Philosophical Perspectives of The Self
Philosophical Perspectives of The Self
Perspectives
of the self
Discuss Discuss the different concepts of the self from the philosophical perspective
Differentiate Differentiate the various concepts of the self and identify their similarities
The •
•
Critical Thinking
Argument Skills
skills •
•
Communication
Reasoning
are: •
•
Analysis
Problem Solving
What will we get out
of Philosophy?
Which will allow you to:
▪ Justify your opinions
▪ Spot a bad argument, no matter what the topic
▪ Explain to the people why they are wrong and
you are right
▪ Philosophy basically teaches how to think!
Pythagoras
The first person to use the term
Philosophy
Love of Wisdom
PHILO SOPHIA
PLATO SOCRATE
ARISTOTLE S
“KNOW THYSELF”
-Socrates
Soul
permanent
SOCRATES’ TWO DICHOTOMOUS
REALMS
PHYSICAL IDEAL
REALMS REALMS
The soul strives for wisdom and perfection, and reason is the soul’s tool to
achieve an exalted state of life
Our preoccupation with bodily needs such as food, drink, sex, pleasure,
material possessions and wealth keep us from attaining wisdom.
SOCRATES
SPIRITED SOUL
PLATO: Soul • Emotion and passion
APPETITIVE SOUL
• Basic needs
• Includes our basic biological needs such as
hunger, thirst and sexual desire
PLATO
These 3 elements of our selves are in a dynamic relationship with one another, sometimes in
conflict.
When conflict occurs, Plato believes that it is the responsibility of our Reason to sort things
out and exert control, restoring a harmonious relationship among the three elements of our
selves.
Plato believes that genuine happiness can only be achieve by the people who consistently
make sure that their Reason is in control of their Spirits and Appetites
ARISTOTLE:
“The soul is the
essence of the
self”
ARISTOTLE
SENTIENT
ARISTOTLE • Includes the sensual desires, feelings
: KINDS OF and emotions
SOULS RATIONAL
The soul is united with the body so that man may be entire and complete
Therefore, the human person being a creation of God is always geared towards the good
two (2)
distinct Extenza
The extension
entities The body
“The self is
consciousness”
-John Locke
JOHN LOCKE
▪ The human mind at birth is tabula rasa
or blank slate
There is no self
“We Construct the self”
-Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant
Ryle Gilbert
“The self is the
Brain”-Paul
Churchland
“The self is the
Brain”-Paul
Churchland
▪ The self is inseparable from the brain
and the physiology of the body
▪ All we have is the brain and so, if the
brain is gone, there is no self
▪ The physical brain and not the
imaginary mind, gives us our sense of
self
“The self is Embodied
Subjectivity”
-Maurice Merleau-
Ponty
MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY
The mind-body bifurcation that has been going on for a long time is a
futile endeavor and an invalid problem