Understanding THE SELF PDF

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Understanding the Self - Philosophical Perspective...

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UNDERSTANDING THE SELF THE SELF from Various Philosophical Perspectives PHILOSOPHY     

Study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially in an academic discipline. A particular theory that someone has about how to live or how to deal with a particular situation. Academic discipline concerned with investigating the nature of significance of ordinary and scientific beliefs - investigates the legitimacy of concepts by rational argument concerning their implications, relationships as well as reality, knowledge, moral judgment, etc. As used originally by the ancient Greeks, the term "philosophy" meant the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, and comprised ALL areas of speculative thought, including the arts, sciences and religion. Philosophical questions (unlike those of the sciences) are usually foundational and abstract in nature. Philosophy is done primarily through reflection and does not tend to rely on experiment, although the methods used to study it may be analogous to those used in the study of the natural sciences.

MUCH OF PHILOSOPHY CONCERNS WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL NATURE OF SELF:  

The Greeks were the ones who seriously questioned myths and moved away from them to understand reality and respond to perennial questions of curiosity, including the question of the self. The following are discussions of different perspectives and under- standings of the self-according to its prime movers. From philosophers of the ancient times to the contemporary period. THE PRE-SOCRATICS

The Pre-Socratics philosophers were Thales, Pythagoras, Parmenides, Heraclitus, and Empedocles. They were concerned with answering questions such as:   

What is the world really made up of? Why is the world the way it is? What explains the changes that happen around us?

THE PRE-SOCRATICS  Arché- origin or source/the “soul”/the primal matter.  The soul’s movement is the ultimate arché of all other movement.  Arché has no origin outside itself and cannot be destroyed.  Explains the multiplicity of things in the world. DO YOU AGREE THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE SOUL? DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE BOTH? WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWWEEN THE TWO?

THE ANCIENT TRIUMVIRATE A. SOCRATES (469-399 BC)           

Considered father of Western Philosophy. Plato, one of his students, kept his teachings and beliefs alive in his writing documenting Socrates incarceration and eventually his execution. Concerned with the problem of the self “the true task of the philosopher is to know oneself” “the unexamined life is not worth living” Underwent a trial for ‘corrupting the minds of the youth’ Succeeded made people think about who they are ‘the worst thing that can happen to anyone is to live but die inside’ “every person is dualistic” Man = body + soul Individual = imperfect/permanent (body) + perfect & permanent (soul) Socrates Beliefs  Wisdom is awareness of own self ignorance, especially through the acquisition of selfawareness and self-knowledge  Self-awareness and self-knowledge were key to becoming an individual who can think and analyze for himself/herself  Seeking the truth in all things by asking questions and constantly dissecting all viewpoints and ideas  Freewheel discussion with the youth of Athens- to discover or expand upon new ideas  Questioned everything Virtues 1. Humility-the quality or state of being humble (not arrogant/proud) 2. Frugality-characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources 3. Simplicity-uncomplicated Quotes  “As for me, all I know is that I know nothing.”  “False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.”  “True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.”  “Wisdom begins in wonder.” Rejected  By members of Greece’s government/sophists.  Forced to make a public apology: but quite the opposite-think for yourself and never accept a statement as truth unless you have truly researched its roots. Death Sentence  Drank hemlock-any of several poisonous herbs (as a poison hemlock or a water hemlock) of the carrot family having finely cut leaves and small white flowers  Could have escaped but did not  Die with dignity

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Poison hemlock, allegedly Socrates, is a common plant are highly toxic.

the plant used to poison the Greek philosopher sight along Ohio roadsides. All parts of this

B. PLATO (427-347 BC) 3 COMPONENTS TO THE SOUL 1. rational soul – reason & intellect to govern affairs 2. spirited soul – emotions should be kept at bay 3. appetitive soul – base desires (food, drink, sleep, sexual needs, etc.) • when these are attained, the human person’s soul becomes just & virtuous THE REPUBLIC  

It is one of the longest works of Plato. (more than 450 pages in length). It is written in dialogue form (as are most of Plato’s books), & it addresses major issues in almost all of the branches of philosophy.

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The selection in the text begins at a point in the Republic after Socrates, Glaucon, & other characters have been discussing the nature of justice and the marks of a just political system for some time.

According to Socrates (Plato), a true philosopher…  Loves the whole of wisdom and is satisfied with nothing less;  

Recognizes the difference between particular things and the essences (or forms) of which particular things are likenesses (e.g., beautiful things vs. Beauty itself); and Knows the differences between knowledge, ignorance, and opinion.

Plato argues that … Someone who really loves something must love that thing as a whole and not just some aspects of it. On that basis, he concludes that a true philosopher (lover of wisdom) must desire wisdom as a whole and not be content with having just some wisdom.

C. ARISTOTLE (427-347 BC)      

He was born in the city of Stagira. His father was a physician and served the grandfather of Alexander the Great. Married the daughter dictator’s daughter, Pythias. She died when she gave birth to their only child. He was a student of Plato. He disagreed with him in a lot of things. Tutored the son of King Phillip II for four years He has a school in Athens called Lyceum

Aristotle’s Belief 1. He argued that science could rationally treat only information gathered by senses. 2. He numbered the so-called five senses of vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. 3. He explored the nature of cause and effect.

4. He pointed out that people differ from one other living thing in their capacity for rational thought. 5. He outlined laws of associationism that have lain at the heart of learning theory for more than 2,000 years. 6. He also declared that people are more motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain – a view that remains as current today as it was in ancient Greece. Aristotle’s Arguments      

Soul – the principle which causes movement Movement – life is a movement Humans are a combinations of body (matter) and soul (form) > soul actualizes body (matter) Essence – what makes you, you. Self-Nutrition and Reproductions -autonomic biological systems = life = begins/generates & corrupts (dies) Perception -5 senses – you perceive atoms which causes your eyes, ears, nose, etc… to take –form of what you believe you are perceiving -selects focus -helps discriminate

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Thinking -reason and logic, attention, knowing and understanding

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Desire -body and soul are “in love”

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Practical Reason -discriminate -choose

Joined Plato’s Academy 

Studied under him, attending his lectures for a period of twenty years and began to lecture on rhetoric.

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Plato died in 347, but Aristotle was not designated to lead academy divergence from Plato’s teaching was too great MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

A. ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO (13 November 354 AD - 8 August 430 AD - age 75)     

‘spirit of man’ in medieval philosophy Following view of Plato but adds Christianity Man is of a bifurcated nature Part of man dwells in the world (imperfect) and yearns to be with the Divine Other part is capable of reaching immortality • body – dies on earth; soul – lives eternally in spiritual bliss with “God”

Aim:  to focus on the life of Augustine and primarily his most defining works, the Confessions and the City of God

St. Augustine Major Themes 1. Search for happiness is not easy… 2. Struggle as an adolescent to believe in God and live a virtuous life… 3. Virtue as character strengths that develop over time… 4. Sexuality and holiness = can we bridge the two? B. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (Patron Saint of Students and Universities 1227 – 1274)     

Man = matter + form Matter (hyle) – “common stuff that makes up everything in the universe” Form (morphe) – “essence of a substance or thing”; (what makes it what it is) The body of the human is similar to animals/objects, but what makes a human is his essence “the soul is what makes us humans”

MODERN PHILOSOPHY A. RENE DESCARTES          

Father of Modern Philosophy Human person = body + mind “there is so much that we should doubt” “if something is so clear and lucid as not to be doubted, that’s the only time one should believe.” The only thing one can’t doubt is existence of the self “I think, therefore I am” The self = cogito (the thing that thinks) + extenza (extension of mind/body) The body is a machine attached to the mind It’s the mind that makes the man “I am a thinking thing. . . A thing that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, refuses, imagines, perceives.”

B. JOHN LOCKE (1632-1704) His most important works:   

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689) Two Treatises of Civil Government (1689) A Letter Concerning Toleration (1689)

Major Works Essay Concerning Human Understanding     

In his Essay, Locke tries to determine the limits of our understanding, discussing the sources of human knowledge and what can and what cannot be known. He argues that people are not born with innate knowledge, but rather that their mind is a tabula rasa, a blank slate, on which the thread of experience writes. All of humanity is born equal in the realms of natural intelligence. The father of modern philosophy, expounded the theory that all knowledge should be proven as illustrated by his famous statement, "I think, therefore I am". Locke reportedly declared that he would "rather learn Descartes than Aristotle.“

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Locke developed his ideas in a very different direction than Descartes; he rejected his predecessor's conviction in the existence of innate ideas. Locke believed that man is not born with innate ideas, but rather develops his ideas by means of experience.

C. DAVID HUME (1711-1776)         

Disagrees with the all the other aforementioned philosophers “one can only know what comes from the senses & experiences” (he is an empiricist) “the self is not an entity beyond the physical body” You know that other people are humans not because you have seen their soul, but because you see them, hear them, feel them etc. “the self is nothing but a bundle of impressions and ideas” Impression – - basic objects of our experience/sensation - forms the core of our thoughts Idea – - copies of impressions - not as “real” as impressions Self = a collection of different perceptions which rapidly succeed each other Self = in a perpetual flux and movement • we want to believe that there is a unified, coherent self, soul, mind, etc. But ~~actually~~ it is all just a combination of experiences.

D. IMMANUEL KANT      

Agrees with HUME that everything starts with perception/sensation of impressions. There is a MIND that regulates these impressions. “time, space, etc. Are ideas that one cannot find in the world, but is built in our minds “apparatus of the mind” The self organizes different impressions that one gets in relation to his own existence. We need active intelligence to synthesize all knowledge and experience. The self is not only personality but also the seat of knowledge.

E. GILBERT RYLE   

Denies the internal, non-physical self “what truly matters is the behavior that a person manifests in his day-to-day life.” The self is not an entity one can locate and analyze but simply the convenient name that we use to refer to the behaviors that we make

F. MERLEAU PONTY     

A phenomenologist who says the mind- body bifurcation is an invalid problem Mind and body are inseparable “one’s body is his opening toward his existence to the world” The living body, his thoughts, emotions, and experiences are all one. If you hate this subject, Merleau-Ponty understands you....