Questions tagged [self]
The self tag has no usage guidance.
66
questions
1
vote
1answer
30 views
On Kierkegard's definition of the Self: “ a relation that relates itself to itself” ( question based on an SEP's quote)
In The Sickness unto death , Kierkegaard says in a sybilline way that the self is
(1) a relation that relates itself to itself
(2) a synthesis of finite and infinite.
Should I understand that " ...
1
vote
1answer
43 views
What is the self? [closed]
Let us accept that science has an answer. The self then would be a representation of one's own body in the context of the environment. However if that is true wouldn't it imply that something is aware ...
7
votes
3answers
129 views
Does personal identity (the self) have to belong to a conscious being?
How can what is empty know itself unless there is some intelligence present? It can't. That's like expecting the eye that can see so many objects, to see it self; it cannot. Likewise, the self cannot ...
1
vote
2answers
42 views
In the philosophy of Josiah Royce, is there a tension between the individual and society?
I'm reading through Josiah Royce's view on the self and this is what I think he believes the tension to be between the individual and society:
"The tension between the individual and society is ...
2
votes
2answers
104 views
Is the permanent self still tenable? [closed]
I wonder what a possible objection could be:
P1) The self is static in change;
P2) If P1 is true then change cannot be the self otherwise the self wouldn't be static;
C) Therefore, change is the ...
4
votes
4answers
530 views
The Immortal Jellyfish
I watched an episode of "The Blacklist" which is a popular show on the TV streaming service Netflix. In the episode, the main character refers to a very tiny marine creature commonly known as the "...
0
votes
0answers
17 views
For Mackenzie, what is the self? What role does the imagination play in forming/defining/altering the self?
I'm having trouble answering this question. The relevant reading is “IMAGINING ONESELF OTHERWISE” by Catriona Mackenzie.
1
vote
0answers
29 views
Is the fact that there are qualia something internal or external?
I'm struggling to digest the SEP article on qualia.
Is anyone saying that there being qualia is something about the world which exists independent of conscious awareness (knowledge and perception)?
...
0
votes
1answer
52 views
Does the real line mean that the start and end points of any line must exist?
In mathematics, a real number is a value of a continuous quantity that
can represent a distance along a line
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_number
We consider the set of real numbers, ...
4
votes
8answers
263 views
Can anyone recommend a good book on The Self?
I don't have any formal education on philosophy but I read some books including Think by Simon Blackburn that got me interested in this subject.
Thanks.
Edit:
Specifically, I was intrigued by Kant's ...
2
votes
2answers
107 views
Does all information about you belong to you? [closed]
This is a multi-faceted topic, one that sprawls many fields, from computer science to law, but I will attempt to be brief.
Does information about you belong to you?
In today's society, the topics of ...
3
votes
0answers
55 views
What is the strongest link made in the philosophical literature between privacy and civil liberties?
What is the strongest link made in the philosophical literature between privacy and civil liberties? In particular, an analysis which eschews 'democracy', or separates out democracy from 'civil ...
2
votes
2answers
112 views
What are some good English translations of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
I have acquired a desire to read Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, but I do not read Sanskrit and I do not know which translations should be trusted. What are high quality translations of the Brihadaranyaka ...
4
votes
2answers
208 views
Why do I doubt my logical reasoning?
I have been wondering for several years why I just can't trust my own proofs in math or when giving some logical arguments. I keep thinking I might be making a mistake at some step of the proof and ...
2
votes
0answers
68 views
Is there no basis for differentiating a personal from a historical narrative?
Is there no basis for differentiating a personal from a historical narrative? My narrative is a mess, so I'd like to get to grips with the question, ideally as it links to literature. Who in ...
2
votes
4answers
534 views
Why does Descartes think that we know our mind better than we know our body?
According to Descartes we know our own mind better than we know bodies. Why does he think so? How can this view be criticized?
1
vote
0answers
64 views
What Are Some Recurring Questions/Themes That Are Explored or Argued for in Renaissance Philosophy?
I suppose this is not necessarily a question, rather I'm looking for inspiration for writing a research paper.
I have been assigned with the task of: "Submit a research paper, using at least 3 ...
1
vote
1answer
112 views
Is there the creator overseeing us all. How does He do that? [closed]
Is there the creator overseeing us all. How does He do that?
Is that possible due to His omnipresence and being independent of 3+1D (x, y, z, ct) limitations?
My previous question and related to ...
0
votes
3answers
128 views
Can we look forward to being dead? [closed]
Can we look forward to being dead, self annihilation? Seems like we should be able to, but I'm not sure that we can without confusing ourselves about selfhood. Does anyone say we can't?
15
votes
9answers
1k views
Why am I this particular human being?
Some philosophers dismiss this as a question about a tautology: when Alice asks "Why am I Alice?", this is equivalent to her asking "Why is Alice Alice?", which is not an interesting question. But ...
0
votes
1answer
189 views
Where does the sense of self come from?
We human beings experience a sense of identity, an inner personality. I assume Machines and computers do not. Animals also seem to possess consciousness and some sort of sense of self.
Where does ...
1
vote
2answers
104 views
Conundrum of the self?
I've been thinking about this topic in relation to artificial consciousness. Specifically self-awareness.
(I can define terms precisely if requested, but usually prefer to be as general as possible:)...
0
votes
1answer
46 views
Collective Being
If, as a Collective of embodied selves (eSelves) we voted for ideas instead of individual eSelves - the objective being to construct a Reality that resonates with Existence itself - what would that ...
4
votes
1answer
243 views
What does Ortega y Gasset mean by “art is dehumanizing”?
In "Man and People", Ortega discusses the dehumanization of art, which is made confusing from his repeated switching between speaking literally and speaking philosophically, and by virtue of his work ...
0
votes
2answers
67 views
To whom are people talking when they talk to (in) themselves? [closed]
It's commonly said that one is talking to (in) his- or himself. Does that mean there are two of the person in question: the one who's talking and the one who's listening?
2
votes
1answer
81 views
How do I find a philosophy to define my current beliefs?
I recently went from Christianity to Agnosticism. I already know what I do and don't believe:
I don't believe in fate. I believe that people should respect each other because life is short. I don't ...
4
votes
2answers
95 views
What is the term for the belief that everyone acts entirely selfishly
There is a term I heard someone use to describe the idea that no none acts selflessly.
So under this belief, a mother giving some food to her child, and going hungry herself, only does so because the ...
1
vote
1answer
168 views
What areas within philosophy look at continuity of personality and self-hood?
I'm sure these kinds of questions fall within some fairly central fields of philosophy: what makes "me now" and "me 10 seconds, months, or decades ago", the same person? In what sense are these "the ...
5
votes
2answers
335 views
How does Kant rule out permanent soul in his argument for the existence of external world?
I have been studying Stephan Körner's intro to Kant's philosophy. I'm not sure if in the following excerpt I make sense of the reasoning quoted from Kant.
In fact, I wonder how the permanence must be ...
-1
votes
1answer
98 views
What's the purpose of listening/share other people/own music?
For psychology and physics motivations, I'll never get the whole idea about a piece of music made by other peoples (it won't translate from his mind to my mind; even because what I'll listening, even ...
0
votes
1answer
66 views
Is it a good idea to write a Philosophical essay when you know the conclusion will not be satisfying? [closed]
Is it a good idea to write a philosophical essay when you know the conclusion will not be satisfying?
I have a dilemma (pun intended). I am asked to write an essay of just 1 page. Well, easy peasy ...
6
votes
3answers
694 views
Gender roles - do they matter?
This may well be too broad (spreading over into psychology too), I'll try to narrow it down as I outline my thinking but any advice is welcome.
I began by thinking about how its unfair if you ...
1
vote
1answer
218 views
Why does Nagasena reject Attributes + Dependence on Constituents Parts, as a Substance?
Source: p 362 Top. Introducing Philosophy for Canadians: A Text with Integrated Readings (2011 1 ed).
Nagasena's point? As it is with 'chariot', so it is with 'person'. Like 'chariot', 'person' ...
asked Jul 15 '16 at 8:57
Greek - Area 51 Proposal
6,1352 gold badges17 silver badges55 bronze badges
1
vote
1answer
50 views
Who are the leading thinkers, both past and present, on the subject of self-deception?
I'm interested more in the philosophical perspective, rather than the evolutionary aspect like Robert Trivers presents.
0
votes
1answer
120 views
Do alternative theories of self eventually dissolve into either the substance theory or the bundle theory?
It seems upon first glance that attitudes towards the existence of the self must either be defending the notion that it exists in its own right as a real thing imbued with sensible and rational power (...
2
votes
4answers
152 views
Can you argue that you are not selfish?
Psychological egoism, can anyone provide an everyday action which a healthy human mind would carry out which doesn't have the motive of preservation of the individuals own life at heart?
For example, ...
4
votes
1answer
494 views
Does materialism presuppose that a self is a bundle of mental states and perceptions?
The physicalist/materialist (going forward I'll use the two interchangeably) position on the mind body problem is the following:
Nothing exits besides the physical and therefore the mind is just a ...
1
vote
2answers
441 views
How can you imagine yourself in another state, without mentally transporting yourself to that imagined state?
Preface: I capitalised all italics; the book only italicised.
Source: pp 141-142 , Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (1 ed, 1999) by Simon Blackburn
But suppose instead I am not ...
asked Jan 27 '16 at 5:31
Greek - Area 51 Proposal
6,1352 gold badges17 silver badges55 bronze badges
0
votes
1answer
79 views
When 'I' is used as a subject, why do we disuse 'I' and so create an illusion?
Caution: I probably quoted overmuch; please feel free to omit the first few paragraphs and advise what can be omitted.
Source: pp 137-138 , Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy (1 ed, 1999) ...
asked Jan 27 '16 at 4:57
Greek - Area 51 Proposal
6,1352 gold badges17 silver badges55 bronze badges
0
votes
2answers
216 views
How does mind discovers its own existence?
By mind I mean the observer, the self, something that perceive. I hope that you understand because I can't find the right word.
So, your mind can observe the external existence, and can observe its ...
3
votes
6answers
315 views
How can we let go of one (the Self) and not the other (Free Will)? [duplicate]
I am under the impression that in western culture, it is quite common to conceive the Self as an illusion — probably as an import from eastern religions, and in particular from Buddhism, and in ...
1
vote
1answer
61 views
According to Humean analysis, if self-identity is but a stream of impressions, than what allows for imagination and associations to begin with?
Imagination is the recollection of certain impressions. But it seems necessary to believe that there is a difference between the recollection of certain impressions and the actual experience of ...
5
votes
3answers
902 views
What are some good books about existential philosophy?
I recently have gained a lot of interest in philosophy and have especially taken to Nietzsche's work and ideas. I am reading philosophy to understand on a more personal level to lead a more fulfilled ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
Aristotle and Charles Taylor's view of the self
I watched the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with Jim Carrey, and was asked:
Do you think think erasing another from one's memory, as in the film, is a form of erasing oneself? Answer ...
2
votes
1answer
948 views
What is the philosophical definition of a person? [closed]
What defines us as people? as individuals?
Names? I don't really think so, I mean even if I change my name, I'm still the same person.
Memories? so if I lose my memory, then I'll become another ...
2
votes
2answers
155 views
Philosophy describing a deeper reasoning for how to act toward others than feelings or personal gain?
Utilitarianism seems to be based on personal gain or positive / negative emotion.
Why help others? It makes you feel good, or it makes the world a better place which may benefit you with good ...
6
votes
3answers
302 views
What is the best philosophical expression for the “mutual containment” of mind and body?
The old "ouroboros" of mind and body reappears in various forms. Basically, the world is formed within consciousness; consciousness is formed within the brain; the brain is formed within the world.
...
1
vote
2answers
125 views
How to find a purpose at life [closed]
Just watched the How to Know Your Life Purpose in 5 Minutes: Adam Leipzig at TEDxMalibu
He talks about 3 questions.
Who you are ?(%90)
What do you love to do "X" ? (%80)
Who do you do "X" for ? ( ...
3
votes
6answers
2k views
Can you exist in two places at once?
One idea in H+ is that a person's consciousness can be digitized to outlive its human body. I think the assumption is that everything that you consciously are is just the emergent configuration of ...
-3
votes
3answers
124 views
Can a person's 'sense of self' be transported across spacetime?
Let us assume that transportation of human beings (and other objects) is possible (maybe in the future), and we have the technology to do so. (Please don't debate the scientific plausibility of this.)
...
