Understanding The Self

Lesson 1: From the Perspective of Philosophy

September 15-16, 2021

From the Perspective of Philosophy - Socrates held the belief that he himself was
unaware of the truth and did not possess any
- In man’s pursuit of knowledge and truth, tangible knowledge. The philosopher
thinkers for centuries have searched for thought that conventional knowledge was
explanations and reasons for everything that not necessarily the truth. He also held the
exists around him. In Athens of Ancient conviction that truth and knowledge had to
Greece, approximately 600 BCE, marked be discovered.
the birth of Philosophy as it influenced
Western thought and still has until today. THE SOCRATIC METHOD
Questions centered on the universe and what
possible role man may play in it. This method involves the search for the
correct/proper definition of a thing.

“I cannot teach anybody anything, I can

PHILOSOPHERS UNDER THE only make them think.”
PERSPECTIVE OF PHILOSOPHY
- His goal was to stimulate their minds, ask
them questions and have discourses that will
lead to them finding their proper definition
SOCRATES of something.

“Understanding comes within you.”

- It is you who can understand your own self

and it is you who would seek for your
deepest nature and find out your own
meaning behind the questions.

SOCRATES’S VIEW OF

HUMAN NATURE

- Often considered as the father of the - Socrates’ influence was reflected in his
Western philosophy, Socrates is as famous famous statement which he fully lived by,
as unknown, but he remains an enigmatic
character because he left us no writings. His “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
philosophy is primarily based on the idea - His Socratic method allowed him to
that dialogue can uncover knowledge and question people’s belief and ideas, exposing
that individuals only commit virtuous acts if their misconceptions and get them to touch
they are aware of what is good and what is their souls. The touching of the soul, may
evil. mean helping the person get in touch with
true self.
Understanding The Self
Lesson 1: From the Perspective of Philosophy
September 15-16, 2021

PLATO 2. The Spirited: to experience emotional

feelings.

3. The Appetites: the desire for pleasures of

the human body.

PLATO’S THEORY OF LOVE AND

BECOMING

“Allegory of the Cave”

The physical world that we know of is not

really the ‘real’ world. Instead, ultimate
- Aristocles or famously known as "Plato," reality — otherwise known as the spiritual
grew up in the Greek city-state of Athens world — exists beyond the physical realm.
during the classical period of ancient
Greece. Theory of Being

- His real name 'Aristocles' means "the best A supposition that the physical world is a
glory" derived from (aristos) meaning "best" mere shadow of the true reality within the
and (kleos) meaning "glory." He was Realm of Forms.
nicknamed 'Plato' because of his physical - For Plato, each individual encompasses a
built, which means "Wide/Broad.“ perfect set of Forms within their immortal
- Plato founded the first European soul that constitutes true knowledge. Thus,
university, "The Akademia" or "The the more the person knows, the better he is.
Academy." - Subsequently, these ‘forms’ that Plato are
PLATO'S VIEW ON HUMAN NATURE pertaining to are unchanging, abstract
concepts that transcend time and space and
- The famous philosopher believed that all collectively exist in the spiritual world or
humans are composed of two parts; the Realm of Forms.

1. The body How can people get out of the cave and
submerge into the Realm of Forms?
2. The soul
Plato’s Symposium
- Plato describes the soul as having three
parts: “Love is the way by which a person can
move from a state of imperfect knowledge
1. The Reason: to use their cognitive
and ignorance to a state of perfection and
functions.
true knowledge.”
Understanding The Self
Lesson 1: From the Perspective of Philosophy
September 15-16, 2021

Therefore, the greater the love, the - Love for other people is not lasting and
more intellectual component it will excessive love for them is the sin of jealousy
contain.
- Love for the self leads to the sin of pride

- Love for God is the supreme virtue and

ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO only through loving God, can man find real
happiness.

RENE DESCARTES

- St Augustine is one of the known Latin’s

Father of the Church (Roman Catholicism)
and was the bishop of Hippo, now this place
is called Annaba, Algeria.

ST. AGUSTINE’S VIEW OF HUMAN

NATURE
- Rene Descartes is known as the Father of
- After all his internal and worldly personal Modern Philosophy.
battles, Augustine became a priest and a
- Rene Descartes was born March 31, 1596,
bishop of Hippo. His thoughts focused on
La Haye, Touraine, France—died February
two (2) realms:
11, 1650, Stockholm, Sweden, he was a
1. God as the source of all reality and French mathematician, scientist, and a
truth. philosopher

2. The sinfulness of man. - He is well-known for establishing a direct

correlation between geometry and algebra,
allowing geometrical problems to be solved
using algebraic equations. He is also notable
THE ROLE OF LOVE
for promoting a new understanding of
Greeks: “Man searches for happiness” matter, which allowed mechanical
explanations to be used to account for
- Love of Physical objects leads to the sin of physical phenomena.
greed
Understanding The Self
Lesson 1: From the Perspective of Philosophy
September 15-16, 2021

- However, he is most known for his very THE MIND-BODY PROBLEM

brief work, Meditationes de Prima
Philosophia (Meditations on First - He saw the self as a separate thing, distinct
Philosophy), which was published in 1641 from the body, made up of soul and mind.
and gives a conceptual foundation for the
feasibility of the sciences.
JOHN LOCKE (1632-1704)
- He was among the first to reject Scholastic
Aristotelianism, because he developed the
first modern version of mind-body dualism,
which gave rise to the mind-body problem,
and because he encouraged the development
of a new science based on observation and
experimentation.

DESCARTES’ SYSTEM

- Descartes came up with a system using - John Locke was hugely influential English
principles that were true and related to each philosopher of the 17th century whose ideas
other in a clear and meaningful way. As he to particularly in the realm of political
turned into mathematics and through math, philosophy still hugely relevant today born
he discovered that the human mind has two in 1632.
powers:
- Key Enlightenment Figure
1. Intuition.
- Born in 1632, Locke is important figure of
2. Deduction. the early European enlightenment.

DESCARTES’ VIEW OF HUMAN 1. Epistemology

NATURE
2. Political philosophy
- The first principle of his philosophy:
3. Religious toleration
“I think, therefore I am.”
“ No man’s knowledge here can go
- The phrase of Descartes’ legacy is best beyond his experience”
known in its Latin formulation, “Cogito,
Theory of mind
ergo sum,” though originally written in
French, “Je pense, donc je suis”.
Understanding The Self
Lesson 1: From the Perspective of Philosophy
September 15-16, 2021

The mind is a ‘ Tabula rasa’

(Blank slate)

- Locke was the first to find the self through

continuity consciousness, arguing that the
mind was a tabula rasa (blank slate)
Glorious Revolution (1688)
Political Philosophy

Civil War

(1642-1651)
Bill of Rights (1689)

Commonwealth

(1649-1660)

Restoration (1660)
Understanding The Self
Lesson 1: From the Perspective of Philosophy
September 15-16, 2021

Locke Vs. Absolutism

(Unlike Hobbes)

- In such condition’s government arises

since individuals see the benefits which can
be gained by relinquishing a number of their
rights to central authority.

- It shows that Locke, himself to be strongly

against absolutism in contrast to Hobbes and “Life, Liberty and Property”
in favor of the separation of church and
state.

Social Contract Theory

An individual is born into a “ State of

Nature”

Each person has God-given natural rights

These right are not subject to any kind of

Separation of Powers
government

Human nature is selfish, but characterized

by reason and tolerance

- Revolution is not only a right, but an

obligation in some circumstances
This state of nature is unstable, and
- Locke the “ Father of Liberalism”
individuals are at risk from physical harm.
Understanding The Self
Lesson 1: From the Perspective of Philosophy
September 15-16, 2021

- “ The end of Law is not abolish or restrain, - Hume also considers that the scientific
but to preserve and enlarge freedom.” method as reliable enough.

Religious Toleration IMMANUEL KANT (1724-1804)

- 17th Century Wars of Religion

- Locke was a Protestant

- Thought the bible was in agreement with

human reason

- Against enforcing religion and coercing

uniformity

- Against tolerating atheism as this would - Immanuel Kant was hugely influential
lead to chaos English philosopher of the 17th century
whose ideas to particularly in the realm of
political philosophy still hugely relevant
today born in 1632.
DAVID HUME (1711-1776)
KANT’S VIEW OF THE MIND

- Rationalism

- The view that regards reason as the chief

source and test of knowledge

- Empiricism

- The view that all concepts originates in

experience.

- David Hume was a Scottish philosopher - Kand & Transcendal Idealism

born in Edinburg, Scotland. As he got into
The mind is active, not passive.
his school, his faith in his religion vanished.
He did not trust any religious information, -but… “99% of what we see does not come
and almost all other than Philosophy and through the eyes.”-Henry Markram (TED)
General Knowledge.
Objects conform to reason.
- Hume became known because of his
comprehensive innovation of empiricism. -consciousness is a matrix which
manipulates and organizes the manifolds of
perception.
Understanding The Self
Lesson 1: From the Perspective of Philosophy
September 15-16, 2021

KANT’S VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE - Sigmund Freud is an Australian

AND THE SELF neurologist and is still considered as one of
the pioneering figures in the field of
- A self must exist according to Kant’s or psychology. Although Freud was a
there could be no memory or knowledge. psychologist, his psychodynamic theory has
Transcendental Apperception. characteristics of philosophical thoughts.

Transcendental - According to Freud’s psychoanalythic

theory of personality, it argues that human
- Presupposed in or necessary to experience behavior is the results of the interactions
among the three component parts of the
; a priori
mind; the id, ego, and superego.
Apperception
Freud compares the mind to an
- The mental process by which a person iceberg.
makes sense of an idea by assimilating it to
the body of ideas he or she already processes

KANT’S VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE

AND THE SELF

- All object of knowledge which includes

the self, are phenomenal fact (an observable
fact).

- God is within man. ID

-Instincts
SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939) EGO

- Reality

SUPEREGO

- Morality

Two systems of Superego

- Conscience

- Ideal Self (Ego Ideal).

Understanding The Self
Lesson 1: From the Perspective of Philosophy
September 15-16, 2021

SIGMUND FREUD’S VIEW OF Philosophy at Christ Church, Oxford in

HUMAN NATURE 1925.

- Freud’s psychoanalysis sees man as a - A year later, he became a tutor yet still
product of his past lodged from within his remained at Christ Church until World War
subconscious. II

- Libido (Pleasure Principle) - He remained at Oxford for his entire

academic career.
- Thanatos
- A year later, he became a tutor yet still
GILBERT RYLE remained at Christ Church until World War
II He remained at Oxford for his entire
academic career.

- He was President of the Aristotelian

Society from 1945-1946

- Editor of the Philosophical Journal Mind

from 1947 to 1971

- Stigmatized the mind as the, "Ghost in the

Machine”

- He contradicted the idea of Cartesian

- 20th Century British Philosopher, mainly Dualism
associated with the Ordinary Language
- He is the Author of the book, “The
Philosophy movement.
Concept of the Mind ”, 1949
- His father was a doctor but also a
- In his book, Ryle stated that dualism
generalist who had interests in philosophy
“involves category mistakes and is a
and astronomy, and passed on to his children
philosophical nonsense”.
an impressive library, and the young Ryle
grew up in an environment of learning. - He also stated that many of the
philosophical problems were caused by the
- In 1919, he went to Queen's College,
wrong use of language
Oxford, initially to study Classics, but
eventually he was drawn to Philosophy.

- In 1924, He graduated with first class

honors and was appointed to a lectureship in
Understanding The Self
Lesson 1: From the Perspective of Philosophy
September 15-16, 2021

- The category mistake in Cartesian Dualism - Patricia Churchland is a Canadian-

was in applying properties to a non-material American philosopher who invented a new
in applying properties to a non-material term which is “Neurophilosophy” alongside
thing that are logically and grammatically with her husband Paul Churchland.
appropriate only for a category of material
What is Neurophilosophy?
things.

RYLE’S VIEW ON HUMAN NATURE The first word is neuro that deals with the
AND KNOWLEDGE study of nervous system and philosophy is
the love of wisdom in search for the truth.
- Ryle agrees with Kant who stated that
It is the philosophy of neuroscience is the
freewill involves a moral responsibility
study of the philosophy of mind, the
which further assumes that man’s actions
philosophy of science , neuroscience and
must be moral for it to be free.
psychology.
- According to Gilbert Ryle there are two
Modern scientific inquiry looks into the
types of knowledge:
application of neurology to the old-age
1. Knowing - that problem of philosophy which is the mind
body problem
2. Knowing – how
CHURCHLAND’S VIEW OF HUMAN
- The former refers to knowing
facts/information and the latter to using facts NATURE
in the performance of some skill or technical
abilities . - Contentions that are forwarded by
neurophilosophy resulted from cases where
- A person may acquire a great bulk of individual's deviant thoughts, feelings and
knowledge but without the ability to use it to actions stemmed from anomalies/aberrations
solve some practical problems to make his in the brain's anatomy and physiology. It
life easier, this bulk of knowledge is deemed seems that what and who the person is i.e
to be worthless how he makes decisions, controls impulses
and how he sees himself is largely
PATRICIA AND PAUL
determined by his neurons, hormones and
CHURCHLAND
overall genetic make-up.
Understanding The Self
Lesson 1: From the Perspective of Philosophy
September 15-16, 2021

-What do all these data mean in terms of the - He completed his philosophy education.
person's task of understanding himself?
MERLEAU-PONTY’S VIEW OF
These data provide information on how
normal brain functioning facilitates accepted HUMAN NATURE AND THE SELF
social behavior and how a compromised CONCEPT OF THE BODY-SUBJECT
brain gives rise to aberrant behavior AND CONTENDED
patterns.
- In this concept of Merleau - Ponty, it is
- Human nature is complicated. Man is stated that the perception of humans occurs
endowed with more than just physical or existentially. Which means that the
neurological characteristics. Despite consciousness, the world, and human body
research findings, neurophilosophy states are all interconnected entity as they mutually
that the self is real, that it is a tool that helps perceive the world.
the person tune-in to the realities of the brain
and the extant reality. It can malfunction but PHENOMENOLOGY OF
can also allow human beings to do amazing PERCEPTION
things. It was also mentioned, that man is a
work of art, constantly evolving and at the - Nature of man’s perceptual contact with
same being molded by experiences of the the world. Phenomenology provides a direct
world. description of the human experience while
perception forms the background of the
MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY experience which serves to guide man’s
conscious actions.

“THE MIND AND BODY ACT AS

ONE SYSTEM”

- Physical body is an important part of the

self/He also asserted that what your mind
perceives it will be enacted by your body

- When perception towards a particular

object takes place, the perception is not
- Maurice Merleua-Ponty was born on constant. “Merleau - Ponty” (Differences)
March 14th 1908. -------------------END------------------------
- Maurice Merleu-Ponty was a French
phenomanalogical whose thoughts were
greatly influenced by Edmund Husseri and
Martin Heidegger.