Self from Various Perspectives - Vocabulary Flashcards

Fifty vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and ideas about the self from major philosophers and schools of thought.

Self

The core concept of personhood and identity studied across philosophical perspectives; often described as a unified being of body and mind or as a changing construct depending on theory.

Know thyself

Socrates' maxim emphasizing self-knowledge through introspection and self-examination.

Socratic dialogues

Dialogues used by Socrates to illustrate his method of seeking truth about the self and virtue; examples include Apology and Phaedrus.

The Apology

A Socratic dialogue illustrating Socrates' method and his teachings on self-knowledge and virtue.

The Phaedrus

A Socratic dialogue focusing on rhetoric, love, and the self as part of Socratic teaching.

Immortality of the soul

Plato's view that the self (the soul) is immortal and independent of the body.

Tripartite soul

Plato's theory that the self comprises three parts: reason, spirit, and appetite.

Reason

The rational part of the soul in Plato's framework.

Spirit

The spirited part of the soul in Plato's tripartite theory.

Appetite

The desires part of the soul in Plato's tripartite theory.

Harmony

In Plato, harmony among reason, spirit, and appetite leads to a virtuous life and a just society.

Virtuous life

A flourishing life achieved when the parts of the soul are in harmony (Plato).

Just society

A society formed when citizens' souls are harmonized, according to Plato.

Hylomorphism

Aristotle's idea that substances are composed of form (soul) and matter (body), yielding a body-soul unity.

Body-soul unity

Aristotle's view that self cannot be reduced to body or soul alone; they form a unified whole.

Self as composite

Aristotle's assertion that the self is a composite of body and soul and not separable.

Tabula rasa

Locke's metaphor for the mind at birth as a blank slate shaped by experience.

Personal identity

Locke's theory that self is based on consciousness and continuity through memory.

Continuity through memory

Locke's claim that identity persists as long as one remembers being oneself, despite bodily changes.

Memory

A key factor in Locke's theory of personal identity and the self.

Bundle Theory

David Hume's view that the self is a collection or bundle of perceptions and experiences.

Bundle of perceptions

Hume's phrase describing what constitutes the self.

Self as illusion

Hume's idea that the sense of a persistent self is an illusion from the flow of experiences.

Cogito, ergo sum

Descartes' proposition that thinking proves existence.

I think, therefore I am

Common rendering of Descartes' Cogito idea.

Mind-body dualism

Descartes' view that mind and body are distinct substances forming the self.

Dualism

The idea of two distinct, interacting substances (here mind and body) forming reality.

Inner self

Kant's transcendental self, the thinking agent within who experiences and reasons.

Outer self

Kant's empirical self, the observable physical aspect of a person.

Transcendental self

Kant's inner self, the source of conscious thought and self-awareness.

Empirical self

Kant's outer self, observable by others through actions and physiology.

Ego

In Freud's theory, the mediator between instinct (id) and morals (superego) within the self.

Superego

Freud's component representing internalized societal rules and morals.

Id

Freud's term for instinctual drives and desires.

Freudian self

The portion of the psyche comprising the ego, id, and superego and their dynamics.

Ghost in the machine

Ryle's phrase critiquing Cartesian dualism; the inner self is not a hidden entity.

Behavior reveals self

Ryle's claim that self is shown through actions and behaviors, not an inner essence.

Cartesian dualism critique

Ryle's rejection of a hidden inner self and emphasis on observable behavior.

Neurophilosophy

Churchland's approach that the self arises from brain activity and neural processes.

Brain activity

The brain's physical processes that shape the sense of self in Churchland's view.

Self as brain process

Churchland's claim that the self is a product of ongoing brain activity.

Embodied self

Merleau-Ponty's view that the self is shaped by the body and sensory experience.

Embodiment

The integration of body and mind in forming the sense of self.

Sense of self

An individual's felt identity through bodily experience and interaction with the world.

Interaction with environment

Merleau-Ponty's idea that self develops through engagement with the world.

No dualism

Merleau-Ponty's rejection of mind-body separation; the self is inseparable from bodily experience.

Original sin

Augustine's belief that humans inherit sin from Adam and Eve.

Grace

Augustine's concept of divine assistance enabling self-fulfillment and moral growth.

Inner conflict

Augustine's view of the self fighting between selfish desires and moral convictions.

God as source of fulfillment

Augustine's idea that self-fulfillment comes through union with God by grace.