The document discusses different philosophical perspectives on the self:
1) Empiricism views the self as derived from sensory and bodily experiences, while rationalism sees innate knowledge as explaining the self, not rooted in senses or body.
2) Socrates and Plato took a rationalist perspective, seeing knowledge and virtue as leading to happiness. Aristotle was an empiricist who saw ideals as existing within phenomena.
3) Later philosophers like Descartes, Locke, and Kant incorporated both rationalist and empiricist ideas, with Descartes arguing the mind exists without the body and Kant distinguishing inner and outer selves.
The document discusses different philosophical perspectives on the self:
1) Empiricism views the self as derived from sensory and bodily experiences, while rationalism sees innate knowledge as explaining the self, not rooted in senses or body.
2) Socrates and Plato took a rationalist perspective, seeing knowledge and virtue as leading to happiness. Aristotle was an empiricist who saw ideals as existing within phenomena.
3) Later philosophers like Descartes, Locke, and Kant incorporated both rationalist and empiricist ideas, with Descartes arguing the mind exists without the body and Kant distinguishing inner and outer selves.
The document discusses different philosophical perspectives on the self:
1) Empiricism views the self as derived from sensory and bodily experiences, while rationalism sees innate knowledge as explaining the self, not rooted in senses or body.
2) Socrates and Plato took a rationalist perspective, seeing knowledge and virtue as leading to happiness. Aristotle was an empiricist who saw ideals as existing within phenomena.
3) Later philosophers like Descartes, Locke, and Kant incorporated both rationalist and empiricist ideas, with Descartes arguing the mind exists without the body and Kant distinguishing inner and outer selves.
The document discusses different philosophical perspectives on the self:
1) Empiricism views the self as derived from sensory and bodily experiences, while rationalism sees innate knowledge as explaining the self, not rooted in senses or body.
2) Socrates and Plato took a rationalist perspective, seeing knowledge and virtue as leading to happiness. Aristotle was an empiricist who saw ideals as existing within phenomena.
3) Later philosophers like Descartes, Locke, and Kant incorporated both rationalist and empiricist ideas, with Descartes arguing the mind exists without the body and Kant distinguishing inner and outer selves.
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The Philosophy of the Self
Philosophy of the self has been defined through two distinct philosophical lens:
Empiricism - derives explanations of the self from sensory and bodily responses. We know things because we have experienced it through our bodily senses.
Rationalism - there is innate knowledge; they differ in that they choose different objects of innate knowledge. Rationalism explains self from the standpoint of what is “ideal” and the “truth”, not rooted in what is felt by the senses nor our body.
Socrates and Plato have explained the Self from a theoretical and logical orientation; Aristotle was an empiricist, deriving views of the self from physical and scientific underpinnings. St. Augustine adopted the views of Plato and infused it to his religious philosophy. John Locke, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant were empiricist philosophers; Rene Descartes was a dominant rational philosopher during the Middle Ages. Among contemporary philosophers, majority are empiricists: Gilbert Ryle, Patricia Churchland, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty have incorporated biological and neuroscience in their philosophies.
Philosopher Orientation Philosophy Description
Classical Antiquity
Socrates Idealism Socratic Knowledge is the personification of good while
Philosophy Ignorance is that of evil. Self-knowledge is the ultimate virtue. As the ultimate virtue, it will lead to ultimate happiness. Plato Idealism Dualism and Moral virtue is rooted in the intellect and leads to Idealism happiness. Wisdom and knowledge leads to virtue which will lead to happiness.
Aristotle Empiricist Aristotelian Ideal is found inside the phenomena and the universals Philosophy inside the particulars. Ideals are ESSENCE. Phenomena is MATTER. Matter has no form. Essence has no mass. Matter and Essence need each other.
Philosopher Orientation Philosophy Description
Middle Agess
St. Augustine Platonism Neoplatonism All knowledge leads to God.
Only the pure in heart can see God. Love of God, faith in Him and Understanding of his Gospel will ultimately lead to Happiness. Philosopher Orientation Philosophy Description Renaissance
Descartes Rationalist Mind-body “I think, therefore, I am.”
Dualism The mind and soul can exist without the body. Establishing the distinction of soul from the body can make people believe in the afterlife and the soul’s immortality. Locke Empiricist Theory of It is in consciousness alone that identity exists, not on the Personal body and soul. Identity There is a distinction between man and person. The soul may change, but consciousness remains intact. Hume Empiricist Skeptical All knowledge passes through the senses. Philosophy Separate ideas can be joined in the mind. There is no self, only a bundle of perceptions. Kant Rationalist / Metaphysics Reason is the final authority of morality. Empiricist of the Self There is the inner self and outer self; The inner self includes rational reasoning and psychological state. The outer self includes the body and physical mind, where representation occurs. Philosopher Orientation Philosophy Description Modern Times
Ryle Empiricist The Concept of “I act, therefore, I am.”
Mind The mind is not the seat of self. It is not a separate, parallel thing to our physical body. The mind is a category mistake, brought about by habitual use. The only way it can affect the other is through the external world. Churchland Empiricist Neurophilosophy A fully matured neuroscience will eliminate the need for beliefs since “they are not real.” The physical brain gives us a sense of self. Merleau- Existentialism Phenomenology Both empiricism and intellectualism are flawed in nature. Ponty of Perception Empiricist “We are our bodies.” Our bodily experiences do not detach the subject/object, mind/body, rational/irrational.
