PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE SELF HINDI ITO PARA SA TAMAD NA PAG-IISIP Plato (428/427 BCE-348/347 BCE)

- FR. ROQUE FERRIOLS, SJ - Plato’s concept of the Self can be derived from
his notion of the Soul.
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY?
-the true Self of the human person is the “rational
“philia” (love) +“sophia” (wisdom)
SOCRATES soul”.
=“love of wisdom" - the human person is composed of the Body and
Socrates (469–399 BCE) the Soul (dualism)
• The science of all things through the highest causes
obtained by natural reason -the forerunner of Western philosophy Body = material, destructible part.

• The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, -accused of “corrupting the youth” of Athens Soul = immaterial, indestructible part.
reality, and existence, especially when considered as an
academic discipline. -instead of choosing to be exiled, he chose death by
drinking hemlock.
• It is the pursuit of wisdom, knowledge and truth.
- philosophy must obtain practical results for the
THREE PART
greater wellbeing of the society.
Rational Soul: located in the HEAD; enables to
BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY - “KNOW THYSELF (YOURSELF)” think,reflect, analyze, etc.

1. Metaphysics (nature of reality)

Spiritual Soul : located in the CHEST; enables to
- “SELF = SOUL”
experience happiness, joy, sadness, anger, etc.
2. Epistemology (knowledge)
Socrates did not have a definite meaning of the Appetitive Soul: located in the ABDOMEN; drives
3. Logic (reasoning)
“soul”. The famous historian of philosophy the humanperson to experience pain, hunger,
4. Ethics (moral conduct)
Frederick Copleston believes that when Socrates thirst, and other physical wants.
5. Cosmology (universe) speaks of the“soul”, he meant a “thinking and willing
6. Aesthetics (beauty) subject” RATIONAL SOUL:
7. Hermeneutics (language)
8. Theodicy (God) Soul = the seat of rightness or wrongness, of goodness SUPERIOR/The true Self.
and badness. Hence, the Soul is the person’s true Self.
The Rational Soul, as the person’s true Self, is the
controller of the spiritual and appetitive soul.

PHILOSOPHY BEGINS IN WONDER. AUGUSTINE

PLATO
-Aristotle Augustine (354 CE-430 CE)
-there is a Temporary world (EARTH) and an - Father of Modern Philosophy
Eternal world (HEAVEN). - The mere fact that you doubt, it is the evidence
that you exist. Three levels of the mind/consciousness:
- The human person is a dichotomy of body and - Doubt everything!
soul. CONSCIOUS: All that we are aware of; present
- There are two “selves”: one that is imperfect, - “I think; therefore I am”. awareness; a small part of who we are.
one that is capable of attaining immortality
PRECONSCIOUS/SUBCONSCIOUS: part of the
- Goal of the human person is to transcend the mind of which one is not fully aware but which
temporary and to attain communion with God. JOHN LOCKE influences one's actions and feelings.
UNCONSCIOUS: the reservoir of most of what we
John Locke (1632-1704) go through in our lives (emotions, beliefs, feelings
and impulses)
THOMAS AQUINAS - Identity is not limited to the mind, body or soul
only. He included theconcept of the memory.
Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) - Why our identity is formed this way is because
we remember thepast. Three Parts Of The Personality:
- Matter (HYLE): a common “material” or “stuff” - The Mind Is A Tabula Rasa (BLANK SLATE): we
that makes up everything. know nothing when we were born) ID- first to develop; biological component of the
-Form (MORPHE): the essence ofthe living: makes personality, which includes instincts; operates in
us distinctfrom others. theunconscious level; always selfish and needy;
operates according to thePleasure Principle (idea
SIGMUND FREUD that all your needs should be met immediately.

DAVID HUME Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)

David Hume (1711-1776) - Proponent of Psychoanalytic Theory.
- all knowledge is derived from our senses;
EMPIRICISM;
EGO- operates in the conscious and
- The human person is governed by two subconscious; makes the decisions and faces the
RENE DESCARTES consequences; operates according to the reality
drives: EROS (sex/pleasure) and THANATOS principle (the desires of the Id must be satisfied in
Rene Descartes (1596-1650) (pain/death) or a manner that is both socially appropriate and
realistic)
SUPEREGO- exists in all levels of consciousness; which can mean custom, habit,character or how he/she can improve in and make it more
always concerned of what is socially acceptable; disposition intelligent.
pushes you to obtain the Ego Ideal (yourview of
•the scientific study of moral judgements.
what is right)
•a discipline concerned with what is morally good THE MORAL AGENT
and bad, right and wrong
a being that is “capable of acting with reference
GILBERT RYLE
•not only about the morality of particular courses to right and wrong”.
-Attacked the dualistic concept of Descartes. of action, but it’s also about the goodness of
individuals and what it means to live a good life. an intelligent being who has the power of
-The self is not an entity that you can locate. choosing, and to act according to his/her choice..

-The self is how you behave.

-Behavior is the manifestation of the self. BRANCHES OF ETHICS
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A MORAL AGENT?
NORMATIVE ETHICS
Being a moral agent means that they can be held
MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY actions are judged by merits, allowing societies to responsible for theirdecisions and behaviors,
develop codes of conduct for behavior. whether they are good or bad.
The self is an embodied subjectivity
DESCRIPTIVE ETHICS Being a moral agent is to be one who

asks what do people think is moral. It does not (1) possesses the means of judging rightly,
actually claim that things are right or wrong, but
simply studies how individuals or societies define (2) the power to act accordingly; but whether
their morals. he/she will do so or not, depends on the
voluntary exercise of his/her faculties
MORAL AGENT, MORAL AGENCY, AND MORAL
DILEMMA
WHY STUDY ETHICS?
PREREQUISITES OF A MORAL AGENT
The study of ethics will enable a person to
ETHICS (MORAL PHILOSOPHY) 1. Rational thought and deliberation
understand better what his/her conscience is,
•derived from the Greek word ETHOS how he/she acquired it, how far he/she is likely to
2. Responsibility to anticipate and avoid causing
be able to trust to its deliverances with safety,and
unjust harm
 individual, as the moral agent, has full knowledge You caught your friend who is in a committed
of doing a certain action. relationship dating another person. Should you
HOW ABOUT CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH tell his/her partner?
CERTAIN INTELLECTUAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMPLES: choosing your OOTD, placing an order
DISABILITIES? in a cafe, studying for anexam, deciding to break Your parents asked you to clean the house and
up with a partner. promised you "pasalubong" when they
• They may have little or no ability to function as return.Your younger siblings are with you.
moral agents.
Should you command them to clean the house?
MORAL AGENCY ACTS OF MAN

The ability to make ethical decisions based on Acts of man constitute unconscious and
what is right or wrong. This capacity can be found involuntary actions. These are acts are acts shared MORAL STANDARDS
in individuals or collective entities like businesses in common by man and other animals.
or health care institutions. Refer to the norms which we have about the
These are natural processes within the body that types of action which we believe to be morally
continue to function without the use of free will acceptable and morally unacceptable.
and reason.
HUMAN ACTS VS. ACTS OF HUMAN Example; Do not kill. Do not steal. Respect the
Examples: breathing, digestion, circulation of air property of others. Pay your taxes.
Not every act that a human being does is a in the body, blinking of the eyes, beating of heart
distinctively human act.
MORAL DILEMMA
Some acts that human beings do are performed NON-MORAL STANDARDS
also by animals, e.g., vegetative acts and acts of A conflict in which you have to choose between
perception and of emotion. two or more actions and have moral reasons for Refer to rules that are unrelated to moral or
choosing each action. ethical considerations.

A situation where you are presented with twoor

more actions, all of which you have the ability to
Example; rules of etiquette,
perform.
fashion standards,
MORAL DILEMMA rules in games, and
HUMAN ACTS
various house rules.
Human Acts are acts that are proper to man. It is
an act of free will. It is an expression of self. An