Understanding The Self: Lesson 1 Philosophical Perspective of the Self | Ms. Airah R. Bombase, LPT

The video introduces 'Understanding the Self' focusing on Chapter 1, Lesson 1: Philosophical Perspective of the Self. It outlines the agenda: mental activity, meaning of philosophy, philosophy and the self, and application/assessment. Learning outcomes include explaining philosophy's role in understanding self, discussing different concepts of self, differentiating these concepts, and developing one's own philosophy of the self.

A mental activity prompts self-reflection with questions like 'How would you characterize yourself?', 'What makes you stand out?', 'How has yourself transformed?', 'How is yourself connected to your body?', 'How is yourself related to others?', and 'What will happen to yourself after you die?'. This activity is designed to make viewers think deeply about their identity and existence.

Philosophy is defined as finding answers to serious questions about ourselves and the world. It involves questioning existing knowledge and institutions to find truth. Key questions in philosophy include 'What is morally right and wrong and why?', 'What is a good life?', and 'Does God exist?'. Philosophy cultivates critical thinking, argument skills, communication, reasoning, analysis, and problem-solving. Pythagoras coined the term 'philosophy', meaning 'love of wisdom'.

Socrates believed every man is dualistic, composed of an imperfect and impermanent body, and a perfect and permanent soul. He introduced the 'dicotomous realm' with a changeable physical realm (body) and an unchanging ideal realm (soul). Socrates emphasized reason as the soul's tool for wisdom and perfection, arguing that preoccupation with bodily needs hinders wisdom. He advocated for soul searching to achieve a meaningful and happy life.

Plato, a student of Socrates, believed the self is a process of self-knowledge and purification of the soul. He defined the self as a combination of mind and soul, both given in perfection with God. He proposed three parts of the soul: rational (reason and intellect), spirited (emotion and passion), and appetitive (basic needs). Plato believed the rational soul should control the spirited and appetitive souls for genuine happiness.

Aristotle, Plato's student, believed the body and soul are not separate but one entity. The soul is the form of the body and cannot exist without it; it dies with the body. He emphasized that the soul is the essence that makes a person who they are. He described three kinds of souls: vegetative (physical body, growth), sentient (sensual desires, feelings, emotions), and rational (intellect, understanding), with rational soul being unique to humans.

St. Augustine integrated Plato's ideas with Christian beliefs. He posited that the soul is united with the body, and man cannot be complete without the soul. He believed mankind was created in God's image and likeness, inherently geared towards good. For St. Augustine, self-knowledge is a consequence of knowing God, and true knowledge comes from seeing the truth that dwells within us, which is the truth of knowing God.

René Descartes, considered the father of modern philosophy, believed that the act of thinking (being self-conscious) proves the existence of the self. He proposed two distinct entities: 'kogito' (the mind or thinking thing) and 'extenza' (the body or extension). His famous phrase 'Cogito, ergo sum' translates to 'I think, therefore I am', highlighting the mind's essential role in self-existence.

John Locke asserted that the self is consciousness. He introduced the concept of 'tabula rasa' (blank slate), meaning the human mind at birth is empty and learns everything through experience. Consciousness, for Locke, is necessary for a coherent personal identity and knowledge of the self. It allows for the belief that an individual retains the same identity across different situations.

David Hume controversially argued that there is no self. He believed the self is merely a 'bundle or collection of different perceptions' that rapidly succeed each other in a continuous flux. According to Hume, the idea of personal identity is a result of imagination, making the self essentially an illusion rather than a stable entity.

Emmanuel Kant believed that we actively construct the self. The self is not just the source of personality but also the foundation for knowledge acquisition. Through rationality, the self constructs its own reality, creating a familiar and predictable world, asserting that the self transcends mere sense experience.

Gilbert Ryle maintained that the self is simply the way people behave. He proposed 'I act, therefore I am', suggesting that our actions define our self. The self is not a hidden entity but is observable through our behaviors and conduct.

Paul Churchland argued that the self is intrinsically linked to the brain. He believed the self is inseparable from the brain and the physiology of the body. For him, the mind does not exist; only the brain exists. Therefore, the self is essentially the brain.

Maurice Merleau-Ponty believed the self is 'embodied subjectivity'. He considered the long-standing mind-body dichotomy as a futile problem. All knowledge of ourselves and the world is based on subjective experience. The self can never be truly objectified or known in a completely objective manner, emphasizing the subjective and integrated nature of mind and body.

The video concludes with an application and assessment task. Viewers are asked to define 'self' for each of the 11 philosophers discussed and then identify which philosopher's concept of self aligns most with their own, providing reasons for their choice based on personal experiences or scenarios. Instructions for submitting the activity are provided.