CHAPTER

1 of the Self
Philosophical Perspective
Is love a choice or a
feeling you can't
control?
PHILOSOPH
Y
employs the inquisitive mind to discover
the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles
of everything
"Love of Wisdom'
the desire for truth by formulating never ending
questions to provide answers to every inquiry
about the nature of human existence.
PHILOSOPHICAL
FRAMEWORKS
of understanding the self
 AN UNEXAMINED
LIFE IS NOT
WORTH LIVING
For Socrates, the self is synonymous with the
soul. He believes that every human possesses
an immortal soul that survives the physical
body.

He suggests that reality consists of two

dichotomous realms:
physical realm and ideal realm
SOCRATES
 PHYSICAL
REALM
is changeable, transient, and imperfect

IDEAL REALM
is unchanging, eternal, and immortal
Socrates explains that the
essence of the self- the soul- is
the immortal entity
Socrates thus suggests that man must live an examined
life and a life of purpose and value.

The individual person can have a meaningful and happy life

only if he becomes virtuous and knows the value of himself
that can be achieved through incessant soul-searching.
Socratic Method
the so-called introspection, is a method of carefully
examining one's thoughts and emitions- to gain self-
knowledge
 THE SELF IS AN
IMMORTAL SOUL
Like Socrates, Plato believes that the self is
synonymous with the soul. His philosophy can
be explained as a process of self-knowledge
and cleansing of the soul.

He introduces the idea of a three part

soul/self:
PLATO
reason, physical appetite, and spirit or
passion
Reason
the divine essence that enables us to think deeply, make
wise choices, and achieve a true understanding of eternal
truth
Physical appetite
includes our basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst,
and sexual desire

Spirit or passion
includes basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition,
aggressiveness, and empathy.
 THEORY OF
FORMS
He introduces the concepts of the two worlds: the
world of forms (non-physical ideas) and the world
of sense (reality). According to which the world we
know through the senses is only an imitation of the
pure, eternal, and unchanging world of the forms
 THEORY OF
FORMS
Plato claims that the sensible world is
dependent on the ideal world where
the concept of the soul belongs.
 PLATONIC LOVE
We also are introduced to the ideal of “Platonic love:”
Plato saw love as motivated by a longing for the highest
Form of beauty—The Beautiful Itself, and love as the
motivational power through which the highest of
achievements are possible. Because they tended to
distract us into accepting less than our highest
potentials, however, Plato mistrusted and generally
advised against physical expressions of love.
 THE SOUL IS THE
ESSENCE OF THE
SELF
Another Greek philosopher, Aristotle, believes
that the soul is merely a set of defining
features and does not consider the body and
soul as separate entities

He introduces the three kinds of soul :

vegetative, sentient, and rational ARISTOTL
E
Vegetative Soul
includes the physical body that can grow

Sentient Soul
includes sensual desires, feelings, and emotions

Rational Soul
is what makes man human, it includes the intellect that
allows man to know and understand things
Thus, Aristotle suggests that the rational nature of the
self is to lead a good, flourishing, and fulfilling life (self-
actualization). The pursuit of happiness is a search for a
good life that includes doing virtuous actions. In saying
this, he posits that part of the rational soul is
characterized by moral virtues such as justice and
courage.
 THE SELF HAS AN
IMMORTAL SOUL
The African philosopher, Augustine, is
regarded as a saint (St. Augustine of Hippo) in
the Catholic Church. He integrates the ideas
of Plato and teachings of Christianity.
Augustine believes that the physical body is
radically different from and inferior to its
inhabitant, the immortal soul. ST.
AUGUSTINE
He ultimately came to view the body as "spouse" of
the soul, both attached to one another by a "natural
appetite." He believes that the body is united with
the soul, so that man may be entire and complete.
He believes that the soul is what governs and
defines man.
Therefore, the human person, being a creation of
God is always, geared towards the good.
Augustine espouses the significance of reflection, as
well as the importance of prayers and confessions
to arrive at a justification for the existence of God.
For him, "knowledge can only come by seeing the
truth that dwells within us." The truth of which
Augustine speaks refers to the truth of knowing
God.
 I THINK
THEREFORE I AM

French philosopher René Descartes is the

father of modern philosophy. He has brought
an entirely new perspective to philosophy and
the self. He wants to penetrate the nature of
reasoning process and understand its
relationship to the human self.
RENE
DESCARTES
 Cogito, Ergo Sum: "I Think, Therefore
I Am"
The Latin phrase Cogito ergo sum ("I think, therefore I am") is
the cornerstone of Descartes' philosophy. This statement
emerged from his method of radical doubt. In his work
Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes proposed that we
could doubt everything—our senses, the external world, even
mathematical truths—but the very act of doubting itself
required a thinking entity to do the doubting. In other words,
the fact that he was thinking, questioning, and doubting was
undeniable proof that he existed.
For Descartes, the essence of the self is its
ability to think. He defined the human self
not in terms of physical existence but in
terms of consciousness.
 THE SELF IS
CONSCIOUSNESS

John Locke (1632–1704), an influential English

philosopher, proposed a groundbreaking view of
human nature and personal identity. He rejected the
idea of innate knowledge, arguing instead that the
human mind at birth is tabula rasa, or a blank slate.
According to Locke, people are not born with pre-
existing ideas or knowledge; rather, all
JOHN LOCKE
understanding and personal identity are formed
through experience.
For Locke, self-awareness and memory are
crucial in understanding personal identity.
He argued that what makes a person the
same individual over time is not the
continuity of the body or the soul, but the
continuity of consciousness.
Locke believed that the self is primarily
constructed through sensory experiences—
what a person sees, hears, smells, tastes,
and feels. These experiences accumulate
over time, shaping a person’s thoughts,
beliefs, and identity.
For example, if a person remembers their
past actions, emotions, and decisions, they
recognize themselves as the same person
who experienced those events. However, if
memory is lost (such as in amnesia), the
continuity of the self is disrupted.
 THERE IS NO SELF

Scottish philosopher David Hume (1711–1776)

was a radical empiricist who challenged
traditional views on personal identity. He argued
that if we carefully examine our experiences
through introspection, we will find no evidence
of a permanent, unchanging self. Instead, he
proposed that what we call the "self" is merely a
bundle of different perceptions that are
constantly changing. DAVID HUME
 THE BUNDLE
THEORY
The self is not a single, unified entity.
Instead, it is a collection (or bundle) of
different perceptions, emotions, and
sensations.
There is no underlying "self" that holds
these perceptions together
 Impressions vs.
Ideas
Impressions: These are direct, vivid, and
strong experiences such as love, hate, pain,
joy, heat, and cold.

Ideas: These are weaker versions of

impressions, such as memories or thoughts
that are derived from past impressions.
 WE CONSTRUCT
THE SELF
In contrast to Hume’s skepticism, Immanuel
Kant (1724–1804) argued that the self is real
and plays an essential role in making sense of
the world. Kant believed that the self is not just a
collection of experiences; rather, it is the active
agent that organizes and interprets those
experiences.

IMMANUEL
KANT
 The Self as an
Organizing
Principle
The self is not just a passive recipient of experience
but an active constructor of reality. It operates
beyond sensory experience, using mental
categories to filter, relate, and organize information
into a coherent and unified perception of the world.
 The Self as an
Organizing
The self
Principle
functions as a regulative principle,
meaning it actively shapes and unifies our
perception of reality rather than merely reacting to
it.
The self is transcendent, meaning it can grasp
abstract ideas beyond direct sensory experience—
such as justice, love, and infinity.
 THE SELF IS
MULTILAYERED
Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud is not a
philosopher, but his views on the nature of the
self have a far-reaching impact on philosophical
thinking, as well as other disciplines such as
psychology and sociology. Freud holds that the
self consists of three layers: conscious,
unconscious, and preconscious. The conscious
self is governed by the "reality principle." SIGMUND
FREUD
 CONCIOUS SELF
(Reality Principle)
The part of the self that is aware of the present.
It operates based on rationality, logic, and
practicality. It assesses the realistic demands of
a situation and makes rational decisions to
maintain balance.
 UNCONCIOUS SELF

This is the deepest and most hidden part of the

self. It contains basic instincts (e.g., sexuality,
aggression, self-destruction).
It holds traumatic memories, suppressed
desires, and socially unacceptable thoughts.
 PRECONCIOUS
SELF
The bridge between the conscious and
unconscious. It consists of memories and
thoughts that are not immediately in awareness
but can be recalled when needed.
 THE SELF IS THE
WAY THE PEOPLE
BEHAVE
British philosopher Gilbert Ryle challenges the
traditional notion of the self, particularly the
Cartesian dualism proposed by René Descartes,
which separates the mind and body. Instead,
Ryle argues that the self is not an independent
entity but is best understood through behavior.
GILBERT RYLE
The self is not an internal, hidden, or
metaphysical substance (such as a "soul" or
"mind"). Instead, it is a set of dispositions and
tendencies—how a person habitually acts,
speaks, and responds in various situations.
Ryle challenges Descartes' famous statement,
"I think, therefore I am" (Cogito, ergo sum).
Instead, Ryle asserts": I act, therefore I am." The
self is not defined by isolated thinking but by
how a person engages with the world.
Actions, not abstract thoughts, define who we
are.