JERICK M.
ZARANDIN
HRM 1-1
1. In What Ways Do I Get to Know Myself?
According to Socrates:
Asking questions about myself and get to know of myself by
examining my life through continuous searching and reflecting
on everything I encounter.
According to Plato
I know myself by using reason to bring harmony to the
different parts of my soul (reason, desire, and passion).
According to Aristotle
I know myself through experiences and my senses because I
was born with a "blank tablet" (tabula rasa) mind.
2. Proofs That the Self Exists
For Rene Descartes, the mere fact that the self thinks implies that the self exists.
His phrase “cogito ergo sum” means “I think; therefore I am.” According to him, the
thinking thing, the self, can exist independently of the body.
John Locke believed in Aristotle’s concept of the self (mind) as tabula rasa. For him,
the self is created by memories written on the tablet. Thus, there is a self that exists
because of memory.
David Hume suggested that the self does not exist. According to him, what we
believe as the “self” is just a bundle of constantly changing perceptions that we
encounter. There is no unified self that forms our identity.
Immanuel Kant contested Hume’s No Self theory and suggested that the self is a
priori. Thus, it exists independently of experiences and serves as the unifying and
organizing consciousness that makes sense of all aspects of identity.
Sigmund Freud’s focus on identifying the structures of the self implies that the self
exists. The self is multilayered and has three personality structures, i.e., id, ego, and
superego, and has three levels of consciousness, i.e., conscious, pre-conscious, and
unconscious. All these layers shape the personality/identity of the self.
Gilbert Ryle proposed that the seat of self is the behavior and not the mind. The self
is the pattern of behavior, the tendency or disposition for one to behave in a
particular circumstance. The self is “I act; therefore, I am.”
Paul Churchland believed that the self is the brain itself. The physical brain gives us
the sense of self, not the imaginary mind.
3. What Happens When You Fall in Love?
According to Edmund Husserl:
• Physical and mental experiences are connected when you fall in love.
According to Merleau-Ponty:
• The body experiences love as a whole, including feelings and thoughts.
4. Application
I relate most to the idea that the self is shaped by experience.
My experiences, emotions, and choices help me understand who I am.
Learning about the self helps me grow and improve as a person.
5. Bullet It (Summary)
• The self is studied differently by philosophers.
• The self can be understood through thinking, experience, and behavior.
• Knowing the self helps give meaning to life.
6. Define Self (Original Definition)
The Self is a "Living Bridge" that connects our inner thoughts, our physical bodies,
and our social lives into one moving identity. This theory is my own because it
argues that we are not a solid "thing," but a constant connection between different
parts of life. First, it uses Descartes' idea of the Cogito, where the mind is the
foundation that thinks and makes choices. Second, it includes Merleau-Ponty’s view
of the Body, which is the physical part of the bridge that lets us touch and feel the
world. Finally, it incorporates Socrates belief in the Examined Life, because the
bridge stays strong only when we reflect on our actions and learn from others. In
conclusion, the Self is the active process of balancing who we are inside with the
world we see outside, making us a unique and ever-changing masterpiece.