Lesson 1: The Self: Philosophical Points of View (USELF)

PHILOSOPHY

- AS ORIGINALLY USED BY THE GREEKS, THE TERM MEANT "THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE FOR ITS OWN SAKE."

- also refers to the pursuit of basic truths about ourselves, the world in which we live, and our connections to both the world and other people.

PHILO

LOVING

SOPHIA

WISDOM; KNOWLEDGE

THALES

PYTHAGORAS

PARMENIDES

HERACLITUS

EMPEDOCLES

THE 5 PRE-SOCRATICS

Pre-Socratics

- were early Greek thinkers who asked deep questions about the world.

- They wanted to know what everything is made of and why things change.

- Even though the world is always changing, they wondered why some things seem to stay the same.

- They looked for a single explanation to understand the many different things in the world.

- Their goal was to understand the nature of reality, not just tell stories like myths did.

SOCRATES

- focused on understanding the self and believed that knowing oneself is the true task of a philosopher.

- He said most people didn't truly know who they were or what virtues they needed to care for their soul.

- Through the Socratic Method, he asked deep questions to test ideas and search for truth

- .He upset Athenian leaders by questioning popular beliefs, leading to his trial and death by poison at age 70.

- He believed in the dual nature of man—a changing body and a perfect, eternal soul.

- believed that self-knowledge is essential for moral maturity and the good life, and that it is best achieved through dialogue with friends and critics.

SOCRATIC METHOD

METHOD OF INQUIRY IN TESTING AN IDEA

THE SOUL IS IMMORTAL

THE CARE OF THE SOUL IS THE TASK OF PHILOSOPHY

VIRTUE IS NECESSARY TO ATTAIN HAPPINESS

SOCRATES (3) OTHER FAMOUS IDEAS

VIRTUE

(MORAL EXCELLENCE) ALONE IS THE ONE AND ONLY SUPREME GOOD THAT WILL SECURE MAN'S HAPPINESS.

Self-Knowledge

WOULD OPEN YOUR EYES TO YOUR TRUE NATURE.

visible and invisible

(2) TWO KINDS OF EXISTENCE

VISIBLE (BODY)

CHANGES

INVISIBLE (SOUL)

EXISTENCE REMAINS CONSTANT

love, courage, wisdom, moderation, and justice

(4) types of Virtues lead to true happiness.

SOUL

IS INDEED THE MOST DIVINE ASPECT OF THE HUMAN BEING.

THE RATIONAL SOUL, THE SPIRITED SOUL, and the APPETITIVE SOUL

THREE (3) COMPONENTS OF THE SOUL

RATIONAL Soul (reasoning)

- FORGED BY REASON and INTELLECT HAS TO GOVERN THE AFFAIRS OF THE HUMAN PERSON.

The element that forbids the person to enjoy the sensual experiences; the part that loves truth.

SPIRITED Soul (feelings)

- REASON and INTELLECT HAS TO GOVERN THE AFFAIRS OF THE HUMAN PERSON.

The element that forbids the person to enjoy the sensual experiences; the part that loves truth.

SPIRITED Soul (feelings)

APPETITIVE Soul (sensual)

- IN CHARGE OF BASE DESIRES LIKE EATING, DRINKING, SLEEPING, and having SEX.

The element that enjoys sensual experiences.

plato

- believed the physical world is not the true reality.

- True reality exists in the world of Forms, which are perfect, unchanging ideas. What we see around us is only an imperfect copy of these Forms.

For example, every circle we draw copies the perfect Form of a circle. Only the soul can understand these Forms through reason.

"An unexamined life is a life not worth living."

collection and division

- Plato's Method of Inquiry

- This means grouping similar ideas together and then dividing them into specific categories.

- It helped him understand concepts clearly by breaking them down step by step.

- This method guided his search for truth and deeper meaning. It was part of how he explored the nature of reality and the soul.

Dualism (Socrates)

The belief that man is made of body (imperfect, changing) and soul (perfect, eternal).

Theory of Forms

The true reality exists beyond the physical world in perfect, unchanging ideas or Forms.

Dualism (Plato)

Humans are composed of a body (temporary) and a soul (divine and eternal).

St. Augustine

- Believed man has a bifurcated nature: part lives in the imperfect world, and part reaches toward the divine.

Body and Soul (Augustine)

The body is mortal, bound to die; the soul is immortal and yearns for eternal union with God.

Immaterial Self

The self is an inner, immaterial "I" with self-awareness and the ability to know truth.

Soul's Abilities

St. Augustine: The soul can think scientifically, reason, and connect with God through the mind.

Divine Connection

One can know God by tuning into the soul, not through the external world.

Soul After Death

The soul can exist eternally in a realm of spiritual bliss with the all-transcendent God.

Human Goal (Augustine)

The ultimate goal is communion with God through virtue and a righteous life on Earth.

"Know thy self"

- this statement meant for Socrates that we must choose a good life for ourselves through self-reflection and self-awareness.

- We must understand the knowledge we learn through life and others and reflect on it.

Aristotle

- The soul of a human being is the form or the structure of the human body or the human matter.

- The self is hylomorphic, that is, the self or the human person is composed of body and soul. The two are inseparable.

- A human person is the soul of rational nature animating a body. Thus, a rational soul is what defines (it is the essence of) the self.

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom."