The Self From Philosophical Perspective

The Self from
Philosophical
Perspective
Objectives
•Define the meaning of Philosophy
and its etymology
•Know the different categories of

Philosophy
•Discuss the different viewpoints of

famous philosophers in their
concept about the “SELF”
2
Defining
Philosophy
What is Philosophy?
Philosophy is…
…the study of general and fundamental problems concerning

matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind,
and language.
…the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and

existence, especially when considered as an academic
discipline.
…the discipline that looks for reasoned answers to certain very

abstract questions, usually left unasked in everyday life,
4
Sample Questions in Philosophy
Examples of the questions being asked in Philosophy are:
Is there an objective difference between right and

wrong?
Is the universe sustained in existence by a god?
Can we know about things that we cannot see or touch?
What is a mind?
Why do words mean what they do?
Why should we obey the state?
5
Etymology
Philosophy
from the Greek words:
PHYLOS – “love” or “to love”

SOPHIA – “knowledge”
Philosophy literally means “love for knowledge”
6
The Concept of
“Self” According
to the
Philosophers
Ancient Greeks
The Soul Is
Immortal :
Socrates and
Plato
8
Socrates
Socrates was the first thinker in Western history to
focus the full power of reason on the human self:
who we are, who we should be, and who we will
become.
• Know Thyself
• Question Everything
• Only the Pursuit of Goodness Bring Happiness
• Socratic Method: Question and Answer
9
Socrates
Socrates explains that the soul uses the body as “an
instrument of perception,” and that the soul
“rules” the body in the same way that the divine
rules the mortals.
Socrates argues that because the soul is of a

unified, indissoluble form we should not be
concerned about death because the soul is
incapable of being dispersed into nonexistence—
it must be eternal.
10
Plato
Greek philosopher of extraordinary significance in
the history of ideas. Contributed original ideas on
a wide range of issues such as morality, politics,
metaphysics, and epistemology.
Human behavior flows from three main sources:

DESIRE, EMOTION, and KNOWLEDGE
11
Plato
Tripartite Soul
Reason —Our divine essence that enables us to think

deeply, make wise choices and achieve a true
understanding of eternal truths.
Physical Appetite —Our basic biological needs such as

hunger, thirst, and sexual desire.
Spirit or Passion —Our basic emotions such as love,

anger, ambition, aggressiveness, and empathy.
12
Self : Plato
13
The Concept of
“Self” According
to the
Philosophers
Middle Ages (Neoplatonism)

St.Augustine
He considers the body a “slave” to the soul, and sees
their relation as contentious: “The soul makes war
with the body.”
“Soul and body are two things, and cannot be called a

“man” if the other did not exist”
The absolute and immutable is the Living God, the

Creator of the entire universe. To love God means
to love one’s fellowmen, and to love one’s
fellowmen means never to do any harm to another.
15
Rene Descartes
The Self is defined as a subject that thinks.
The self that has full competence in the powers of

human reason.
Having distanced the self from all sources of truth

from authority and tradition, the self can only find
its truth and authenticity within its own capacity
to think.
16
Sigmund Freud
The self continues from childhood to adulthood
Personality is determined by childhood

experiences
Structure of the Self:

1. Id: animalistic self; pleasure principle
2. Ego: executive self; reality principle
3. Superego: conscience; morality principle
17
John Locke
Personal identity is a matter of psychological
continuity.
Personal identity (or the self) is founded on

consciousness.
Locke posits an “empty” mind, a tabula rasa, which

is shaped by experience, and sensations and
reflections being the two sources of all our ideas.
18
David Hume
He rejects the notion of identity over time. There are
no “persons” that continue to exist over time,
there are merely impressions.
✗ Hume notes, there is no basis for the belief that

there is any self and believed that hat there is
no self or immortal soul in the traditional sense.
19
Immanuel Kant
Consciousness is the central feature of the self.
The consciousness is divided into:
1. Internal Self - composed of psychological states

and informed decisions; remembering our own
state, how can we combine the new and old ideas
with our mind
2. External Self - made up of ourselves and the

physical world where the representation of objects
20
Gilbert Ryle
Rejects the theory that mental states are separable
from physical states.
He concluded that adequate descriptions of human

behaviour need never refer to anything but the
operations of human bodies
His form of Philosophical Behaviourism (the belief that

all mental phenomena can be explained by
reference to publicly observable behaviour) became
a standard view for several decades.
21
SUMMARY
PHILOSOPHER CONCEPT OF SELF
Socrates and Plato The Soul Is Immortal
Saint Augustine Synthesis of Plato

and Christianity
Rene Descartes Modern Perspective on the Self
John Locke The Self Is Consciousness
David Hume There Is No Self
Immanuel Kant We Construct the Self
Sigmund Freud The Self Is Multilayered
Gilbert Ryle The Self Is How You Behave

References
Chafee, J. (2013). Consciousness, Identity, and Self.
In the Philosopher’s Way: Thinking Critically about
Profound Ideas. Pearson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy
https://philosophy.missouri.edu/undergrad/what-
philosophy
23

The Self From Philosophical Perspective

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How do Socrates and Plato view the self?

How do Socrates and Plato view the self?

What are the three parts of the soul according to Plato?

What are the three parts of the soul according to Plato?

The Self from

•Know the different categories of

•Discuss the different viewpoints of

…the study of general and fundamental problems concerning

…the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and

…the discipline that looks for reasoned answers to certain very

Is there an objective difference between right and

from the Greek words:

PHYLOS – “love” or “to love”

Philosophy literally means “love for knowledge”

Socrates argues that because the soul is of a

Human behavior flows from three main sources:

Reason —Our divine essence that enables us to think

Physical Appetite —Our basic biological needs such as

Spirit or Passion —Our basic emotions such as love,

Middle Ages (Neoplatonism)

“Soul and body are two things, and cannot be called a

The absolute and immutable is the Living God, the

The self that has full competence in the powers of

Having distanced the self from all sources of truth

Personality is determined by childhood

Structure of the Self:

Personal identity (or the self) is founded on

Locke posits an “empty” mind, a tabula rasa, which

✗ Hume notes, there is no basis for the belief that

The consciousness is divided into:

1. Internal Self - composed of psychological states

2. External Self - made up of ourselves and the

He concluded that adequate descriptions of human

His form of Philosophical Behaviourism (the belief that

Socrates and Plato The Soul Is Immortal

Saint Augustine Synthesis of Plato

John Locke The Self Is Consciousness

David Hume There Is No Self

Immanuel Kant We Construct the Self

Sigmund Freud The Self Is Multilayered

Gilbert Ryle The Self Is How You Behave

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