UTS Series: Self From the Perspective of Philosophy (Part II)
Summary
TLDRIn this lecture, the concept of self according to Medieval philosophers St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine is explored. Aquinas views the soul as the form of the body, immortal and unique to humans, emphasizing self-knowledge through interaction with the environment. Augustine, however, presents a dualistic perspective, suggesting the soul is restless until it finds rest in God. True self-knowledge and happiness are found through a loving relationship with God and others, avoiding self-obsession and embracing spiritual life.
Takeaways
- 🧠 Thomas Aquinas believed that the soul is the form of the body and the organizing principle of life.
- 🌿 Aquinas thought that the human soul is immortal and unique to humans because of its capacity to reason.
- 📚 According to Aquinas, self-knowledge is deeply connected to our experiences and interactions with the world around us.
- 🏛️ Aquinas emphasized that we understand ourselves not as isolated beings but as agents interacting with our environment.
- 🏷️ Labels we apply to ourselves, like 'gardener' or 'coffee lover', reflect our connection to the world and how we understand ourselves.
- 🔍 St. Augustine viewed humans as having a dualistic nature, with a separation between the body and the soul.
- 🕊️ For Augustine, the soul's immortality is tied to its longing for and connection to the Divine or God.
- 💡 Augustine believed that true self-understanding comes through our relationship with God.
- 🌟 Self-presentation and self-realization, according to Augustine, involve acknowledging sinfulness and finding salvation through faith in God.
- 🤔 Augustine suggested that humans are in search of happiness, which can only be achieved by loving God and others in the right way.
- 🌱 Happiness, according to Augustine, comes from proper love, avoiding self-overemphasis, and embracing a spiritual life.
Q & A
What is the concept of self according to Thomas Aquinas?
-According to Thomas Aquinas, the self is a combination of soul and body, where the soul is the form of the body that animates it and gives it life. The soul is also considered the first act of a physical body with life potential and is the organizing principle of a living physical body. The human soul is unique because it has the capacity to reason, which is not found in other beings, and it is immortal, surviving the death of the physical body.
How does Aquinas differentiate between different types of souls?
-Aquinas differentiates between the vegetative soul, the sensitive soul, and the rational soul. The rational soul is unique to humans, as it is the capacity to reason, which sets humans apart from other beings in the universe.
What is the significance of self-knowledge according to Aquinas?
-For Aquinas, self-knowledge is about having a deeper understanding of oneself. It is believed that humans are not isolated selves but are in connection with the environment. Self-knowledge is dependent on our experiences of the world around us, and we understand ourselves through our interactions with our environment.
How does Aquinas view the relationship between self and the environment?
-Aquinas sees the self as not being an isolated mind but always as an agent interacting with the environment. Our self-understanding is connected to our experiences and our feelings towards other things, which are derived from our interactions with the world around us.
What is the concept of self according to St. Augustine?
-St. Augustine views the self as having a dualistic nature, with a separation between the body and the soul. The soul is imperfect and always seeks to be united with the Divine, which is God. The self is restless until it finds rest in God, and self-understanding is deeply connected to our relationship with God.
How does St. Augustine describe the process of self-development?
-For St. Augustine, self-development occurs through self-presentation, which involves acknowledging one's sinfulness, and self-realization, which is finding salvation through faith in God. This process leads to a deeper understanding of oneself and a connection with the Divine.
What is the role of love in achieving happiness according to St. Augustine?
-St. Augustine believes that happiness is achieved through wisdom, which comes from the knowledge of how to love God and others rightly. It involves avoiding an overemphasis on self and embracing a spiritual life to achieve proper love.
How does Aquinas's view on self relate to the concept of self-knowledge?
-Aquinas's view on self as a combination of body and soul that interacts with the environment implies that self-knowledge is not just an internal reflection but also a result of our experiences and interactions with the world. It is through these interactions that we come to understand ourselves better.
What is the significance of the rational soul in Aquinas's philosophy?
-The rational soul is significant in Aquinas's philosophy because it is what makes humans unique among all beings. It is the capacity for reason that distinguishes humans and allows for self-knowledge, self-understanding, and the ability to interact meaningfully with the environment.
How does St. Augustine's view on the self differ from Aquinas's?
-While Aquinas sees the self as a combination of body and soul with an emphasis on the soul's role in animating the body and facilitating self-knowledge through interaction with the environment, St. Augustine emphasizes a dualistic view with a focus on the soul's restlessness and its ultimate quest for union with the Divine, God.
What is the ultimate goal of self-knowledge according to the philosophies of Aquinas and St. Augustine?
-According to Aquinas, the ultimate goal of self-knowledge is to understand one's role and purpose in the world and to live in harmony with the environment. For St. Augustine, the ultimate goal is to find rest and fulfillment in God, which is achieved through a proper understanding of oneself in relation to the Divine.
Outlines
🧠 Self According to St. Thomas Aquinas
In this segment, the discussion revolves around the concept of self as perceived by the medieval philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas, influenced by Aristotle, posits that the soul and body are distinct yet interconnected. The soul is described as the form of the body, animating it and providing life. It is also the organizing principle of a living physical body. Unique to humans is the intellect soul, which grants the capacity for reason. Aquinas believes the soul is immortal, persisting after the death of the physical body. Self-knowledge, according to Aquinas, is a deep understanding of oneself, which is not isolated but connected to the environment. This knowledge is shaped by our experiences and interactions with the world, and our identities are often defined by our roles and relationships within that environment.
🌟 Self According to St. Augustine
This paragraph delves into St. Augustine's perspective on the self, which is rooted in a dualistic view of the human being, emphasizing the separation between the body and the soul. Augustine suggests that the soul, being imperfect, is in constant search of union with the Divine, which is God. The self, according to Augustine, is restless until it finds rest in God, indicating a deep connection between self-understanding and one's relationship with the divine. Self-knowledge is achieved through a process of self-presentation, acknowledging one's sinfulness, and self-realization, finding salvation through faith in God. Happiness, in Augustine's view, is derived from loving God and others rightly, and it is through this love and wisdom that one can achieve inner peace and fulfillment.
📚 Reflection on Self According to St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas
The final paragraph serves as a reflection on the concepts of self presented by both St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the self not in isolation but in relation to one's connection with God and the world. The paragraph concludes with an assignment for further exploration of these ideas, suggesting that a deeper relationship with God is key to finding happiness and self-fulfillment. The discussion highlights the need to love things, people, and oneself properly, avoiding an overemphasis on the self and embracing a spiritual life to achieve proper love and understanding.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Self
💡Soul
💡Body
💡Self-knowledge
💡Rational Soul
💡Immortality
💡Environment
💡Augustine
💡Aquinas
💡Dichotomy
💡Happiness
Highlights
The concept of self according to St. Thomas Aquinas is influenced by Aristotle, emphasizing the soul-body relationship.
The soul is considered the form of the body, animating and giving life to the physical body.
Aquinas believes the soul is the first act and organizing principle of a living physical body.
The human soul is unique due to its capacity for reason, distinguishing humans from other beings.
Aquinas views the soul as immortal, surviving the death of the physical body.
Self-knowledge, according to Aquinas, involves a deeper understanding of oneself through interaction with the environment.
Human beings are rational animals, and self-knowledge is dependent on our experiences and connections with the world.
Aquinas suggests that our self-knowledge is not isolated but connected to our role as agents interacting with our environment.
Labels we apply to ourselves, like 'gardener' or 'coffee lover', reflect our connection to the world and how we understand ourselves.
The self, according to Aquinas, is a mission to achieve self-knowledge through understanding our interactions with the environment.
St. Augustine presents a dualistic view of the self, with a separation between the body and the soul.
Augustine believes the soul is imperfect and always seeks to be united with the Divine, which is God.
Self-knowledge, for Augustine, is tied to our relationship with God, and we can only truly know ourselves through this connection.
Augustine's view of the self is defined by a longing for and connection to the Divine, with the soul restless until it finds rest in God.
The development of self for Augustine involves self-presentation and self-realization through acknowledging sinfulness and finding salvation in God.
Happiness, according to Augustine, comes from loving things properly, avoiding overemphasis on self, and embracing a spiritual life.
The path to inner peace and fulfillment is through proper love of God, others, and oneself, as per Augustine's teachings.
Transcripts
Good day once again and Welcome to
our
class so ang atin pong pag-usapan ngayon
is self according to Medieval
philosophers particularly augustina
aquinas so now let's start with the
concept of self according to Sy Thomas
sa
aquinas of course ah symptomas sa kinas
is
aristotelian in a sense that aristotel
has great influence with him and he
followed the the philosophy of
aristotel kaya kung titingnan natin
diyan Uh when it comes to the self there
is still soul and body and according to
him the soul is the form of the body
Okay Ito po yung form ng body na nag
animate sa body at nagbigay ng buhay sa
physical
body so naniniwala din po siya that soul
is the first Act of a physical body that
has life potential it is also the
organizing principle that makes a living
physical body what it is Ayan Yan po ang
soul so the
intellect soul is unique to humans
okay Kasi nga po naniniwala siya na sa
lahat po ng beings or ng umiiral dito sa
mundo and even in the universe only
human beings have the capacity to reason
So parang katulad naman sila ni
aristotel Okay merong vegetative soul
merong sensitive soul and then meron si
rational soul which is human being
kita kaya nga po sa kanya ang soul po is
Immortal Okay Immortal siya after
mamatay ang isang tao ang body naagnas
pero ang soul is
Immortal So kung nakikita natin po
kanina that soul is rational Okay we
human beings are rational animals and
because we have the capacity to reason
of course according to simptomas
saas We also have the capacity to know
who we are ang tawag po doon ay self
knowledge
Okay self knowledge is to have a deeper
understanding of the self yun po ang
pinaka Focus Actually sa kanya that we
have a deeper understanding of
ourselves and
naniniwala that we as a human being are
not isolated self but we are in
connection to the environment o yung
mundong ating ginagalawan that is why
our self knowledge is dependent on our
Experience of the world around us
nalalaman natin yung isang bagay kasi
nga naexperience natin siya Hindi lang
na
naexperience per n tayo ng connection
doon sa mundo o sa
environment na ginagalawan natin doon po
natin naintindihan yung ating sarili o
yung tinatawag na self
knowledge that is why we don't encounter
ourselves as isolated minds
ores But rather always as Agents
interacting with our
environment natututo tayo at natin ang
ating mga sarili kasi nga doon sa
environment na ginagalawan natin for
example when we put labels on our apply
to
ourselves like a gardener a patient
person or a coffee lover they are always
taken From what we do or feel or think
toward other things it is not just about
giving name to ourselves but there is a
sense of connection to who we are that
connected to our feelings and the way we
think about a particular thing Like for
example now I am a teacher it is not
just putting a title to myself but it is
also a kind of connection to who am i or
who I am as a
person In other words naintindihan lang
po natin ng ating mga
sarili do sa mundong ating ginagalawan
do po natin siya naintindihan there is
no dichotomy between my experience and
myself ayan Meron po silang
connection so self is Body and Soul and
Soul animates the body but it is also um
Our mission as a human being to have
self knowledge or to have a deeper
understanding of ourselves
which we can only
understand to the environment that we
have and we can be able to understand
who we are based on how we interact to
our
environment so Yan po ang self according
to Thomas sa aquinas So ano naman po ang
self according to
agostin nw Agustin
that human being is a dualistic view of
the separation between the body and the
soul okay Meron pong separation between
the body and the soul ang body po
nagbibigay ng buhay sa
soul soul rather ay nagbibigay buhay sa
body and after the death of the body
okay Meron pong immortality
Soul immortality
soul which is
imperfect alwayss to be with the
Divine which is
God that is why a human soul is
restless until he or she finds Rest in
God so there is a connection
between our understanding of ourselves
to our relationship with
God naniniwala siya that the
understanding of the self
through our relationship with God We can
be we can only be able to know who we
are when we have that kind of connection
and relationship with
God so for him the self is defined by
longing for and connection to the
Divine the self cannot find peace and
fulfillment finding God's
love that is why the self is
restless
until he or she Rest in God In other
words unless he or she found
God that is why sabi niya sa kanyang
confession You have made us for yourself
Oh Lord and Our Hearts are restless
Until the rest in you
Based po ito sa
[Musika]
kanyang buhay o yung kanyang conversion
how we found
God so para sa
kanya the development of self
happens sa dalawang ito TH self
presentation which is acknowledging one
sinfulness and self realization which is
finding Salvation through our faith in
God
so that is how he Found You know
himself when he has s presentation or
acknowledging one sinfulness and self
realization So doon mo lang daw
matatagpuan ang iyong
sarili so as as a human you know as
human being we are in search of
happiness Nandito naman tayo para
tayo
sumaya because we have what we call you
demonic character that is your
demonic so our satisfaction in this
life comes from our happiness how paano
tayo naging masaya So doon po ang
satisfaction sa buhay na
ito that is why for cint
Agustine every Man whatsoever
condition desires to be happy gusto lang
naman nating
sumaya and we can only find happiness
and through
wisdom from knowledge of how to love God
and others
rightly Look at here we have to love God
and others in a right way not in a false
Way Or in a wrong way this is the path
to inner peace and fulfillment of the s
so happiness sts from loving things
properly avoiding overemphasis on self
and embracing spiritual life deeply to
achieve proper
love Sa madaling salita matatagpuan lang
po natin ang ating
sarili
a or how we connect or we we have deeper
relationship with
God and we can only find happiness in
this life when we love things people and
even
ourselves properly not
improperly so ito yung self according to
Sintomas aquina sa
Agustin so ito yung a
Reflection What do you think is the
important of self according to St
augustine and Sintomas sa
kenas so ito po ang assignment natin
This is your task and have a good day to
all Maraming salamat po
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