UTS-final-notes - Understanding the self PDF

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Understanding the self...

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Self is about individuality, It is composed of dif ferent qualities and experiences that makes an individual dif f erent f rom another The self is sometimes understood as a unified being essentially connected to consciousness, awareness, and agency.

We acknowledge that we are part of culture hat we are in and that’s why we act the same as how people are doing by society Our actions are ref lections of how people acts *To facilitate the issues of self and identity to arrive a better understanding of ourselves Reflective Self: − −

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It’s when you sit yourself down, rationalize and process your experiences and thoughts. At the end of the day, we can be aware of who we actually are and to have better decisions in our lives. Awareness and Acceptance

Positive Self: −

This is a process and something that you should be patient with.

Agentic-Proactive Self: −

This is not mediocrity. When you have potential and not exerting it at its utmost po tential then it’s a travesty.

Dif ferentiate how a westerner and easterner thinks

Our reactions are responses to how they act

PHILOSOPHICAL SELF What do you hope to learn? These monolithic f igures f rom Easter Island suggest the contemplative nature of philosophy, which can help you grapple with the big questions of lif e. They were emersed into understanding the things around them. Presocratic era people were already understand the things around them

emersed

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2 school of thoughts: Thales of Miletus (Vitalistic View/ Essence of Lif e View) − −

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All things are animated (moves) and living, thus all things have lives He rubbed 2 objects (2 rocks) and there’s static energy which pulls, then he drew the conclusion that things are animated and have lives. Things have power to move given the right way to make it happen Living things posses lif e and the soul is actually separate and distinct from its physical constituents

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A Dynamic Process “The beginning of philosophy is . . . the conflict between opinions” —Epictitus

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Wisdom “Philosophy is simply the love of wisdom” — Cicero

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Truth “Philosophy is the science that considers the truth” —Aristotle

PHILOSOPHY- love of wisdom • Philo – love • Sophia- wisdom Wisdom- you apply your knowledge in your experiences and virtue to have good judgement and act on that certain problem wisely − Understand the things around us Knowledge- f acts Wise men- has ability to use knowledge complex problems

Democritus (Mechanistic View) − − −

He introduced the idea of atoms Prime mover The reason of movements is because of atoms

Studying philosophy will help you develop the understanding and insight you will need to make intelligent choices and f ulf ill your potential as an individual. To use a metaphor, you are an artist, creating your life portrait, and your paints and brush- strokes are the choices you make each day. How do you f eel about the portrait you have created so f ar? Have you defined yourself as the person you always wanted to be, or are you a “work in progress”? Are you achieving your full potential as a human being, “actively exercising your soul’s powers”—

It is pursuit of wisdom, because we try to be wise more than knowledgeable

It will ignite ourselves to critically examine our own beliefs and even our own assumptions with the ideas of the philosophers

Socrates

The f irst questions they we asking: • “what is the essence of things” • “what makes a thing a thing”

He brought philosophy in a discussion by asking questions and interplaying ideas by his students which made the people as critical thinkers. He didn’t write his discussions

What is philosophy? ➢ −

Wonder “All philosophy has its origins in wonder” —Plato

Dynamic process- will change how u think things

Socratic Method:

Socrates- the philosopher of the philosopher Plato- his student Personal lif e

Sculpture: he was sculpting minds of students to give birth to their own understanding by asking them questions He was helping them to sculpt their mind to help them shape their understanding He encouraged people to examine themselves Unexamined life is not worth living

and justly in every area of their lives. These people create souls that are good, wise, and courageous and as a result they achieve genuine and lasting happiness. Soul: − −

core identity, authentic personality, distinctive personality, distinct thoughts immortal and imperishable and continue to live in other world

If you don’t ref lect on your own lif e and ways, then your lif e is not worthliving Self knowledge, self examination is the key inorder to be wise and virtuous Socrates probably came closest to capturing the essence of philosophy when he issued a startling challenge that has reverberated through the centuries: “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

For Socrates, goodness and wisdom were partners, inextricably connected at their roots. He believed that virtue and excellence of the soul is the consequence of knowledge and wisdom . It is by determined and clearheaded thinking that we develop an understanding of the rigorous standards of conduct that humans should f ollow, individually and socially. By training our minds to explore the central questions in lif e regarding justice, morality, and goodness, we cannot help but become good persons ourselves

The ability to ref lect on one’s lif e and one’s self is a distinctly human ability. The unexamined life is not worth living. Socrates was convinced that we have a moral obligation to achieve our f ull human potential, “actively exercising our soul’s powers. When we live our lives unref lectively, not actively exploring deeper questions such as “Who am I?” and “What is the meaning of my life?” then our lives have diminished value. Philosophy provides us with the intellectual tools to reflect with clarity and discipline, to critically evaluate the choices we have made, and to use this knowledge to make more enlightened choices in the f uture. The stakes are high: If we f ail to make use of this unique ability to think philosophically about ourselves, then, according to Socrates, our lives have diminished potential. Socrates believed that his special wisdom consisted in his ability to stimulate and guide others in the philosophical exploration of prof ound questions, enabling them to “give birth” to their own understanding. For Socrates, the central concern of philosophy is the psyche, the “true self” or “soul.” What is the soul? It is your core identity, your unique spirit that makes you distinctively you. This is your authentic personality, your distinctive character. Your soul is the source of your deepest thoughts and highest aspirations, the unique life f orce that shapes and def ines itself through choices made on a daily basis. According to Socrates, your soul is “immortal and imperishable, and after death should continue to exist in another world.” Every soul seeks happiness, Socrates believes, and there is a clearly def ined path to achieving happiness, though many don’t choose to take it. The only people who are truly happy are those who are virtuous and wise, who live ref lective, “examined” lives and strive to behave rightly

When u become wise u become good (result of self examination) His parents work: sculptor and midwife Socrates was the wisest among all philosophers: He Was tagged as the philosopher philosophers Oracle of Delphi: who among is the wisest I know that I do not know, that’s why I endeavor to know Acknowledging that you don’t know is being wise, because this is an acknowledgement of ignorance He who knows he’s a fool if not a great f ool

PLATO (what is important is your soul not your body) In discussing essence, he spoke of a world of Forms and a world of Phenomena. The first is permanent and eternal; the second is constantly changing, and it dies and withers. For example, the chair as perceived may come in diff erent shapes and sizes, but the f orm or the idea of a chair is constant and its existence independent, real, and eternal. The f orm of the chair is its essence. world of idea/form world of sense/phenomena 2 worlds 1. World of f orm(world of idea) − Constant, prevalent, perf ect − existence is not dependent of other things 2. − − −

phenomena changing withers and dies What’s present in phenomena are only a copy or world idea

Example: chair A chair perceived by many has a constant idea of how a chair is that’s to be seated What actually world of phenomena is the variety of that chair Objects are essentially or really the Form and that the phenomena are only mere shadows mimicking the f orm, momentary portrayals of the f orm under dif ferent circumstances. PSYCHE (soul) - the one who comprehends the world of f orm; and that’s soul A person’s soul (lif e’s essence or form), as Plato thought of it to be, is the instrument upon which individuals comprehend f orms. For him, education is reminiscing; that is, learning is a matter of extracting from our mind that which is already there. Put simply, knowledge is already within the self, and we could understand the world around us through reason and thoughtf ul introspection. The idea that the self contains knowledge connects well with the Socratic dictum “Know thyself ” Soul is part of f orm We already have preexisting knowledge about world of idea that’s why we only have to go back to reminisce, or through introspection

It reinf orces the examination of one’s own lif e. According to Plato, self -examination leads to a better understanding not only of the self but also of the world. Plato provides dif ferent depictions of the structure of the soul. Adhering to the vitalistic perspective, he describes the soul as unitary to emphasize its vital principle. Also, he holds a dual view of the soul; that is, it has rational and irrational aspects. He points out that humans have both reason and a “wild beast” deep inside of them that needs to be controlled. Theleus milletus (vitalistic) If there’s soul, there’s life If there’s lif e, there’s soul Lastly, the soul has a tripartite structure that consists of reason, spirit, and appetite. Plato distinguishes between the highly manageable self (spirited) and the unruly self (appetite) of the human’s irrational side. The tripartite structure is like a chariot drawn by two energetic horses, one of which wants to go on its own way, and the other is manageable. Holding the reins of the chariot is reason, the charioteer that does its best to direct the chariot to its goal. Structure of soul Spirited self (endeavor to reach the good side) Appetite self (irrational self/ wild self /pleasurable) Rational self (reason that lead to spirited self Consider a person whose goal is to excel academically. From the tripartite perspective, there seems to be a part of the self that is motivated to do work (spirited); the person studies hard and does homework diligently. Another aspect of the self wants to relax and do something f un (appetite). It is reason (the reasonable self) that puts the person back on track and makes one manage time ef ficiently

ARISTOTLE ➢ ➢ ➢

Aristotle adheres to a vitalistic principle of the soul or psyche that makes matter alive. Therefore, having a soul means being alive, and only living things have a soul. The soul distinguishes the living and nonliving but does not exactly define the dif f erence between the thinking and the non-thinking beings.

Soul is psyche Vitalistic principle: if there’s life; there’s soul

experience; without the body, there is no self to experience in the f irst place. ➢

Aristotle expounds f urther that the f unctions of the psyche can be divided in several ways. A commonly used division includes three f unctions, namely,

nutritive psyche; sensitive psyche; rational psyche; and it behaves in a hierarchical fashion. Without body, there is no soul or experience

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In contrast to Plato’s idea that Form exists separately and eternally, Aristotle argues that a particular object has a form that is inseparable from it (matter). Thus, there is no f orm without matter and vice versa. This is known as hylomorphism , the philosophical theory that states that things are composed of both matter and form . Following this line of thinking, the body and the psyche cannot exist without the other.

Soul is separate in contrast to Plato’s: Only the world of idea Aristotle’s Belief: Object has a f orm that is inseparable f rom the matter/ the body Hylomorphism: All material is a composite of matter and a f orm. In regards to human beings, Human beings need both the body and soul. Hylo/hyle: derivative meaning is matter (What is it made of ?) Morphy: derivative meaning is f orm (What is it? What is its essence Emphasized that there is the unity of the soul and body. Form and Matter. ➢ Doctrine of the mean/Golden mean. The need to balance everything. Finding the moderate position of the two extremes. ➢ Living a moral lif e is the ultimate goal, doing so means approaching every ethical dilemma by f inding a mean between living in excess and deficiently, taking into account one’s need and circumstance. Doctrine of the mean: There is the need to balance everything, f inding the moderate position of two extremes Find the equilibrium or middle ground of : Living in excess and deficiently, taking into account our Needs and circumstance Ex. Buying a luxurious brand or not But the ultimate Goal is still: LIVING A MORAL LIFE ➢ Through Aristotelian lens, the self is inseparable f rom the body. It can be said that the body is the sine qua non condition of the experiencing self, meaning without the body, the self cannot ➢

Body is as important as our soul since it is an instrument to reach our desires while taking into consideration our circumstance 1. 2. 3.

Nutritive Psyche (Plants, not moving- noloco motion) Sensitive Psyche (Animals, with locomotion) Rational Psyche (Humans) Highest

At the base of the hierarchy is the nutritive psyche. This is what is observed in plants involving basic nourishment and reproduction. Next, the sensitive psyche is for all animals. It includes locomotion and perception. The rational psyche, the highest of the three, is f or human beings. It refers to the capacity for reason as well as all other functions. In this sense, the f unctions of the soul are said to be nested: the higher f unctions presuppose the presence of the lower functions. Trivia Aristotle believed that the center of the soul was the heart because it reacted when one experienced joy or sorrow. Plato, however, believed that the seat of reason, the organ of the soul, was the brain because it was nearer to the heavens. In a sense, Plato was correct based on a “wrong” argument.

Roman philosopher Plotinus (204–270 CE) and St. Augustine (354 – 430 CE) are aligned with Neoplatonism. This school of thought is often linked to religious thinking. Many major religions, such as Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, are said to be inf luenced by Neoplatonism, or they have at least studied and discussed it through the centuries up to the present. Roman philosopher Plotinus Plato’s ideas had strong influence on Neoplatonism: foremost of which is the assertion that the soul is but a prisoner of the body. ➢ ➢

Founder of Neoplatonism Plotinus pushed f or the f reeing of the person f rom this bondage and to move towards perf ection.

Neoplatonism Plotinus (founder) was influenced by concepts by Plato and aff irmed and cof irmed by st Augustine Neoplatonism f amous in islam, christiniaty and Judaism Soul is superior more than the body but it is incarcerated in the body. Soul is trapped in the body (Bod y is burden of soul) the self has to endeavor for higher undertakings, meaning pursuing a life guided by values and virtues. In other words, between nourishment for the soul and demands of the f lesh, the soul “. . . shall overcome.” This is possible f or him because of his ardent belief in the superiority of the soul over the body. Plotinus posits three activities of the soul: • •

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Perception-in perceiving we direct consciousness to an object. Reflection--implies that the consciousness is split into subject and object or occasions wherein we are conscious of ourselves, sensing and perceiving Contemplation--the soul is believed to transcend the ever changing and impermanent and to enter into the unchanging and eternal.

Between nourishment for soul and demands of flesh, soul is superior. Self should endeavor to f ree the soul from its imprisonment of the body. Soul is superior than body.

Plotinus posits 3 activities of soull: 1. Perception (see) 2. Ref lection 3. Contemplation (go beyond what senses can perceive)

St. Augustine of Hippo ➢

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St. Augustine is one of the greatest Christian philosophers of all time. He was highly inf luenced by Neoplatonist thought, especially the ideas of Plotinus and Plato. He was f ull of vices and pleasure. He was f ull of vices and was a womanizer. He was the son of St. Monica. When he converted, he had already experienced the worldly life; sinf ul ways. He was then influence by neoplatonic concept because he experience what is to be living in a wordly life

➢ Note: The soul is given primacy over the body. St. Augustine shares the view that the soul is not only different from the body, but it is also superior to it. As a Christian philosopher, he asserts the need for the soul to achieve unity with God through f aith as well as reason. One interesting assertion by St. Augustine about the soul’s quest f or heaven is the need to have ‘contempt of the self .’ ➢ The self in this context represents the mundane and worldly demands and not what is represented by the soul that is capable of higher aspirations and unity with God. ➢ The soul needs to go through several steps with the end goal of freeing itself from the demands of self . Self f or him is a manif estation of selfishness. Self represents the worldly demands not with soul. ➢

Augustine describes two cities made of love: 1.

the earthly city by the love of self and contempt of God --dwells on satisfying personal gains. The self is viewed as the bastion of personal interest and gain, pride, and vanity f rom which the person must transcend if he or she desires to f ind union with the Lord. Related to the self ish self .

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the heavenly city is made out of the love of God and contempt of self ---selfless ; directed f or the benef it of others or a larger cause.

St. Thomas of Aquinas (admires the belief s of Aristotle)

MODERN PHILOSOPHY Rene Descartes ➢ ➢

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Person is both body and soul.

Rationalist Influential in ushering the new age, modern age which began f rom the transition period to Renaissance. Methodic Doubt or Universal Doubt is considered the f ather of modern philosophy. Metaphysics and Rationalism : Inevitable ground of f ortitude

He is said to have brought in a f resh look and perspective to philosophy. While many philosophers dwelled on answering f undamental questions, such as “Does God exist?”, “What is the soul’s nature?”, and “What is the ideal society?”, he was more f ocused on understanding the thought process in answering the questions.

Aquinas’s position f ollows that of Aristotle where he argues that all living things possess a soul.

I. First principle of Knowledge: Methodic Doubt/Universal Doubt

He believed that human soul continues to exist even in death. His reason is by operation of the soul whose object of thought can be the eternal or abstract entities, including perha...