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This document provides an overview of philosophical perspectives on the concept of self. It discusses three views of the self: as innate, emergent, or integrated and developing. Several philosophers are described who represent different views, such as the self being a soul for Socrates and Plato or the mind-body dualism of Descartes. The module aims to explain the role of philosophy in understanding the self and help students develop their own philosophy of self.

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Jannelha Gallardo
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37 views

Canvas Module 1 Powerpoint

This document provides an overview of philosophical perspectives on the concept of self. It discusses three views of the self: as innate, emergent, or integrated and developing. Several philosophers are described who represent different views, such as the self being a soul for Socrates and Plato or the mind-body dualism of Descartes. The module aims to explain the role of philosophy in understanding the self and help students develop their own philosophy of self.

Uploaded by

Jannelha Gallardo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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“Know Thyself”

Module 1: Philosophical Perspective of the Self


Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module, you should be able to:


 Explain the role of philosophy in understanding the concept of self.
 Discuss the different concepts of the self from the philosophical perspective.
 Differentiate the various philosophical views of the self and identify their
similarities.
 Develop own philosophy of the self.
The Self can be viewed in 3 ways:

 Self is innate.
 Self is emergent.
 Self is integrated and developing.
Self is innate.

 The self is an important quality of humans that is present upon birth and that self-
awareness is natural.
 This view of self includes the philosophies of Socrates, Plato, Augustine, and Rene
Descartes.
Self is emergent.

 The self is an outcome of interaction with the physical as well as the social world.
 The empiricist perspectives of Aristotle , John Locke, and David Hume belong to this view
of self.
Self is integrated and developing.

 The self has various components that undergoes change through time.
 Immanuel Kant, Gilbert Ryle, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s The Phenomenology of
Perception may fall under this view of self.
Different Philosophical Views of the Self:

 Socrates
 Plato
 Aristotle
 Augustine
 Rene Descartes
 John Locke
 David Hume
 Immanuel Kant
 Sigmund Freud
 Gilbert Ryle
 Paul Churchland
 Maurice Merleau-Ponty
Socrates (Greek Philosopher)

 He inspired the youth of Athens to


“know thyself” and discover the
importance of their souls by continuous
questioning called as the Socratic
Method.
 He equates knowledge with virtue and
ignorance with vice.
 For him, “an unexamined life is not
worth living.”
Plato (Greek Philosopher)

 Student of Socrates
 Theory of Forms:
 The world of Forms (nonphysical
ideas)
 The world of Sense
 3 Basic Elements of the Soul
 Reason
 Spirit (Passion)
 Appetite (Desire)
Aristotle (Greek Philosopher)

 Student of Plato
 He suggests that anything with life has
a soul.
 Threefold nature of man:
 Vegetative (physical body)
 Sentient (sensation & emotion)
 Rational (intellect)
Augustine ( Early Christian Philosopher)
 Regarded as a saint in the Catholic
Church
 Integrated the ideas of Plato and the
teachings of the Catholic Church
 Contemplated that the soul is an
essential element which governs
and defines the human person.
 “Knowledge can only come by
seeing the truth that dwells within
us.”
Rene Descartes (French Philosopher)

 Father of Modern Philosophy


 Considered as a Rationalist
 Mind-Body Dualism
 Mind and body are distinct entities and
co-existent
 Cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore, I
am.)
John Locke (English Philosopher)

 He postulated that the human mind at


birth is a blank slate or tabula rasa.
 Sensory experience is the source of all
knowledge.
 Personal identity is made possible by
being aware of the world that our senses
perceived.
David Hume (Scottish Philosopher)

 Bundle Theory (Lack of Self)


 The self is nothing but a bundle or
collection of interconnected and
continually changing sense impressions
of what a human person is all about.
 Self-knowledge depends on one’s
conscious experience and perception.
Immanuel Kant (German Philosopher)

 He harmonized the contradicting


ideas of rationalists and empiricists.
 Knowledge can be drawn form the
integration of sensory experience
and conceptual understanding.
 The human mind is an active shaper
of experience.
 The self transcends experience.
Sigmund Freud
(Austrian Psychoanalyst)
 The self is multilayered:
 Conscious
 Preconscious
 Unconscious
 Contains repressed memories and
emotions, and instinctual drives
 The goal of psychoanalysis is to
release repressed emotions and
experiences to overcome self-
defeating behavior.
Gilbert Ryle (British Philosopher)

 The Concept of Mind


 The mind and body are intrinsically
linked; mental states and bodily actions
are one and the same.
 “I act, therefore, I am.”
 It is through one’s behavior that the self
is revealed.”
Paul Churchland
(Canadian Philosopher)
 Proponent of Eliminative Materialism
 Materialism maintains that the self is
inseparable from the brain and the
physiology of the body.
 The self is the brain.
 The physical brain and not the imaginary
mind, gives us our sense of self.
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
(French Phenomenological Philosopher)
 The Phenomenology of Perception
 The consciousness, the world, and
the human body are intricately
intertwined in perceiving the world.
 The self is embodied subjectivity.
 Perception is not merely a
consequence of sensory experience;
rather, it is a conscious experience.
Reflect:

 The are different views of prominent philosophers regarding the nature


of the self. For some philosophers, the self has an immortal soul, while
for others, it is the physical brain and a thinking thing. Other
philosophers regard the self as one’s consciousness, sensory experience,
and behavior, or a combination of these elements. Examine your
personal view about the nature of self. Recall some important
experiences you have had which will support your philosophical view.
How do you think your experiences affect your selfhood?
Go-Monilla, J., & Ramirez, N. (2018).
Understanding the self. Philippines:
C&E Publishing, Inc.

Source:
Photo credits:

windows2universe.org
philosophybasics.com
medium.com
en.wikipedia.org
gosouth.co.za
journalpsyche.org
alchetron.com
berfrois.com

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