Introduction to Philosophy

Achieve Test Prep: Philosophy

Chapter Three: Who Are You? Consciousness, Identity, and the Self Learning Objectives After completing Chapter Three, you will be able to: 1. Discuss the concept of the soul according to Socrates and Plato 2. Discuss Descartes’ perspective on the self 3. Discuss Locke’s perspective of the self 4. Discuss Hume’s view regarding the self 5. Discuss functionalism and the theorist who introduced this concept into philosophy as a science Know Thyself The concept and nature of the “self” has been an ongoing and evolving subject of inquiry among philosophers since the time of Socrates. To grapple with the concept of self is to begin to explore what it is to know, to believe, to think, and to be conscious. The Soul is Immortal: Socrates and Plato Socrates was the first thinker in Western history to focus the full power of reason on the human self: who we are, who we should be, and who will we become. Socrates was convinced that, in addition to our physical bodies, each person possesses an immortal soul that survives beyond the death of the body. For Socrates, reality is dualistic, meaning made up of two realms. One realm is changeable, transient, and imperfect and consists of the physical world (what we taste, hear, smell, see, and feel); the other realm is unchanging, eternal, and immortal (the intellectual essences of the universe concepts such as truth, goodness, and beauty). For Socrates, our bodies belong to the physical realm because they change, they are imperfect, and they die. Our souls belong to the ideal realm because they are unchanging and immortal, surviving the death of the body. For Socrates and Plato, the self was synonymous with the soul. They believed that every human being possessed an immortal soul that survived the physical body. Plato introduces the idea of a three-part soul/self, constituted by the following: • Reason: Our divine essence that enables us to think deeply, make wise choices and achieve a true understanding of eternal truths. • Physical appetite: Our basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desire. • Spirit or passion: Our basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness, empathy. Plato’s three elements of ourselves are in a dynamic relationship with one another, sometimes working in concert, sometimes in bitter conflict. Plato believed that genuine happiness can only be achieved by people who consistently make sure that their reason is in control of their spirits and appetites. This

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