GEC 001 - Understanding the Self: Philosophical Perspectives

Flashcards covering classical and modern philosophical perspectives on the self as presented in Module 2 of GEC 001.

What is philosophy and where does the term originate?

Philosophy is the study of acquiring knowledge through rational thinking; originated from Greek Philo- (loving) and Sophia (wisdom/knowledge); originally meant the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.

What are the three philosophical lenses used to define the self?

Empiricism, Rationalism, and Dualism.

What does Empiricism say about the self?

The self is explained through sensory and bodily experiences; knowledge comes through the senses.

What does Rationalism say about the self?

There is innate knowledge; emphasis on ideal truths and the 'truth' beyond sensory experience; not rooted in senses or body.

What does Dualism (mind–body) say about the self?

Mind and body are distinct; the self is associated with the mind or soul rather than the body.

What is Socrates' famous quote and what does it imply about the self?

'The unexamined life is not worth living.' It suggests the self involves the rational examination of existence, with the body and soul as two parts; the soul is central and capable of knowledge.

According to Socrates, what are the characteristics of the body vs. the soul?

Body: mortal, changing, imperfect. Soul: immortal, eternal, unchanging, perfect; the soul precedes the body and contains knowledge.

What is Plato's view of the soul and its relation to the body?

The soul exists before birth and after death; the self is the soul; the soul is divided into Reason, Appetite, and Will/Spirit; the soul should be cared for over the body.

What are the three parts of Plato's soul?

Reason (divine thinking), Appetite (biological needs), Will/Spirit (emotions and passions).

What did Aristotle contribute regarding essence and matter?

Essence (the ideal) and matter (the phenomena) co-exist and are interdependent; essence gives meaning to matter and matter provides substance to essence.

What is John Locke's theory of the self?

The mind is a tabula rasa (blank slate) at birth; knowledge comes from experience; memory and consciousness of past experiences define continuity of the self over time.

Immanuel Kant

Humans are free agents with reason and free will; we organize sensory data to form an idea of ourselves; inner self (reason and psychology) and outer self (body) are part of the self.

How did Gilbert Ryle define the Self?

The self is a pattern of observable behavior; no need for an inner immortal soul; the self is defined by how one behaves.

What is Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s view of the Self?

The self is an embodied subjectivity; there is unity of mental, physical, and emotional dispositions; the self arises from conscious experience and rejects mind–body dichotomy.

How is the self described as a unified being in the notes?

A unified being essentially connected to consciousness, awareness, and agency (or rational choice).