UTS Reflection

Reflection – Understanding The Self
P. LC
1. Which among the perspective of the self you find more aligned with your own beliefs?
Explain your answer.
There are several different philosophical perspective of the self, each having
different nature and characteristics. Among the many perspectives, two common view
surface, Dualistic and not. I find my own beliefs more aligned with Saint Augustine’s
perspective of the self. I believe that humans were made in the image and likeness of
God. Our body is a physical entity separate from our soul, the self, which is immaterial,
and immortal. Our soul, the self, transcends death; it separates from the body upon death
and either goes to heaven, hell or purgatory in God’s judgment. Like Saint Augustine, I
believe that we have this kind of inner being which God communicates with. We
communicate with Him through our prayers. Through this innermost being, God guides
us from above on what to do – what is morally good. He also believed that materials
things have its own place in the natural order of things, governed by the laws of nature.
Our soul, on the other hand, is beyond these laws. It can exist beyond death, that is
without our physical bodies. Our self is far more superior to body. Humans have
consciousness and the ability to make judgment and conscious decisions. We have a
higher sense that is not within the bounds of the laws of nature, but beyond it. We have a
nonphysical mind which is aware of its own existence. It is what distinguishes us from all
other animals that inhabit the world. We have the capacity to think and understand the
situations around us and act according to what our mind dictates. Our bodies do what our
minds dictate. The self is the master of our body. Saint Augustine also believed that we
cannot achieve inner peace without finding God’s love. I believe so too. God’s love
fulfills us. There is a special place in us which seeks this love. And until we find His
love, we will feel incomplete.
2. What is the self for you? What circumstances, events and situations in your life do you
think are responsible for your perspective?
The self for me is an immortal and nonphysical entity that is beyond the laws of
nature. It separates from the body, which is a physical entity, when we die. Upon death,
our souls are judged based on what we did in our time in the world while we lived. Our
self is the master of our body. It is conscious and able to make decisions. It is what
decides on what path to take, a decision to fulfill. Our mind is aware that it exists. I know
I have a mind and I am using it to make this reflection paper.
There are many circumstances in my life that shaped the way I perceive “the self.” But
what I think is most influential is my religion education, my faith, since I started to be
conscious of the world I live in, and the actions that I do. In primary school, we were
taught about the lives of saints and God, and our souls. We were told that each human
being has a soul. It is the controller of the body. It separates from the body and join God
in His kingdom when we die, if we do good things in our time on earth. However, at that
age, religious education did not mean so much to me than it did when I started to mature.
Because of the rise of social media and video games, I became lazy and skipped church
masses. I started taking no notice on religious things and did not care about it.
[continuation redacted]
3. In your view, discuss the significance of the Socratic statement “Know Thyself”
especially for college students in the typical context of their lives.
Knowing thyself is about self-examination through thorough self-reflection. I
believe that it is important to know yourself and examine yourself because through this
you will be able to figure out your strengths and weakness. This is especially important
when you are in the “adulting stage”. At this age, all the life’s struggles and difficult
choices are thrown to us. We may find it difficult to traverse through life and deal with
different situations if we do not know ourselves. When we have figured out the extent of
our capabilities and our weakness, we can use this as a guide in making our own
strategies to handle tough circumstances.
In college, it is important to remember that no man is an island. It may be difficult
for one to survive this stage in life without friends who they can lean on to for moral
support. Self-awareness is very important when building relationships with people. How
can we make meaningful relationships with others if we do not know much about
ourselves? What kind of self can we share to others if we do not know ourselves at all?
So we must first examine ourselves and know ourselves before sharing it to the bigger
cycle of life. Relationship building is done first through connectedness of the selves. And
for me, the ultimate goal of life is to make meaningful relationships, like our relationship
with God which completes us.

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Reflection – Understanding The Self

Explain your answer.

love, we will feel incomplete.

think are responsible for your perspective?

I have a mind and I am using it to make this reflection paper.

what I think is most influential is my religion education, my faith, since I started to be

especially for college students in the typical context of their lives.

Knowing thyself is about self-examination through thorough self-reflection. I

strategies to handle tough circumstances.

In college, it is important to remember that no man is an island. It may be difficult

with God which completes us.

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