Overview
This lecture explores key philosophical perspectives on understanding the self, covering major thinkers from Ancient Greek, Christian, Rationalist, Empiricist, Idealist, and Phenomenological traditions.
Ancient Greek Philosophical Perspectives
- Socrates emphasized self-knowledge as the foundation of ethical living; his method involved continuous questioning (Socratic method).
- Plato posited the existence of perfect, abstract Forms (ideas) and viewed the immortal soul as the true self striving for harmony among its parts.
- Aristotle argued that rationality is the human essence; self-realization and virtue come from using reason to balance extremes and achieve eudaimonia (flourishing).
Christian Philosophical Perspectives
- Saint Augustine viewed humans as flawed by original sin but capable of reason and spiritual growth; emphasized aligning with divine order (City of God).
- Saint Thomas Aquinas taught that the soul is immaterial and immortal; faith and reason are integrated paths to truth and virtue; the government should promote the common good.
Rationalist and Empiricist Perspectives
- Rene Descartes promoted Cartesian doubt and dualism (mind and body as separate); asserted "I think, therefore I am" and innate ideas.
- John Locke argued that the mind is a blank slate (tabula rasa) filled by sensory experience; personal identity relies on continuity of consciousness and memory.
- David Hume denied a permanent self, proposing the "bundle theory"—self as a collection of perceptions and experiences; emphasized skepticism and sentiment in moral philosophy.
Idealist and Phenomenological Perspectives
- Immanuel Kant claimed we cannot know things-in-themselves, only as they appear to us; reason and innate categories shape experience; promoted the categorical imperative for moral action.
- Maurice Merleau-Ponty placed bodily perception at the center of experience, viewing consciousness as embodied and self as interwoven with the world; advocated socially responsible engagement.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Socratic Method — a form of inquiry involving continuous questioning to stimulate critical thinking.
- Forms (Plato) — abstract, perfect, eternal concepts that exist beyond the physical world.
- Eudaimonia — Aristotle's concept of flourishing or highest human good.
- Original Sin — the doctrine that humans are inherently flawed from birth.
- Dualism — Descartes' idea that mind and body are two distinct substances.
- Tabula Rasa — Locke’s idea of the mind as a blank slate at birth.
- Bundle Theory — Hume’s theory that the self is a collection of perceptions.
- Categorical Imperative — Kant’s rule to act only on maxims that can be universal laws.
- Embodied Consciousness — Merleau-Ponty's idea that consciousness is fundamentally linked to the body.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Reflect on and answer the given self-reflection questions as class preparation.
- Review comparison tables of philosophers for quick reference.
- Prepare for upcoming lectures on sociological, psychological, and cultural perspectives on the self.