Understanding The Self

Question 1

What is the main focus of Socrates’ dialogues?

Answer 1

He wrote more than 20 Dialogues with Socrates as protagonist in most of them.

Question 2

What is the Theory of Forms?

Answer 2

The physical world is not the real world; ultimate reality exists beyond our physical world.

Question 3

What are Forms in the context of the Theory of Forms?

Answer 3

Forms are abstract, perfect, unchanging concepts or ideals that transcend time and space; they exist in the Realm of Forms.

Question 4

What is the significance of Socrates in Western thought?

Answer 4

Socrates was the mentor of Plato and aimed to discover the essential nature of knowledge, justice, beauty, and goodness.

Question 5

What is the Socratic Method?

Answer 5

Also called the dialectic method, it is a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue.

Question 6

What is Socrates’ view of human nature?

Answer 6

He believed that ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’ and emphasized the importance of self-examination.

Question 7

What are the three components of the soul according to Plato?

Answer 7

Reason, Spirited, and Appetites.

Question 8

What was St. Augustine’s view of nature?

Answer 8

God is the source of all reality and truth; without God, man could never understand eternal truths.

Question 9

What is the role of love in St. Augustine’s philosophy?

Answer 9

Love of God is the supreme virtue, while sins include greed, pride, and jealousy.

Question 10

What is Descartes known for?

Answer 10

He is known as the Father of Modern Philosophy and famously stated, ‘I think, therefore I am.’

Question 11

What is the Mind-Body Problem?

Answer 11

The philosophical issue of how the mind relates to the body.

Question 12

What is John Locke’s view on knowledge?

Answer 12

He believed that knowledge results from ideas produced a posteriori or by objects that were experienced.

Question 13

What does ‘Tabula Rasa’ mean in Locke’s philosophy?

Answer 13

It refers to the idea that individuals are born as a ‘blank slate’ and knowledge is acquired through experience.

Question 14

What are the three laws according to Locke?

Answer 14

Law of Opinion, Civil Law, and Divine Law.

Question 15

What is David Hume known for?

Answer 15

He is associated with empiricism and skepticism, and he wrote extensively on perception and human experience.

Question 16

What is Merleau-Ponty’s view of human nature?

Answer 16

He emphasized the body-subject concept and the importance of perception in guiding conscious actions.

Question 17

What is anthropology?

Answer 17

The scientific study of humans, human behavior, and societies in the past and present.

Question 18

What are the four subfields of anthropology?

Answer 18

1. Archaeology 2. Biological Anthropology 3. Linguistic Anthropology 4. Cultural Anthropology.

Question 19

What is the focus of biological anthropology?

Answer 19

It is concerned with the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings.

Question 20

What does linguistic anthropology study?

Answer 20

It studies the role of language in the social lives of individuals and communities.

Question 21

What is cultural anthropology?

Answer 21

The study of contemporary human cultures and how these cultures shape the world around them.

Question 22

What is George Herbert Mead’s contribution to sociology?

Answer 22

He developed the concept of the social self and emphasized the role of environment in shaping human behavior.

Question 23

What are the stages of self formation according to Mead?

Answer 23

1. Preparatory Stage 2. Play Stage 3. Game Stage.

Question 24

What is the ‘Looking-Glass Self’ theory?

Answer 24

A person’s self grows out of society’s interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others.

Question 25

What does the ‘I’ and ‘Me’ refer to in Mead’s theory?

Answer 25

‘I’ self is the subject initiating action, while ‘Me’ self is the object taking the role of others.