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Course Code and Title: GE 101 – Understanding the Self

Lesson Number: Lesson 2 (Week 3)
Topic: Modern Philosophical Perspective of the Self
INTRODUCTION:
This chapter discusses the modern philosophical perspective of the self. The different views
of modern philosophers will give the students a broader perspective on the nature and
understanding of the self.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
 Identify the prominent modern philosophers that contributed to the understanding of
the self;
 Discuss the different concepts of the self from the modern philosophical perspective;
and
 Describe and differentiate the modern philosophical perspective of the self from one
another.
PRE-ASSESSMENT:
Read carefully the following statements/questions.
1. Give at least three modern philosophers.
1.
2.
3.
2. He is the father of modern philosophy. __________________
3. He suggests that if people carefully examine their sense experience through the
process of introspection, they will discover that there is no self.
_____________________
4. He argues that all knowledge about the self is based on the “phenomena” of
experience. __________________
5. According to him, the human mind at birth is tabula rasa or a blank state.
________________
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LESSON PRESENTATION:

ST. AUGUSTINE: THE SELF HAS AN IMMORTAL SOUL

The African philosopher, Augustine, is considered as a saint (i.e., St. Augustine of Hippo) in
the Catholic Church. He combines the ideas of Plato and the teachings of Christianity.
Augustine believes that the physical body is radically different from and lesser to its
inhabitant, the immortal soul. As his thinking matured, he created a more unified viewpoint
on the body and soul. He ultimately came to view the body as "spouse" of the soul, both
attached by a "natural appetite." He believes that the body is united with the soul, and that
man may be entire and complete. Nevertheless, as a religious philosopher, he contemplates
man's nature with an emphasis on the soul as an important element of man. He believes that
the soul is what governs and defines the man.

In his work, Confessions, Augustine illustrates that

humankind is made in the image and likeness of God.
Everything made by God, who is all good, is good. Thus,
the human individual, being a creation of God, is always
geared towards the good. Augustine is persuaded that
the self is known only through knowing God. Accordingly,
self-knowledge is a consequence of the knowledge of
God. Augustine supports the significance of reflection
and the importance of confessions to arrive at a
justification for God's existence. 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.
God is transcendent, and the self seeks to be unified with God through faith and reason. In
his undertaking to find out the truth on God's existence, Augustine develops the basic
concept of the human person, and thus provides the philosophical principle, "I am doubting,
Therefore I am."
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RENÉ DESCARTES: I THINK THEREFORE I AM

French philosopher René Descartes is regarded as the father of modern philosophy. He has
brought a completely new point of view to philosophy and the self. He wants to break
through the nature of the reasoning process: and understand its relationship to the human
self. The Latin phrase Cogito ergo sum - "I think therefore I am" is the foundation of
Descartes' concept of self. For him, the act of thinking about the self--of being self-
conscious--is proof that there is a self. He is convinced that no rational person will doubt his
or her existence as a conscious, thinking entity--while we are mindful of thinking about
ourselves. For Descartes, this is the core of the human self--a thinking entity that doubts,
understands, analyzes, questions, and reasons.

He argues further that if man reflects thoughtfully, he will

realize that there are two dimensions of the human self: the
self as a thinking entity and the self as a physical body. In
particular, he introduces the idea of the thinking self (or soul
as a non-material, immortal, conscious being, and
independent of the physical laws of the universe. In
comparison, the physical body is a material, mortal, non-
thinking entity, completely ruled by the physical laws of
nature. In other words, the soul and the body are free of one
another, and each can exist and function without the other.
The essential self--the self as a thinking entity--is different
from the self as a physical body. Simply put the thinking self can exist separately of the
physical body.

JOHN LOCKE: THE SELF IS CONSCIOUSNESS

For English philosopher John Locke the human mind at birth is a tabula rasa or a blank slate.
He feels that the self or personal identity is built primarily from sense experiences or, more
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specifically, what individuals see, hear, smell, taste, and

feel. These experiences shape and mold the self
throughout a person's life. For Locke, conscious awareness
and memory of past encounters are the keys to
understanding the self. Locke believes that the essence of
the self is its conscious awareness of itself as thinking,
reasoning, and reflecting identity. He argues that
consciousness accompanies thinking and makes possible
the concept people have of a self. Self-consciousness is
necessary to have a coherent personal (self) identity or
knowledge of oneself as a person. Consciousness is what makes the identity of a person
similar in different situations.

At this point, Locke is proposing that individuals may utilize the power of reason to gain
knowledge and consequently use this knowledge to understand experiences. Knowledge is
based on careful observation of experiences. Reason plays an important role in figuring out
the significance of sense experience and reaching intelligent conclusions. Thus, using the
power of reason and introspection enables one to understand and achieve accurate
conclusions about oneself (or personal identity).

DAVID HUME: THERE IS NO SELF

Scottish philosopher David Hume proposes that if individuals

carefully examine their sense of experience through the
process of introspection, they will realize that there is no self.
According to Hume, what individuals experience is just a
collection of different perceptions.

He added that if individuals carefully look at the substance of

their experience, they will discover that there are only distinct
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entities: impressions and ideas. Impressions are the essential sensations of people's
experiences, such as hatred, love, joy, sorrow, pain, cold, and heat. Impressions, which are
vivid perceptions and are strong and lively. Ideas, however, are thoughts and images from
impressions, so they are less lively and bright. Hume further speculates that different
sensations are in a steady continuum that is unchanging and not constant.

Hume defends that it cannot be from any of these impressions that the idea of self is derived,
and as a result, there is no self. Hume's skeptical claim on this issue is that people have no
experience of an individual and straightforward impression that they can call themselves
where the self is the totality of a person's conscious life. Consequently, the idea of personal
identity is a result of imagination.

IMMANUEL KANT: WE CONSTRUCT THE SELF

According to German philosopher Immanuel Kant, it is the self that

makes experiencing an understandable world possible. It is the
self that is effectively organizing and synthesizing all of our
thoughts and perceptions. Through the form of consciousness, the
self uses conceptual categories to construct an orderly and
objective world that is stable and may be examined scientifically;
he calls it transcendental deduction of categories.

Kant argues that the self is an organizing principle that creates a

unified and understandable experience possible. It is symbolically
above or behind sense experience, and it utilizes the categories of our intellect to filter,
order, relate, organize, and synthesize sensations into a unified whole. In other words, the
self builds its reality, actively creating a familiar, predictable, and, most notably, mine.

The self is the result of reason, a regulative principle since the self directs experience by
making united experiences conceivable. The self transcends experience since the mind can
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grasp perspectives of reality, which are not restricted to the senses. Through rationality,
people can understand certain abstract ideas that have no corresponding physical object or
sensory experience.

SIGMUND FREUD: THE SELF IS MULTILAYERED

Sigmund Freud Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud is not a philosopher. Still, 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 comprises of three layers: conscious,

unconscious, and preconscious. The reality principle oversees
the conscious self. The conscious part of the self is organized in
ways that are rational, practical, and suitable to the environment.
The conscious self usually considers the realistic demands of the
situation, the consequences of various actions, and the overriding
need to preserve the equilibrium (balance) of the entire
psychodynamic system of the self.

In comparison, the unconscious part of the self is where an

individual’s basic instinctual drives reside; including sexuality,
aggressiveness, traumatic memories, unfulfilled wishes and childhood fantasies, and
thoughts and feelings that would be considered socially taboo. The unconscious level is
characterized by the most primitive level of human motivation and human functioning,
governed by the "pleasure principle. Freud argues that the unconscious determines much of
the self. On the other hand, the preconscious self contains material that is not threatening
and is quickly brought to mind. According to Freud, the preconscious part is located between
the conscious and the unconscious parts of the self.
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SUMMARY:

St. Augustine of Hippo integrated the ideas of Plato and the teachings of Christianity. He
viewed the body as a "spouse" of the soul, both attached by a natural appetite. Augustine
illustrates that humankind is made in the image and likeness of God. Everything made by
God, who is all good, is good. Thus, the human individual, being a creation of God, is
always geared towards the good.

French philosopher René Descartes is regarded as the father of modern philosophy. The
Latin phrase Cogito ergo sum – "I think therefore I am" is the keystone of his self-concept.
He argues further that if man reflects thoughtfully, he will realize that there are two
dimensions of the human self: the self as a thinking entity and the self as a physical body.

For English philosopher John Locke, the human mind at birth is a tabula rasa or a blank
slate. Our experiences shape and mold the self throughout a person's life. He argues that
consciousness accompanies thinking and makes possible the concept people have of a self.

Scottish philosopher David Hume proposes that if individuals carefully examine their sense
of experience through the process of introspection, they will realize that there is no self. They
will discover that there are only distinct entities: impressions and ideas. Impressions are the
essential sensations of people's experiences, such as hatred, love, joy, sorrow, pain, cold,
and heat. Ideas, however, are thoughts and images from impressions, so they are less lively
and bright.

For Immanuel Kant it is the self that is actively organizing and synthesizing all of our
thoughts and perceptions. He believes that the self is the product of reason, a regulative
principle because it regulates experience by making united experiences possible. The self
transcends experience because the mind can grasp aspects of reality that are not limited t
the senses.

Sigmund Freud insists that the self consists of three layers: conscious, unconscious, and
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preconscious. The reality principle governs the conscious self; it is organized in rational,
practical, and appropriate ways. The unconscious part of the self contains basic instinctual
drives, including sexuality, aggressiveness, and self-destruction. It is characterized by the
most primitive level of human motivation and functioning, which is governed by the pleasure
principle. On the other hand, the preconscious self contains materials that are not
threatening and are easily brought to mind.

APPLICATION # 2:
You may browse your notes and module to aid in answering the following activity.

Reflection – Essay (30 points)

Instruction: In not more than 7 sentences for each number, write an essay on the ancient
philosophical perspective of the self. Consider the following statement/question in writing
your essay.

1. Explain how each modern philosophy of the self impacts your understanding of the
self. (4 points each – 24 points.)

2. Which modern philosophy relates to your own belief? (6 points)

ACTIVITY/EVALUATION # 2:
This is a closed module activity. Please observe honesty.

Identification (1 point each – 18 points)

Instruction: Analyze the table below, then, identify the modern philosopher who proposed the
particular view of self presented in the first column. Then, examine your personal opinion
about the nature of self and indicate whether you believe in that philosophical view. If you
believe in that stated philosophy, recall an important experience you have had that relates to
it. If you do not believe, explain your disbelief. How do you think your experiences or
disbeliefs affect your selfhood?
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Believe It or Not: You would answer either one of

Philosophical View (Write B if you these only Effects on My
Philosopher believe; N if you
of Self Related Life Reasons Why I Selfhood
do not believe) Experience Do Not Believe

The self seeks to be

united with God
through faith and
reason.

The self is thinking

thing, distinct from
the body.

The human mind at

birth is a blank state
of tabula rasa

There is no self,
only a bundle of
constantly changing
perceptions passing
through the theater
of our minds.

The self transcends

experience.

The self is
multilayered

REINFORCEMENT/ASSIGNMENT # 2:
You may browse your notes and module to aid in answering the following activity.

Reflection – Essay (5 points)

Instruction: In not more than 5 sentences, write an essay regarding the following question.
Briefly elaborate on your answer.
 After learning the different ancient and modern philosophical perspectives of the self,
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what do you think is the importance of having a philosophy of the self?

REMINDER:
 Do advance reading of module # 3 in Understanding the Self entitled Sociological
Perspective of the Self.

ONLINE RESOURCES:
 https://sqmr968b5t2lik6w276dq4me-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/
Antonio_Rodr%C3%ADguez_-_Saint_Augustine_-_Google_Art_Project1-
1500x800.jpg
 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Frans_Hals_Portret_van_Ren
%C3%A9_Descartes.jpg
 https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Sv80Wk4lJ2fIS-KgKqAlV-
hSDZ9qs6o9jMH2GWnP_fNDjAYlFi8x2M96Dm_QK3IO6OnWfMz6au6c96gC1cqXna
XKoYyBWMzgylva8ygyn3w6rh-bFjueaKJskjJb
 https://miro.medium.com/proxy/1*pOAN-F09Vxk34IDc2jde1g.jpeg
 https://miro.medium.com/max/1110/0*bGk_r56EmbIJvMzC.jpg
 https://sites.google.com/site/universalsaroundtheworld/_/rsrc/1495382261940/
addiction/related-art/sigmund-freud/Sigmund%20Freud.jpg?height=400&width=280

REFERENCE:
 Go-Monilla, M.J. & Ramirez, N. (2018). Understanding the Self. C & E Publishing,
Inc.