UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
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CHAPTER 1:
DEFINING THE SELF: PERSONAL AND
DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVES ON SELF AND
IDENTITY
LESSON 1: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES
Name- it signifies a person
-It is not the person itself no matter how
intimately bound it is with the bearer
Self- it is thought to be something else than the
name
-it is something that a person perennially
molds, shapes and develops.
-it is not a static thing that one is simply
born with like a mole on one’s face or is just
assigned b one’s parents just like a name.
History of Philosophy- replete with men and
women who inquired into the fundamental
nature of the self
The Greeks- the ones who seriously questioned
myths and moved away from them in
attempting to understand reality and respond
to perennial questions of curiosity, including the
question to self
I. SOCRATES AND PLATO
Pre-Socratics- ‘’Greek Thinkers’’
-to denote that some of the Greek Thinkers
preceded Socrates while others existed around
Socrates’ time as well, preoccupied themselves
with the question of the primary substratum,
arche
Arche- primary substratum that explains the
multiplicity of things in the world
PRE-SOCRATICS
-Thales
-Pythagoras
-Parmenides
-Heraclitus
-Empedocles
These men endeavored to finally locate an
explanation about the nature of change, the
seeming permanence despite change and the
unity of the world amidst its diversity.
CONCERNS OF PRE-SOCRATICS
1. Explaining what the world is really made up
of
2. Why the world is so
3. Explains the changes that they observed
around them
Socrates
- more concerned about the Problem of Self
-First philosopher who ever engaged in a
systematic questioning about the self
-He declared without regret that his being
indicted was brought by his going around
Athens engaging men, young and old to
question their presuppositions about
themselves and about the world, particularly
who they are
-He took it upon himself to serve as a ‘’gadfly’’
that disturbed Athenian men from their
slumber and shook them off in order to reach
the truth and wisdom.
For Socrates;
‘’Every man is composed of body and soul’’
Meaning;
1. Every Human person is dualistic, that he is
composed of 2 important aspects of his
personhood.

2. All individuals have an imperfect,
impermanent aspect to him, and the body,
while maintaining that there is also a soul that is
perfect and permanent
‘’To live but die inside’’- worst thing that can
happen to anyone according Socrates
Questioning about the self/ to know one self-
Socrates life-long mission and true task of the
philosopher
Plato claimed in his dialogs that;
‘’ Socrates affirmed that the examined
life is not worth living’’
Plato
-student of Socrates
-supported Socrates’ idea that man is a dual
nature of body and soul
-he added that there are 3 components of
the soul: the rational soul, the spirited soul and
the appetitive soul
Justice in the human person- Plato emphasizes
it his magnum opus, the Republic that it can
only be attained if the three parts of the soul
are working harmoniously with one another
Rational Soul- forged by reason and intellect
has to govern he affairs of human person
Spirited Soul- in charge of emotions should be
kept at bay
Appetitive Soul- in charge of base desires like
eating, drinking, sleeping, and having sex are
controlled as well
The human person’s soul will become just and
virtuous if this ideal sate is attained
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
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II. AUGUSTINE AND THOMAS AQUINAS
Augustine’s View of the Human Person
1. It reflects the entire spirit of the medieval
world when it comes to man.
2. Combination of ancient view of Plato +
newfound doctrine of Christianity
3. He agreed that man is of a bifurcated nature
4. An aspect of man dwells in the world and is
imperfect and continuously yearns to be with
the Divine and the other is capable of reaching
immortality
5. The body is bound to die on earth and the
soul is to anticipate living eternally in a realm of
spiritual bliss in communion with God
 Body can only thrive in the imperfect,
physical reality that is the world,
whereas he soul can also stay after
death in an eternal realm with all-
transcendent God.
 Goal of every human person is to attain
this communion and bliss with the
Divine by living his life on earth in virtue
Thomas Aquinas- the most eminent thirteenth
century scholar and stalwart of the medieval
philosophy, appended something to the
Christian View
Augustine’s View of the Human Person
1. He adapted some ideas from Aristotle
2. Man is composed of two parts: matter and
form.
3. Matter (Hyle in Greek)- common stuff that
makes up everything in the universe.
 Man’s body is part of this matter
4. Form (Morphe in Greek)- essence of the
substance or thing.
 It is what makes it what it is
5. Body- something that a person shares even
with animals
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6. Cell’s in man’s body- are more or less akin to

the cells of any other living, organic being in the
world.
7. Soul or essence- is what makes a human
person
-is what animates the body (acc.also to Aristotle)

III. RENE DESCARTES

 Father of Modern Philosophy
1. ‘’Human Personas having a body and a mind’’
2. The Meditations of First Philosophy-
 Famous treatise
 He claims that ‘’There is so much that
we should doubt’’
 He says that ‘’ Since much of what we
think and believe are not infallible,
they may turn out to be false’’