Ever since the human race developed the gift of sentience, we have long since been on a quest to discover who we are. After all, this is one of the defining traits that make us human. When an animal looks in a mirror, it does not recognize itself as an individual, but rather sees another member of its species. We are different, we see ourselves in the mirror, with all our flaws, insecurities, and doubts. Despite all of this we still achieve and thrive, for being human means that we are blessed with the infinite capacity for creativity. We can mold ourselves into anyone we want. So now the question becomes: “Who am I now? And what kind of person do I want to be?”
In the book, Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity, Charles Taylor would argue that we are not left to make this choice by ourselves, but are instead governed by a number of external factors such as society, culture, religion, and even the time period in which we are living. He refers to this concept as the “modern identity”, and that it is this theory that grants us the ability to define who we are. Concurrently, the modern view of the human subject grants us ample freedom to construct a persona that is specific to ourselves. The challenge we face is that we are afforded so many options that it becomes overwhelming. There are so many facets of our personalities that we must consider, and so many sources that affect them that we can so easily veer of the path that we truly desire.
In a discussion regarding today’s society, there are certain subjects that are bound to come up more than others: the internet, social media, technology. The subject that one wouldn’t normally suspect, but is still the center of heated debate is freedom. Freedom is what giv...
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...iety where science and education are held in high regard instead of one that emphasizes superficial and materialistic qualities.
Being human, we will always have an underlying sense of curiosity. One of the most important questions that we have always strived to find the answer to is: “why do I exist?” Unfortunately, we are no closer to finding the answer than we were thousands of years ago because this is a question whose definition changes according to the time in which it was asked. What was perceived as true back then isn’t what is accepted now, and in the future our sensibilities will most certainly change. Inevitably, finding the answer is not what is important, but instead it is the struggle, our quest of trying to find out who we are that is.
Taylor, Charles. Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1992. Print.
Taylor, S. (2009) ‘Who We Think We Are? Identities in Everyday life’, in Taylor, S., Hinchliffe, S., Clarke, J. and Bromley, S. (eds), Making Social Lives, Milton Keynes, The Open University.
Underlying Beck’s concept of second modernity (the contemporary) is the shift from structure to agency of the individual (Atkinson 2007; Beck 2007; Lewis 2006). Second modernity is the contemporary period that succeeds the periods of (first) modernity whereby the concept of identity and selfhood is no longer a collective experience but one that is based on the individual himself (Atkinson 2007; Lewis 2006). The notion of selfhood during the period of first modernity was built on fixed structures and soc...
In his 1971 paper “Personal Identity”, Derek Parfit posits that it is possible and indeed desirable to free important questions from presuppositions about personal identity without losing all that matters. In working out how to do so, Parfit comes to the conclusion that “the question about identity has no importance” (Parfit, 1971, p. 4.2:3). In this essay, I will attempt to show that Parfit’s thesis is a valid one, with positive implications for human behaviour. The first section of the essay will examine the thesis in further detail and the second will assess how Parfit’s claims fare in the face of criticism.
What makes us who we are? To answer that question we must establish what we are. We are the most advanced generation of human being the world has ever seen. We as a people come up with new innovations and inventions every day that make life easier. It’s fairly easy to get caught up in what we are as a society and just think that who we are as well but, this isn 't the case. Who we are is also known as our personal identity and there are many aspects of this identity, so many in fact that focusing on only a few comprehensive aspects and going into depth on these aspects will provide a coherent view of what goes into making us who we are.
As you walk down the street, you see posters and billboards surrounding that one person you think you may want to be. In a society that is filled to the brim with persuasion and propaganda, it is common that people forget who they are and become someone else. The desire of popularity causes misconceptions and a sense of self that is not sure of itself, leading to the question “Who am I?” Being yourself can come easier than you think just by recognizing that it is you. Not by being someone you see on the billboard, your friends, or who you see on television. Yourself is who you really are. In the story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, conflict between a mother and daughter causes identity and individualistic problems. A mother tries to relive her life through her daughter by pushing her to do things she may not be capable of doing. The mother believes that her daughter will have it all in America: success, fame, and wealth. The daughter loses herself and identity by focusing on becoming the person her
Rankine notes the most common way people question their own identity is by asking: Who am I?”. In an example, Rankine depicts a person questioning their identity by analyzing themselves from a third person perspective, “I they he she we you turn only to discover the encounter to be alien to this place… Time opens out to you. The opening, between you and you, occupied, zoned for an encounter, given the histories of you and you – And always, who is this you?” (314-315). Stepping out of one’s self to critique from a distance and asking the thought-provoking question of who you really are allows for an in-depth analysis of one’s character, often needed when individuals inevitably being to feel astray. In the same narrative, Rankine utilizes the example of time and history to explain how people question their own identity and character. Together, time and history are the two culprits of frantically putting identity into question. Time’s ability to allow individuals to reflect on their own history causes a critical auto-evaluation. Rankine examines the ways in which people question their identity through qualitative questioning and by using examples of time and history.
As a question, ‘who am I?’ poses many complications. Each of us are aware of being someone “with a past, a present and a future…” however, it is the fact that we are not “only aware of inhabiting a distinct personal world, but also…social and cultural…” which leads to confusion. This essay will therefore explore the Psychological foundations behind the question, in regards to evidence provided by the ‘Twenty Statement Test’. Analysis of this study made it apparent that ‘the self’ could be classified into three main groups; social, relational and personal selves, with each of these being readily related to the various theoretical assumptions. This essay will examine how each of these categories seek to answer the question ‘who am I?’, as well as briefly discussing how cultural variation may influence both social and individualistic approaches to the self.
—. Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1989.
“Self” is the identity bestowed upon humans that allows us to distinguish ourselves from one another. A persons unique psyche is what entitles them to be considered an individual and mindfully independent. This distinct self identity follows a person through out every facet of their lives. It remains the same “self” from the time a person is born to the day they die, and possibly after. Despite many opinions, the true “self” does not come from our physical body, it comes from the mind and the soul. It is not what a person specifically thinks and feels, but the distinctive unparalleled way they do so. “Self” is embodied by our continued existence in every moment we experience. Our “self” is created to be stable and is best exemplified through consciousness. Consciousness, as defined by Miller in John Perry’s First Night, is “the non-physical and non-material aspects of you”. Some non-physical features of consciousness are demonstrated through our actions, memories, and how we perceive information. As new born babies, our consciousness is already established. Newborns have the ability to recognize their individual needs. They have a full understand of their idea of pain and pleasure, happiness and sadness. As we grow older, we better establish an awareness of our
I have shown throughout this essay that we can determine personal identity solely based on psychological continuity. During John Perry’s dialogue he says that there are only three ways in which we can tell a person is who they are. Those three ideas being a person is their body, a person has a continuation of memory, or a person is their immaterial soul. Through the whole of this essay we have discussed that even though bodily identity and immaterial souls are a good suggestions for determining personal identity that they really aren’t logical theories. I have argued that we can distinguish personal identity from psychological continuity.
The universe, and what it means to be alive is almost impossible to define; yet that does not stop humanity from trying. “Lonergan’s philosophy of the human person reveals that being human means having an unlimited number and variety of questions about life and the universe.” (Morgan, 1996). There is no limit on the number and variety of questions the human person will ask, "the most subversive people are those who ask questions” (Gaarder), as a result there are many varied and opinionated answers. This essay will explore three different theories on how one might find answers to life's ultimate questions. At one point or another, every human being has asked the question why: Why am I here? What is my purpose? What is the point? It is in our nature as human beings to reason, to think, to ask, it is what separates us from the rest of creation, and with this ability to reason, we are left with one question: Why? Throughout history many have tried to answer this question, some have come to the conclusion that meaning is found through God, and one’s faith. Others feel that life begins meaningless, and it is up to the individual to give life meaning; then there are those who believe that life has no meaning, and we are all essentially, just waiting to die, "The meaning of life is that it ends." (Kafka).
Since human kind gained the ability of reflection we have questioned our purpose of existence. What makes a human, human? Four philosophers, representing four areas of Philosophy, attempt to answer this question. First is the Dutchman Soren Kierkegaard and his book Sickness unto Death, who is considered the “Father of Existentialism”. Prevalent through all of Kierkegaard’s work was his constant goal to move people closer to God and thus closer to discovering their authentic self. Therefore, our relationship with God is what makes us human. Next is Jeremy Rifkin and his book The Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in A World in Crisis who believes that humanity is defined by our ability to empathize with other humans whether
As humans, are we allowed to determine our own individuality? If we are, how much of an impact can we make on our own originality? The answer to the first question is yes, however, the answer to the second question is one that has changed over the years due to the advancements of our world. Identity is, in a sense, “an unfolding story…continually recast in the course of experience” (Sennett 175-176). In other words, a person develops their identity through experiences they have in their lifetimes, usually while growing. Nowadays, people have more choice over who they become than they have had in the past. Some examples of this “control” are due to advancements in science and technology, curriculum in education, culture, and what is shown in the media. Because of (but not limited to) these factors, a person has more control but also more influence on the development of their own identity.
The issue of identity is of primary importance in the cosmopolitan today’s world characterized by blending of cultures and globalization processes. Identity is a construct: the ways an individual understands what it is to belong to a certain gender, race or culture. As Jonathan Culler says “Literature has not only made identity a theme; It has played a significant role in the construction of the identity of the readers. Literary works encourage identification with characters by showing things from their point of view” (2005: 112). In this regard there is a lot of theoretical debate that concerns the nature of ‘subject’ or ‘self’. The question about the ‘subject’ is ‘what am I?’ and further the question whether the identity of the ‘subject’ ‘something given’ or ‘something constructed’ has
Wiley, Norbert. "The Post-Modern Self: A Retrospective." Society 49, no. 4 (July, 2012): 328-332. Accessed April 20, 2014. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12115-012-9556-6. http://search.proquest.com/docview/1022373336?accountid=14681.