My Idea of the Self

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My idea of the self is a combination of some ideas from Plato, Immanuel Kant, and from my own interpretations. Plato believed that the self was constructed of three parts: reason, physical appetite, and spirit/passion. According to Plato, reason is the part of us that wishes to seek truth and knowledge; Physical appetite is our basic desires such as sex, hunger and thirst; Spirit is the part of us that allows us to have a temper or to experience emotions such as love and empathy. He also believed that the soul was immortal. Immanuel Kant believed that the self is “the transcendental activity that synthesizes the contents of the consciousness into an intelligible whole.” While I don’t completely take either of their perspectives, I do agree with some aspects of each. I do not believe the soul is immortal.
I believe our souls, our minds and bodies are all interconnected, so when one goes, they all go. If you drink alcohol, or take any substance that impairs you, it not only impairs you physically, but it impairs your mind as well. Taking that into consideration, your body and mind must be directly connected. Our bodies are not immortal and so, neither are our souls.
I believe that the self is constructed of two parts. The first part, I believe, stems from our experiences. This part analyzes and interprets our experiences. It is the force that drives the second part, and what molds it. The second part is a combination of mental and emotional. This part of the self is made up of your thoughts (such as your morals, opinions and attitudes towards things), your emotions, and even your actions. While actions may technically be physical, they are a mental result.
When each of us has any type of experience, the first part of the self will interpret and analyze it. This in turn, tweaks the second part of the self and adapts to accommodate the incorporation of this new experience. I believe the self can be ever-changing, and the more experiences one has, the more complex and unique their self will become. I feel this way because when we have a new experience, it adds to our knowledge. It may not be academic knowledge, but it is still important in creating who we are. An experience we have in the past may alter what we do, how we feel, and many other things about us in the future.

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