What is a Person? Essay

-          I can imagine myself as a thinking thing existing apart from the body (as shown by the different essences in the argument from essence.).

The question of the self is one that appears throughout history and has been debated in myriad ways. Many people assert their claim as the correct one, though some are content to contemplate the self for the rest of their lives rather than remain at one conclusion. Humans are their own enigma, unable to understand the complexity of themselves. It is important to have some theory of consciousness in order to understand the actions of ourselves and others, therefore it is irresponsible to consider the matter a moot point. After consideration of works describing the physical processes of the brain, it seems that there is nothing more simple or wonderful than consciousness existing within the physical brain. Moreover, the concept of self is a construct of the mind rather than something that truly exists.

It comes to conclusion that who you are depends on where and who you are with. As the French usually say “ you are three people at once. First, you are the person that you think you are. Second, you are the person that people think you are. Third, you are the person that you really

The self could be defined simply as the sense of who we are, and who we are is created and developed over time and through interactions with other individuals in society. Charles Horton Cooley compares the development of self to a mirror in which an individual’s self is basically a reflection of how we think we are viewed by society. This idea of the “looking-glass self” focuses on how we imagine others see us opposed to how they really see us. There are three phases of the looking-glass self that repeats throughout life. In the first phase, an individual imagines he or she appear to others. The second phase involves imagining how others would judge him or her, based off that appearance. In the final phase, the individual uses the assumptions from the first two phases to define his or her

A person is whatever one wants them to be, they can have any features one wants them to have. Of course, everyone is going to have his or her own definition and classification of who a person is. A definition of who is a person is going to be different for everyone; however, a person is someone or something that has consciousness and understanding, they do not even necessarily have to be humans. Someone or something that possesses consciousness and understanding hold traits of a person not just a human. The definition of a person does not have to be right or wrong; however, there should be an understanding that a person does have consciousness and understanding.

Who am I as a person? I would describe myself as being a kind and caring person who along with a very sarcastic and witty sense of humor, has a passion and drive in psychology. As a writer I would describe myself as being able to write clear and cohesive work and as a reader, I would describe myself as being able to critically

In John Locke’s argument for personal identity, he believes that we are not substances or mere souls. In his argument, Locke stresses to convey that there is a crucial difference between distinguishing a “man” and a “person” (Locke 221). According to Locke’s definition, a man is a living body which is homogenous to an animal’s body. Therefore, any living body of a particular shapes refers to a “man.” Locke emphasizes that a “person” is a sensible being that is aware of its own

Who am I? Who are you? As a person, we are labeled by our identity. According to Dictionary.reference.com the word “identity” is defined as condition or character as to who a person or what a thing is. Distinctive traits give personality to individuals. As people living in society, we tend to leave a trail or a legacy of who we are behind us. There is a paradoxical nature to one’s

A human being is described as being a creature capable of questioning concepts such as “who am I” and “why am I here” in order to give meaning to their existence. (Creech Ph.D., 2015)

Any time someone thinks, their brain has a special, designated voice for their thoughts. This voice, allows an individual to in some degree, have a conversation with their self, without necessarily communicating out loud. This voice in our heads has had numerous names throughout the years, such as a person’s conscious or recently has been called the “self.” Many researchers have wanted to know who and or what the actual voice is that we hear in our conversations. Richard Rass author of “Introduction to Perspectives on the Self: Conversations on Identity and Consciousness”, explains that “self has assumed radically different meanings…” throughout the years (Rass 2). Knowing what “self” is and why it helps enlighten our lives is apart of the journey. Rass stated that the “self” or conscious could play a role in knowing humans “psychological composition” (Rass 2). With new research appearing more than ever before, we are gradually obtaining the ability to

All human beings have a self: the ego or “I” that can think, reason, and perceive. It’s an independent individual that exists separate from other things and people, with an independent identity. (Velazquez 52). From an early age to the adult stage we are still trying to figure out ourselves, and our purpose in life. According to Velazquez, to find out who we are, we have to reflect on ourselves, others, and how we live (48).

     Two things can happen when we are required to base our definition of “self” on others.  One can take others’ ways of living and thinking, process them, and formulate his or her own definition, independent of anyone else.  Or, one can use the relationships he or she has with other people on which to base their own definition of self, thus making him or her dependent on those other people.  As young people, we learn and take in all we can through the world, our experiences, and relationships with other people.  From there, we grow and establish our own identities, our own “selves”, in response to those interactions with others.  This definition is continually growing and progressing as we evolve as people, interacting with different people in different environments and

We all talk about ourselves in the first person - 'I did this ', 'my book ', 'I felt happy ' etc., but what do we mean when we use the words 'I ' or 'me ', what is this thing we call self?

The age old question of what it means to be human can be answered through many viewpoints. There are several specie specific qualities that differentiate humans from any other creature, but with that being said, humans are often compared and contrasted with animals and machines. Some of these specific qualities are the ability to interpret, free will, and the use of language, but what does it really mean to be human?

The modern view of self is articulated in the works of 17th century philosopher Rene Descartes. He pioneered the dualistic understanding of the human being, which is made up of the "mental substance (mind) and the physical substance (body)" (Warburton, N., 1992). Here, the body has physical properties like having weight and using space, whereas the mind is a non-material substance, responsible for thought and experience and hence is the abode of consciousness. In his view, the self is a spiritual "subject of experience" which is fundamentally different from the body and nature, where the body inessential and the mind can exist independently. His radical scepticism led to the formation of the "Illusion argument", where the bodily senses are deemed unreliable and thus the existence of the external world and body is uncertain. The only thing one can be