CHAPTER I: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS A person becomes just and virtuous when the three

PERSPECTIVES components of the soul are in harmony with each

other.
A. PHILOSOPHY
I. SOCRATES
ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO
• Philosophy and teachings of Socrates are
Dualism of Reality in the Medieval Period
widely discussed.
• St. Augustine adapts Socrates and Plato’s
Socratic Method: Understanding through
vision.
questions and answers leading to further inquiries.
Physical Realm: Represented by our
"Know Thyself"
imperfect body.
• Motto Inscription on the frontispiece of the
Ideal Realm: Represents higher truth.
Temple of Delphi.
Christian Influence: St. Augustine integrates
Epistemologically: signifies measurable
Christian metaphysics to explain his philosophy.
information about oneself.
Plato: Achieves eternal realm through
• Imperative for philosophers: living according
intellectual enlightenment.
to one's nature.
St. Augustine: Strives to achieve God
Socratic belief: Knowledge of self is inherent;
through faith and reason.
wisdom involves recollection.
The physical world serves as a proving ground for
Dialogue for Self-Knowledge
eternal destinies.
• Engagement between soul and self or
Development of Self:
teacher and student is vital.
Begins with self-presentation and self-realization.
• Socrates acknowledges his ignorance: “I
Awareness of one's identity is crucial.
Know that I Do Not Know.”
• This awareness fosters self-discovery. II. RENE DESCARTES
Philosophical Task Rene Descartes, as the father of modern
• Philosophers’ ultimate goal: to know oneself. philosophy, recognized the significant questions
Socrates asserts: “An unexamined life is not worth about human existence that early philosophers
living.” raised.
Dualism of Reality As a scientist, Descartes grounded his
Socrates believes in the dualism of reality: discussions and understanding of human existence
Body: Imperfect and changeable. through:
Soul: Perfect and unchanging. Rational inquiry
Real-world experimentation
PLATO In his well-known work, Meditations on First
• Plato supported the ideas of his teacher, Philosophy, Descartes argued:
Socrates. • One should doubt the knowledge they have
• Despite this influence, Plato struggled with obtained.
the concept of the “soul” as an immortal and • Only by collecting true, well-supported
unchanging entity. beliefs through empirical evidence can one arrive at
Tripartite Soul a well-reasoned conclusion.
Plato proposed that the soul consists of three parts: • This conclusion must be genuinely one’s own
Appetitive Soul: Includes desires, pleasure, and not influenced by others.
physical satisfaction, and comfort.
• He emphasized this in his statement: "For
Spirited Soul: Comprises basic human
once in your life, doubt, as far as possible, all
emotions such as love, anger, and ambitions.
things."
Mind (Nous): Considered to be the most
• Descartes became famous for his principle: "I
superior of the three components.
think, therefore I am," which reflected his quest for
• Superpower that controls the affairs of the
true knowledge.
self.
JOHN LOCKE Super Ego: Acts as conscience, controls the
• John Locke opposes the idea that reason is id, synthesizes morals and societal values.
the only way of understanding the self. Ego: Operates on the reality principle,
• According to Locke, the self is like an empty mediates between id and the real world, responsible
space, which will be filled with sense data gathered for decision-making.
from an individual's experiences.
• The process of reflection and analysis of GILBERT RYLE
these sense data leads to what is known as sense • Ryle postulated that one can never find the
perception. thinking "I" since it is just “a ghost in the machine.”
• The mind is never separate from the body.
DAVID HUME • The statements “I act therefore I am” and
• David Hume challenges Locke's view by “you are what you do” are based on manifested
asserting that knowledge is only possible through physical activities and behavior.
sensation and experience. • The kind of mind an individual possesses
• According to Hume, our ideas about the self depends on how it is expressed through words and
are based on impressions, which are temporary. action.
• Therefore, he concludes that there is no
persisting self. PAUL AND PATRICIA CHURCHLAND'S
Eliminative Materialism:
IMMANUEL KANT • To understand the self, one must consider
• The veracity of Hume regarding the idea of the neurological aspect.
the self as originating from one’s sensation and • Methods for studying the brain include MRI
perception is recognized by Immanuel Kant. or CT scan.
Transcendental Unity of Apperception: that the
self is also outside the body and goes beyond the The physical brain, not an imaginary mind, gives
limits of experience. individuals their sense of self. If the brain is gone,
• Hume’s notion of ideas as bundles of there is no self; the mind does not exist because it
impressions is acknowledged by Kant. cannot be experienced by the senses.
• Despite the temporary nature of ideas,
“space and time” remain and will always be part of MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY
one’s self. Phenomenology of Perception:
• Proposes that the body and mind are
III. SIGMUND FREUD intertwined and cannot be separated.
• Sigmund Freud regarded the self as the "I" • An individual’s body serves as the opening to
that includes both mental and physical actions. their existence in the world.
• The "I" is a product of multiple interactions, • Philosophy influenced by Gestalt Psychology
systems, and schemes as it undergoes continual (Wolfgang Kohler and Kurt Kofka) and Neurobiology.
change. • Merleau-Ponty emphasizes the intricate
• Difficulty arises in answering "Who Am I?" connection between consciousness, the world, and
due to changes in moral judgment, inner sensation, the human body in perceiving reality.
perception, and bodily movement.
Two models were proposed to understand
the complexity of the "I":
• Topographical Model: Divides the "I" into
Conscious (what we are aware of).
• Structural Model: Divides the self into three
dimensions:
Id: Instinctive, operates on the pleasure
principle, core of being.