Lawless Megan Com L 114 September 19, 2007 "From Self-Reflection to Reflection of Society: Two Very Different Views of the Self" Descartes and Rousseau, both considered among the greatest thinkers in modern philosophy, define the self from very different angles. Rousseau takes on a more traditional approach, while Descartes brings about the concept of individualism with his definition. Even with their very different methods of thinking and their varying views of the self, they did have some things in common. For one, they both had great confidence and belief in their concepts of the self. This is not only seen in their style of writing, but in how their writings were accepted at the time. Descartes attempted to define the self through a series of meditations. He sat alone in his room for days on end, trying to find some truth in an uncertain world. His first conclusion is that he is a thinking thing. This could be seen as his original definition of the self. The rest of his meditations try to expand on this. Through his second meditation, he finds that nothing is better known than the mind. Early on he attempts to incorporate the body into his definition of the self, but struggles with the uncertainty of the senses. He claims that the senses only perceive a disconnected jumble of information. The intellect is what helps the self understand what the senses perceive. After making clear the distinction between the intellect and the senses, Descartes reflects on the source of error and sin in humans. He concludes that error is the inevitable result of one's free will being more extensive than one's intellect. When people make judgments about things which they are unfamiliar, it is easy to fall into error. Finally, Descartes completes the connection between mind and body. He decides that although they are distinct entities, they are inextricably linked to one another.
Rousseau, progressing through the history of mankind, comes to his own unique definition of the self. The goal in his writing was to show the foundation of inequality among men, and in showing this he discovered much about humanity and the self. The way Rousseau thinks about the self is in relation to society. He does not consider the self to be an isolated being as Descartes does. Everything he relates about the self is shown in the context of society. He goes so far as to say that the self is defined by the judgment of others. Rousseau claims that because of man's interaction in society, he has become superficial. to According his findings, man has become too afraid to self-reflect and thinks it more important to find out what others think of him. This is in complete contradiction to Descartes, who says that the ability to selfreflect is a trademark of the self. Based on Descartes' meditations as a whole, I believe his definition of the self would include several key points. First, the self is made up of a mind which is connected to a body. The mind perceives things through the senses. These senses must be interpreted by the intellect, because on their own they can be deceptive. This is because the purpose of the senses is
NOTES: Summary of the arguments that hold a significant relation to the concept of the self Locate and explain specific arguments about the nature of the self as they understand it DESCARTES: nothing is better known that the mind Only the intellect can organize and make sense of what we perceive. The senses only perceive a disconnected jumble of information: the intellect is what helps us to understand it. The most common error in judgment is to judge that the ideas in one's mind conform to, or resemble, things outside the mind Humans are subject to error because their free will extends beyond their judgment. When people try to make judgments about things that are unclear to them, it is easy to make an error. Mind and body are distinct entities ROUSSEAU: the self is defined by the judgment of others The self has developed in this way due to social interactions dating back to the beginnings of mankind Because of the social interactions of man, he has become superficial We always ask others what they think of us, never ask ourselves (too afraid to self-reflect, more concerned about how others see us) the inequality that we see among peoples "Everything, being reduced to appearances, becomes mere art and mummery; honor, friendship, virtue, and often vice itself" (Rousseau 138). "We have nothing but a deceitful and frivolous exterior" (Rousseau 138). "Social man, constantly outside himself, knows only how to live in the opinions of others" (Rousseau 138). He traces this deceitful nature back in time when the divisions of rich and poor emerged Emphasis is on the natural self of man versus the modern self
Literature Cited
Descartes, Ren. Meditations on First Philosophy. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract and the First and Second Discourses. Binghamton, NY: Vail-Ballou Press, 2002.