CONCEPTS OF THE SELF  Notes from pgs  Ideas about how the self is constructed  Philosophers who delved into self

Concepts of Self ( ) Western Concept: People are born with one real self this is called The Essential Self/soul (Man is like a peach) Hesse: Each of us is a multitude of selves (Man is like an Onion) Sartre: Self is determined through choice (transcendence) instead of the facts that make up our lives (facticity) Skeptics (Hume): No self can be found; there is no material evidence of ‘selfhood’

Concepts of Self ( ) Buddhist: No self exists, Self is an illusion that hides the truth of interconnectedness. “There is nothing that can be called a ‘Self’, and there is no such thing as ‘mine’ in all the world. Hindu: Identity is self, but not the Essential self. True self is transpersonal. Individual self is an Illusion, Self is not. (How similar to Hegel for both Hindu & Buddhism?) Rousseau: Self is corrupted by society. Society urges to behave a certain way, individuality resists. Confucius: Self is corrupted by individuality & nature. We learn to be authentic selves within a community.

Self and relationships  Does hate begin with self-hate? Love with self-love??  Authentic self is believed to be our own while relations with others are secondary or external  2 Broad categories:  “us versus them”  Extreme example = war  Solipsism  Sartre – relationships are conflict  “we”  Teammates  ‘we are made for each other’ – we reestablish bonds with specific types of people (based off past relationships + & -)

Questions  1). Which is the more authentic self Rousseau or Confucius? Explain your reasoning. If neither or both, support your proposition  2). Do you think Man is more like a peach (with a single core) or an onion (layers)? Explain why.  3). Define your self through 5 traits you possess. Define your self through 5 characteristics you don’t contain. Which is more accurate? Explain