understanding the self (uts)

meaning of philosophy

its is the human search for meaning in life

Philosophy derived from the greek word-

"Philo" means Love

"Sophia" means Wisdom

Father of Biology

Aristotle

what is the meaning of "Self"

it is a person's essential being that distinguishes them from others

he postulated the three perennial question (prominent social thinker from the victorian era)

John Ruskin

The Three Fundamental Perennial Questions

- Who am i?

- Where does man came from?

- Does man's life have a purpose?

Believed that "Know yourself" means understanding your inner self, and that knowledge leads to wisdom, virtue, and self-mastery.

Socrates (know yourself)

The self consists of the body and soul, with the soul being God-given and having three parts: head = reason, heart = noble feelings, diaphragm = passions.

Plato (Self as a rational substance consisting of body and soul)

french philosopher that is considered the “father of modern philosophy”,

Rene Descartes “ i think therefore i am”

he believed “I think, therefore I am” means we exist because we can think. The mind and body are independent, and humans should use their thinking abilities to investigate, analyze, experiment, and develop themselves.

Rene Descartes “i think therefor i am”

Believed that personal identity comes from consciousness and memory, because memory connects our past and present selves. He distinguished the soul from consciousness, but noted that we forget experiences and memories can be unreliable.

John Locke ( personal identity)

“Life is a journey, and every person is a traveller”

Homo Viator

Believed that the self is a bundle of changing thoughts, feelings, and perceptions, not a permanent thing. He also believed that morality comes from feelings or sentiments, not reason.

David Hume “The self is the bundle theory of mind”

german philosopher Believed that life and experience are connected to the self, and we can only know the soul through our experiences while alive; death ends our experience.

Immanuel Kant “Respect for Self ”

two kinds of self (Immanuel Kant)

Empirical self and Transcendental self

Believed the self is made of body, soul, and spirit—the body connects us to the world, the soul contains the mind, emotions, and will, and the spirit is the core of the self.

St. Augustine

Believed the self has three parts: id (unconscious desires), ego (conscious self), and superego (ideal/moral self), which should be kept in balance and harmony.

Sigmund Freud

Believed that the self is not a separate mental entity but is understood through a person’s observable behavior and tendencies to act in certain ways. He called Descartes’ mind-body separation a category mistake.

Gilbert Ryle

Believed that the self is the brain, where mental states affect the physical self, and the brain makes humans unique and special.

Patricia and Paul Churchland

Believed that the self and body are inseparable; the self is an embodied subject, and the body is essential for perception, knowledge, and meaning.

Maurice Merleau-Ponty