self-Subject

Maurice Merleau-Ponty's concept of the self as a unified entity where mind and body are seamlessly integrated in an ongoing process of becoming.