1 - Metaphysics: An Inner Discussion

A Discussion of Self

Introduction

   I would, as my first real post, like to discuss self. I will take the premise that I do indeed exist in some way and that there is a body that I occupy. Then I will look at the views of Early Modern to Contemporary philosophers starting with Descartes, this is the first of a many part series, which I will wrap up by showing how I think, before and after I examine some historical and contemporary figures for ideas.

An Unorganized View

   Since I occupy a body, this body must be located somewhere, if not here, then perhaps I am in a dream and I am imagining that I am writing a blog post right now. If my current conception of myself is true and I am indeed writing a blog post right now, then eventually I will finish this action and move on to something else, perhaps by falling asleep on the keyboard. I also may take that my self might die along with my body, however, terrifying that may sound. In fact, maybe I am some sort of permanent life form that formulates ways to entertain itself by living imaginary "lives" within it's world.

   However I actually work can be confusing though, so maybe I should attack it at a different angle and presume that my perception does exist. If that is so, then the self is a sort of "thinking thing" that does the work of decision making and reasoning for my body, which has an end. This "thinking thing" is a sort of ruling faculty that does not only talk to itself but, attempts to communicate with other thinking things through a sort of communication interaction. The self tends to think of one perception of this "thinking thing" as the most important of many selves, creating an ego.

   The ego is a perception of your self as a single, decisive one. However, this is rarely the case, often making the self more indecisive than an ego, with multiple voices speaking as a part of the self. Despite this, having a self perceived ego allows a self make decisions on what that self spends it's, perhaps limited, time on. Take for example, my decision to write a blog on philosophy, I think this is useful for me to do, whether or not it actually is, I do not know. Maybe I have created two selves in having one, a sort of de facto self and a de jure self. The de facto self is what the self actually is, whereas the de jure self is only my perception of what my self is. With so many different ways to look at the self, it may be better to look at self as expression of ones' mental state.

Descartes' View

   According to the Meditations On First Philosophy, Descartes came to the conclusion that he is, at least a "thing which thinks" (Descartes, 10). He comes to this conclusion by first setting doubt upon even his most fundamental beliefs and then working to reconstruct them afterwords. He then comes to the further conclusion that the body has little to do with the coming to be of his self. So then, one can look at Descartes' view as that there is some sort of incorporeal soul that is not connected to the body in any sort of permanent way.
   Then he proves to himself that God exists and that there is an important difference between Descartes' imperfect self and God's perfect self (a self that the imperfect self should strive to emulate). Of the things we have though, is free will, that is the ability of the soul to control itself. Upon re-examining his own views on the relationship between the body and self, he comes to the conclusion that there are certain things in the world that sense perception can, to an extent confirm, despite that he posits that self is the only thing we can know with absolute firmness.(Descartes, 32)

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   Descartes is an interesting fellow and I am compelled to draw conclusions from his. Due to the conclusion that self is the first of a shockingly small number of absolutes one could say becoming as close to God's perfect self as possible would be an important thing, so maybe I in a search for fulfillment should look to ethics? Furthermore, if the relationship between self and body is merely one of the ruling faculty then shouldn't I look to cleanse my soul and only keep my body going? I suppose that this may be an overtly emotional response, but this view is definitely not as fulfilling for me as it was for Descartes. Perhaps Spinoza and Leibniz will be able to provide a more fulfilling view.

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Bibliography

   Descartes, René. The Philosophical Works of Descartes. Trans. Elizabeth S. Haldane. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1911. Print.