Philosophers Belief Example/Explanation Similarities Differences

Socrates  Our true self is  The state of our soul, or our inner
our soul. being, determines the quality of our
life. We must devote our attention,
energy, and resources to making our
soul as good and beautiful as possible.
Plato  The tripartite soul  The appetitive (physical urges), spirited  Shared
is the core (justice-seeking), and rational (mind) Socrates’s view
essence of a parts of the soul characterize the self. that the self is
human being. the soul
St. Augustine  We can only  Without the grace they get from God,  In a proof for
escape from and which they cannot earn, they could existence similar
inherited neither be good nor be able to reason to one later
sinfulness if we correctly. made famous by
receive grace Descartes,
from God. Augustine
 Everyone has  A person has control of his or her own claimed "Si
free will. thoughts and actions and can take fallor, sum" ("If I
measures to discipline him or herself. am mistaken, I
am”).
Rene  Cartesian  An individual’s mind is separate from  Father of
Descartes Dualism/Self the body and the outside world, rationalism (as
thinking about itself and its existence. opposed to
 We truly exist  “Cogito, ergo sum” (“I think, therefore I empiricists
because we am”)—the act of doubting one’s Locke and
think. existence proves that one truly exists; Hume)
the self must exist for there to be a
thought.
John Locke  Tabula Rasa  Humans are born with a blank mind,  Primary  Opposed the
(blank slate) and the identity of the self is shaped by exponent (along Augustinian
experience, sensations, and with Hume) and view of man as
 reflections. founder of originally sinful.
 It is founded on consciousness, and empiricism  Opposed the
 Personal Identity not on the substance of either soul or Cartesian
body position, which
holds that man
innately knows
basic logical
propositions.
David Hume  There is no mind  The self is presumed to be a definite
or self. and consistent identity, but the
qualities and characteristics of people
are ever-changing. Thus, there is no
self.
Immanuel  There are two  There is an inner self (termed by Kant  Hume viewed
Kant components of as empirical self-consciousness) and anything under
the self. outer self (termed as transcendental metaphysics as
apperception). The former comprises imaginary, but
the psychological state and rational Kant
intellect, and the latter includes sense acknowledged
and the physical world. God and faith
along with
science.
Sigmund  Psychic  The human mind is divided into three  Plato divided the  Plato described
Freud Apparatus parts: id (instinctive urges), ego human soul into the soul (not the
(rational part), and superego (morals). three parts with mind) in this
similar manner with
descriptions. different names.
Gilbert Ryle  Behaviorism  Self comes from behavior. It is best  Opposed the
understood as a pattern of behavior, dualistic views
the tendency or disposition for a of Descartes
person to behave in a certain way in
certain circumstances