[USELF] LESSON 1 - THE SELF

SELF

You are living by consciousness of your own experiences, thoughts, and feelings, which shapes your identity and influences your decisions.

SELF

We have our own identity, and we are unique — one cannot be another person.

IDENTITY

“BEING” anything that exists.

PERSON

Human or individual; personality of a human being

PHILOSOPHY

The study of knowledge and wisdom.

“The Queen of All Sciences”

Philosophy

PHILO

Love

SOPHIA

Wisdom

SOCRATES

Philosopher from Athens, Greece / Greatest influence on European thought

SOCRATES

He had a unique style of asking questions called the Socratic Method or dialect method.

SOCRATES

He was not able to write any of his teachings, but he is known from the writings of his student Plato.

“Know Thyself” - Socrates

Knowing oneself should be more than the physical self.

“Self is dichotomous” — composed of two things:

1. Physical Realm (body) - aspects in the material world (temporary)

2. Ideal Realm (soul) - soul and intellectual essence (immortal)

SOCRATES

“An unexamined life is not worth the living”

PLATO

Student of Socrates / Introduced the three part soul/self

1. REASON (Head)

Enable humans to think deeply, make wise choices, and true understanding of eternal truths. It is the divine essence.

2. PHYSICAL APPETITE (Lower torso)

Basic biological needs of human being such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desire. It is short term.

3. SPIRIT OR PASSION (Chest)

Basic emotions of human being such as love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness, and empathy.

ST. AGUSTINE

Christianity’s first theologian

ST. AGUSTINE

“The physical body is different from the immortal soul” — the body serves as the cage of the soul

“The human nature is composed of two realms” — St. Agustine

1. God as the source of all reality and truth.

2. The sinfulness of a man.

ST. AGUSTINE

“Real happiness can only be found in God.”

RENE DESCARTES

French philosopher, mathematician, and founder of modern philosophy

RENE DECARTES

cogito, ergo sum — “I think, therefore I exist”

“I think, therefore I exist”

In order to gain true knowledge, one must doubt everything even own existence.

KNOWLEDGE

Knowing something is true

WISDOM

Knowing what to do with that knowledge

JOHN LOCKE

English philosopher and a physician

“Tabula Rasa” or Blank State — John Locke

Nurture side of human development

JOHN LOCKE

“Our consciousness connects us to our past and present”

JOHN LOCKE

1. It is important to find out what it means to be a person to discover the nature of personal identity.

2. A person is a thinking, intelligent being who has the ability to reason and reflect.

3. A person is someone who is same thing in different times and different places.

DAVID HUME

Scottish philosopher and empiricist

DAVID HUME

“There is no self”

DAVID HUME

It is found that there are only two distinct entities “Impressions” and “Ideas” by carefully examining the contents of our experiences.

IMPRESSIONS

Basic sensations of our experience (pain, pleasure, heat, cold, etc…)

IDEAS

Copies of impressions that include thoughts and images that are built up from variety of relationships.

DAVID HUME

“Self does not exist because all of the experiences that a person may have are just perceptions and this includes the perception of self.

SIGMUND FREUD

Australian psychologist / Father and founder of Psychoanalysis

DUALISTIC VIEW OF SELF — Sigmund Freud

1. Conscious Self (reality principle)

2. Unconscious Self (pleasure principle)

PROVINCES OF THE MIND — Sigmund Freud

Conscious and Unconscious

THREE LEVELS OF THE MIND — Sigmund Freud

1. Id - primarily based on the pleasure principle (ex. I want it now.)

2. Ego - based on the reality principle (ex. What is practical?)

3. Superego - learning the difference between right and wrong, called the moral principle (ex. What is right?)

Responsible for balancing Id and Superego / Uses defense mechanisms when stressed

EGO

TWO KINDS OF INSTINCT — Sigmund Freud

1. Eros (life instinct) - energy is called libido (thirst, hunger, and sex)

2. Thanatos (death instinct) - destruction (aggression and violence)

GILBERT RYLE

British analytical Philosopher

GILBERT RYLE

“Self is best understood as a pattern of behavior”

GILBERT RYLE

“The tendency or disposition for a person to behave in a certain way in certain circumstances.”

IMMANUEL KANT

German philosopher

IMMANUEL KANT

He made great contribution in metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics

IMMANUEL KANT

“It is the self that makes consciousness for the person to make sense of everything.”

IMMANUEL KANT

“One that help every individual gain insight and knowledge.”

MAURICE MERLEAN - PONTY

French philosopher and phenomenologist

MAURICE MERLEAN - PONTY

“The division between the “mind” and the “body” is a product of confused thinking.

MAURICE MERLEAN - PONTY

“Perceptions occur existentially — consciousness, the world, and the human body are all interconnected as they mutually perceive the world.”