Course Syllabus

437-001 Man and Self-Knowledge

3(3-0-6) Credits
Second Semester of Academic Year 2012
Department of Philosophy and Religions
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Prince of Songkla University
__________________________
Lecturer:

Mr. Rachod Satrawut

Office: 50429
Department of Philosophy and Religion,
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Introduction
The problem of self is one of the most classical
philosophical questions. Many philosophers try to
provide, from their metaphysical conception of the
world and universe, the satisfactory and coherent
answers to this unsolvable enigma. The ambition of this
course is to shed the light on a brief history of
philosophy of human self and the way human being
gains their own self through cosmology, creation order
and freedom. Humans self in the social realm is also
investigated as an approach in contemporary world.
Aims:
The students need to be able to
1. Understand the basic concept of self in the
different eras;
2 Criticize the philosophical proposal from their
own point of view;
3. Apply the philosophical thought through the
discussion in the class to the contemporary
world.
Requirements: Reading, Speaking, Writing
1. Do and pay attention to all the assigned reading.
The students will be provided approximately short
pieces each week and supposed to participate in the
class. This means they need to show up their
preparation for the class: do the reading, think about it
and contribute in the meaningful way.

2. Write 2-5 pages papers on the text or make any

kinds of presentation.
3. Write one term papers on the topic of your
choice after consulting with the
lecturer.
4. Paper presentation in the class is optional but
highly recommended.
2
Grading:
Class participation 10%
Two assignments 20%
Presentation
20%
Term paper
20%
Final examination 30%
Grading Criterion:
Grade
A
B+
B
C+
C
D+
D
E

Score
80-100
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
0-49

Course Contents:
Week
Contents and programs
1
Presentation and grading consensus
2
Theme: The conflict between self-love and self
as otherness
The story of Narcissus and Echo in Book III of
Ovids The Metamorphoses is our reading.
Narcissus, who dont realize how his sublime
beauty can seduce and, eventually, hurt the
nymphs is our main concern on the question of
self. His love rejection implies the violence

towards the others and, paradoxically, towards

even himself. Narcissus represents the first kind
of self: self-love. Echo, on the other hand, loves
Narcissus and finds her self in the other. In this
perspective, she tries to argue against the selflove and show the other dimension of self: self
as otherness.
3
Week

Contents and programs

Reading material : Ovids The
Metamorphoses Book III
Further reading :
Cottingham, John. On the Meaning of Life,
London and New York: Routledge, 2003.
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. New York: Warner
Book Edition, 1999.

Rummery, Richard W. Narcissism: theory of

Knowledge with reference to the Notion of
Reflection, Philosophy Study, March 2012,
Volume 2 No.3, 203-222.
Theme: Self in cosmology
Self is not totally rooted in the other or in the
body but, as the example, of Ulysses, self is the
quest for its position in cosmology. In Homers
Odyssey, Ulysses, after the Trojan war, finds the
way to go back home but need to stay with
Calypso, the very beautiful nymph who falls in
love with him, because he has no choices. He
refuses the nymphs proposal to make him
immortal and decides to go back to his human
society. His decision can be considered as the
effort to long for his self in the universe.
Reading Material: Homers Odyssey

Further reading :
White, Michael J. Stoic Natural Philosophy
(Physics and Cosmology), in Brad Inwood. The
Cambridge Companion to the Stoic, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Algra, Keimpe. Stoic Theology in Brad Inwood,
ed. The Cambridge Companion to the Stoic,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Gill, Christopher. Stoicism in Randall Curren,
ed. A Companion to the philosophy of
education, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2003.

4
Week
Contents and programs
4-5
Theme: Caring of self and knowledge of self
Socrates dialogue with Alcibiades concerns
directly to the question of self which is divided
into two parts: caring of self and knowledge of
self. The relationship between caring of self and
knowledge of self is explored in the light of soul
although this kind of relationship needs to
accept the unknown self at the beginning. This
exploration enhances the knowledge of politics
and the self in the human society.
Reading materiel: Platos Alcibiades 128a135e
Further reading:
Foucault, Michel. The hermeneutics of the
Subject, Graham Burchell, trans. New York:
Picador, 2005.
Nettleship, Richard L. The Theory of Education
in Platos Republic, London: Oxford University
Press, 1969.

Strauss L. and E. Voegelin. Faith and Political

Philosophy: The correspondence between Leo
Strauss and Eric Voegelin 1934-1964, P.
Emberley and B. Cooper, trans. and eds.
Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State
University Press, 1993.
Activities:
Presentation on Alcibiades 2-5 pages or
presentation in front of the class. (4th week)
Topic for analytical term paper. (5th week)
6-7

Theme: Self in relation to God

Contrary to the ancient Greek concept of self,
from Narcissism to Alcibiades, The Christian self
brings the relationship of two kinds of self,
human and divine, into the history of self in
western world. The creation ex nihilo can be
understood as the divine effort to construct the
relationship with human being. Human self in
this theoretical framework becomes meaningful
because of the Gods creation, promise and
pardon.
5

Week

Contents and programs

Reading material: Holy Bible
Further reading :
Barton, Stephen C, ed. The Cambridge
Companion to The Gospels, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Taliaferro, Charles and Chad Meister, eds. The
Cambridge Companion to Christian
philosophical Theology, Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2010.
Hall, Ronald L. The Human Embrace: the Love
of philosophy and the Philosophy of Love,

Kierkegaard, Cavell, Nussbaum, Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania state University Press, 2000.
Activities:
Presentation on the Bible (Genesis 1-22) 2-5
pages or presentation in front of the class. (6th
week)
First assignment submission. (7th week)
8

Theme: Thinking as knowledge of self

After exposing his skepticism towards
everything, immanent and transcendent world,
Descartes confirms something indubitable that
is I Think, or Cogito. This is the first time in
the history of western philosophy that Human
being takes thinking as the firm foundation of
philosophy. Moreover, this revolutionary idea
changes radically humans conception of self.
Human self depends nor on cosmology nor on
God creation but on himself.
Reading Material: Descartes Meditations of
First Philosophy
Further Reading:
Alanen, Lilli. Descartes Concept of Mind.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003.
Copleston, Frederick. A History of Philosophy
Volume 4: the Rationalist Descartes to Leibniz,
London and New York: Continuum, 2003.
6

Week

Contents and programs

Cottingham, John, ed. The Cambridge
Companion to Descartes. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1992.
Activities :
Presentation on Descartes Meditations of first
philosophy 2-5 pages or presentation in front of

the class.
9
10

Mid-term examination
Theme: Thinking as knowledge of self ( II )
Descartes philosophical position focus on the
question how the I becomes the philosophical
foundation. The whole universe, transcendence
and immanence, requires as firm and
indubitable foundation from human beings
thinking. This innovative stance turns the order
of universe upside down. Human beings need
to confirm their self with the relation to nothing
else other than himself and create the other
thing on the Cartesian cogito. In this
perspective, thinking becomes their way to
confirm the human self and the world.
Reading material: Descartes Meditations of
First Philosophy
Further Reading:
Alanen, Lilli. Descartes Concept of Mind.
Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2003.
Copleston, Frederick. A History of Philosophy
Volume 4 : the Rationalist Descartes to Leibniz.
London and New York: Continuum, 2003.
Cottingham, John, ed. The Cambridge
Companion to Descartes. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1992
Activities:
Second assignment submission.

7
Week
Contents and programs
11
Theme: Absolute freedom as the way to create
the self

Sartres conception of absolute freedom

presupposes the formula existence precedes
essence. It means Human beings exist and
lives in the world with nothingness. In the other
words, nothing can define them and they define
themselves freely after their existence in the
world: they create their own essence or their
own self freely without any determination and
reference to the metaphysical concepts.
Reading Material: Sartres Existentialism is a
Humanism
Further Reading :
Fox, Farrel Nik. The New Sartre. New York:
Continuum, 2003.
Anderson, Thomas C. Sartres Two Ethics: From
Authenticity to Integral Humanity. Illinois: Open
Court, 1993.
Schilipp, Paul Arthur. The philosophy of JeanPaul Sartre. Illinois: Open Court, 1981.
12-14

Theme: Self in the realm

The reputation of Saint Exupery is beyond
doubt. His the Little Prince exposes the
various kind of philosophical topics: love,
friendship, work, money etc. These subjects
need to be investigated in relation to self.
Reading Material : Saints Exuperys The little
Prince
Further Reading :
Kearney, Richard. On Stories. London and New
York: Routledge, 2002.
Wogoner, Robert E. The Meaning of Love: an
Introduction to Philosophy of Love. London:
Praeger, 1997.

8
Week

Contents and programs

Activities:
Presentation on Saint Exuperys The Little
Prince 2-5 pages or presentation in front of the
class.
Term paper submission.

15
16

Paper presentation
Paper presentation, tutorial for final
examination and conclusion

Reading :
Descartes Meditations of First Philosophy available at
http://www.vahidnab.com/med.pdf
Homers Odyssey available at
http://sparks.eserver.org/books/odyssey.pdf
Holy Bible available at
http://www.ulc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/KingJames-Bible-KJV-Bible-PDF.pdf
Ovids The Metamorphoses available at
http://www.poetryintranslation.com/klineasovid.htm
Platos Alcibiades available at
http://manybooks.net/titles/platoetext991lcbd10.html
Saints Exuperys The little Prince available at
http://home.pacific.net.hk/~rebylee/text/prince/contents
.html
Sartres Existentialism is a Humanism available at
http://www.public.asu.edu/~jmlynch/273/documents/sar
tre-existentialism-squashed.pdf
Further reading :
Alanen, Lilli. Descartes Concept of Mind. Cambridge:
Harvard University Press, 2003.
Algra, Keimpe. Stoic Theology in Brad Inwood, ed. The
Cambridge Companion to the Stoic,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Anderson, Thomas C. Sartres Two Ethics: From

Authenticity to Integral Humanity. Illinois:
Open Court, 1993.
Barton, Stephen C, ed. The Cambridge Companion to
The Gospels, Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2006.
9
Copleston, Frederick. A History of Philosophy Volume 4 :
the Rationalist Descartes to Leibniz.
London and New York: Continuum, 2003.
Cottingham, John, ed. The Cambridge Companion to
Descartes. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1992.
--------------------. On the Meaning of Life, London and New
York: Routledge, 2003.
Foucault, Michel. The hermeneutics of the Subject,
Graham Burchell, trans. New York:
Picador, 2005.
Fox, Farrel Nik. The New Sartre. New York: Continuum,
2003.
Gill, Christopher. Stoicism in Randall Curren, ed. A
Companion to the philosophy of
education, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2003.
Hall, Ronald L.The Human Embrace: the Love of
philosophy and the Philosophy of Love,
Kierkegaard, Cavell, Nussbaum, Pennsylvania:
Pennsylvania state University Press, 2000.
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. New York: Warner Book
Edition, 1999.
Kearney, Richard. On Stories. London and New York:
Routledge, 2002.
Nettleship, Richard L. The Theory of Education in Platos
Republic, London: Oxford University
Press, 1969.
Rummery, Richard W. Narcissism: theory of Knowledge
with reference to the Notion of

Reflection, Philosophy Study, March 2012,

Volume 2 No.3, 203-222.
Schilipp, Paul Arthur. The philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre.
Illinois: Open Court, 1981.
Strauss L. and E. Voegelin. Faith and Political
Philosophy: The correspondence between Leo
Strauss and Eric Voegelin 1934-1964, P.
Emberley and B. Cooper, trans. and eds.
Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State
University Press, 1993.
Taliaferro, Charles and Chad Meister, eds. The
Cambridge Companion to Christian
philosophical Theology, Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2010.
White, Michael J. Stoic Natural Philosophy (Physics and
Cosmology), in Brad Inwood. The
Cambridge Companion to the Stoic,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2003.
Wogoner, Robert E. The Meaning of Love: an
Introduction to Philosophy of Love. London:
Praeger, 1997.
Link :
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-friendship/
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/descartes/
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/sartre/