UNDERSTANDING THE SELF ❖ Believed that it is the duty of the

philosopher to know oneself.

PHILOSOPHY
❖ “unexamined life is not worth living”
PHILO - PHILIA – (LOVE) (strong desire for a
❖ Saw a person as DUALISTIC(every person is
particular object)
composed of body and soul)
SOPHY – SOPHIA (WISDOM) (correct application of
knowledge) ❖ Physical body – imperfect and
“lover of wisdom” impermanent
Pre-Socratic philosophers – unsatisfied with mere ❖ Soul - perfect and permanent
mythological and supernatural explanations Socratic method or Dialectic style of teaching
RATIONALISM – regards reason as the chief source - A method of inquiry by answering question
and test of knowledge by another question.
Philosophers: Socrates Plato, Kant, and Descartes Ironic process
SKEPTICSM – always in doubt and that knowledge is - To make the seeker of knowledge, clear his
uncertain mind for action.
Philosophers: Humes and Socrates - Humble and sincere confession of ignorance
EMPIRICISM – all of our knowledge comes from our Maieutic process
sensory experience - Draws the truth out of the pupils’ mind
Philosophers: Humes, Ryle, Locke, Aristotle, which is done using dialogue or
Churchland and Maurice-Ponty
conversation.
IDEALISM – the nature of reality is based on ideas,
perceptions, or consciousness rather than physical
PLATO
matter
Plato further expounded on the idea of the soul by
Philosophers: Socrates, Plato
stating that it has three parts/components:
PLATONISM – refers to the philosophical ideas and
1. The appetitive soul – responsible for the
doctrines derived from the works of the ancient
desires and cravings of a person.
Greek philosopher Plato
Philosophers: Plato 2. The rational soul – the thinking, reasoning, and
EXISTENTIALISM – emphasizes on personal judging aspect
experience and responsibility and the complexities 3. The spirited soul – accountable for emotions
of human existence. and also makes sure that the rules of reason is
Philosophers: Maurice-Ponty followed in order to attain victory and/ or
honor.
Philosophical perspectives In his work The Republic, he emphasized that all
❖ Socrates: “Un examined life is not worth three parts of the soul must work harmoniously to
living…” attain justice and virtue in a person.
❖ Plato: “The soul is immortal….”
❖ St. Augustine: “I am doubting. Therefore I ST. AUGUSTINE
am…” ❖ Considered as one of the most significant
❖ Rene Descartes: “I think therefore I am…” Christian thinkers, esp. in the development
❖ John Locke: “The self is consciousness…” of the latin Christian theology.
❖ David Hume: “There is no self…” ❖ His idea of the “self” merged that of Plato
and the then-new Christian perspective,
❖ Immanuel Kant: “We construct the self…”
which led him to believe in the duality of a
❖ Gilbert Ryle: “The self is the way people
person.
behave…” ❖ He believes that there is an imperfect part
❖ Maurice Jean Jacques Merleau-Ponty: “The of us that is connected to the world
self is embodied subjectivity…” and yearns to be with the divine. There is
❖ Paul Churchland: “The self is the brain…” also a part of us that is not bound
by this world and, therefore, attains
SOCRATES immortality
❖ Provided a change of perspective ❖ The imperfection of the body incapacitates
❖ Systematic questioning of the self it from thriving in the spiritual communion
 with God, thus, it must die for the soul to ❖ the self is a combination of experiences of a
reach the eternal realm. However, this person. Experiences can be categorized
communion of the soul with God can only into:
be attained if the body lives in this world 1. Impressions – real/actual experiences
with virtue. or sensations
2. Ideas – copies of
RENĖ DESCARTES impressions/representations of the
❖ Father of modern philosophy world and sensations, like love, faith
❖ Argues that a person should only believe
the things that can pass the test of doubt. IMMANUEL KANT
❖ “Discourse on the method” and ❖ One of the most influential philosophers in
“Meditations on First Philosophy” Modern Western philosophy.
❖ A person cannot doubt the existence of ❖ He thinks that reason, not mere
his/her self. Because even doubt about the experience, is the foundation of
self proves that there is a thinking/doubting knowledge.
self (“cogito ergo sum’) ❖ The “self” organizes or experience into
❖ Believes that to doubt is to think. something meaningful.
❖ The self is a combination of 2 distinct ❖ Said that every person has an inner and
entities outer self comprising consciousness.
1. Cogito ergo sum – the things that ❖ the intellect and psychological state of a
think(mind) which is the proof of being is what we call the inner self while
human existence. the outer self is made of the senses and the
2. Extenza – an extension of the physical self.
mind(body) ❖ The object of the inner self is the ‘soul’
❖ The body is like a machine that is controlled while the outer self is directed to the
by the mind and aided by the mind. ‘body’.

JOHN LOCKE
❖ English philosopher
❖ His works as a physician provided him with
an idea that deviated from the duality of GILBERT RYLE
the body or soul. ❖ Focused on observable behavior in
❖ A person’s mind is a blank state (tabula defining the self.
rasa) at birth. ❖ “A person, therefore lives through two
❖ This “self” cannot be found in the soul nor collateral histories, one consisting of what
the body but in one’s consciousness happens in and to his body, and other
(Nimbalkar 2011). consisting of what happens in and to his
❖ Stated that personal identity or the self is
mind. The first is public, the second
found in the consciousness.
private.”
❖ Identified the brain as comprising the
consciousness that has one’s identity. ❖ Does not adhere to the idea of duality and
sees the self as an entirely of thoughts,
DAVID HUME emotions and actions of a person that
❖ A Scottish philosopher and an empiricist relates to observable behavior.
❖ Believed that all concepts and knowledge ❖ We get to know others by observing their
come from the senses and experiences. behavior and inferring about their “selves”
❖ Argued that there is no self beyond what
can be experienced. MARICE MERLEAU PONTY
❖ We do not know others because we have ❖ a leading existentialist and
seen/touched their souls: we know them phenomenologist
because of what we can actually observe.
❖ The “self” according to him is a “bundle or
collection of different perceptions”
 ❖ states that mind and the body are
interconnected with each other and
therefore, cannot be separated.
❖ All experiences are embodied

PAUL CHURCHLAND
❖ A Canadian philosopher known for his
studies in neurophilosophy and philosophy
of mind
❖ He further utilized knowledge from other
academic and research fields to talk about
the self as well as the mind.
❖ One of those who proposed the use of
“eliminative materialism” or eliminativism”
❖ The self is the brain
❖ “Eliminative materialism” or
“Eliminativism” old terms used to
described the mind are outdated.
LESSON 2

Society – a group of people sharing the same culture

and typically interacting in a definite territory.

Culture is commonly divided into;

● Material Culture – attires, tools, weapons,
architectural designs, religious implements
● Nonmaterial culture – the belief systems,
the values, the norms or expected
behaviors, as well as the shared language
and symbols.
Culture – described as a group of people’s way of life
which includes behaviors, values, beliefs and
symbols that they accept