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IB Philosophy Revision Guide: Human Nature Core Theme $20.49
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IB Philosophy Revision Guide: Human Nature Core Theme

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  • Course
  • Philosophy
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  • UWCSEA

This document covers all subtopics of the Core Theme module, including Human Nature, Mind-Body Problem, Freedom, The Self, etc.. It includes descriptions of every theory and some critiques to use in your Paper 1 essay. Key-words and terms are included, highlighted, and defined for convenience.

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Document information

  • March 24, 2020
  • 15
  • 2019/2020
  • Study guide

Subjects

  • ib philosophy
  • philosophy
  • ib philo
  • philo
  • core theme
  • revision notes
  • review
  • human nature
  • ib philosophy hl
  • ib philosophy sl
  • review guide
  • revision
  • guide
  • freedom
  • free
  • sl
  • hl
  • international baccalaureate
  • notes

Written for

  • UWCSEA
  • Philosophy
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Table of Contents
THE SELF...........................................................................................................................................2
1. ILLUSION THEORY..........................................................................................................................2
2. BODY THEORY/ANIMALISM...........................................................................................................2
3. SOUL THEORY................................................................................................................................2
4. MEMORY THEORY.........................................................................................................................3
5. RADICAL FREEDOM, SARTRE..........................................................................................................3
6. ON DASEIN, HEIDEGGER................................................................................................................3
7. TRIPARTITE PSYCHE, FREUD...........................................................................................................4
8. UPANISHADIC HINDUISM..............................................................................................................4
9. NOT-SELF, BUDDHISM...................................................................................................................5
MIND-BODY PROBLEM.....................................................................................................................5
1. CARTESIAN DUALISM, DESCARTES.................................................................................................5
2. THE NARRATIVE SELF.....................................................................................................................6
3. TRANSCENDENTAL EGO, KANT......................................................................................................6
4. BEHAVIORISM, B.F. SKINNER.........................................................................................................7
5. IDENTITY THEORY..........................................................................................................................7
6. FUNCTIONALISM, TURING.............................................................................................................8
7. ELIMINATIVE MATERIALISM, CHURCHLAND..................................................................................9
HUMAN NATURE..............................................................................................................................9
1. HUMAN FULFILMENT, ARISTOTLE.................................................................................................9
2. ANTISOCIAL NATURE, HOBBES....................................................................................................10
3. SOCIAL NATURE, ROUSSEAU........................................................................................................10
4. THE SUPEREGO, FREUD...............................................................................................................10
5. ORIGINAL SIN, CHRISTIANITY.......................................................................................................11
6. THE FORMS, PLATO.....................................................................................................................11
7. ALIENATION, MARX.....................................................................................................................12
8. ANGEL AND ANIMAL, KANT.........................................................................................................12
FREEDOM.......................................................................................................................................13
1. ILLUSION OF FREE CHOICE, HOLBACH..........................................................................................13
2. LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY, HOSPERS................................................................................................13
3. TRADITIONAL COMPATIBILISM....................................................................................................14
4. DEEP SELF-COMPATIBILISM, FRANKFURT....................................................................................14
5. LIBERTY, HUME............................................................................................................................15
6. DOCTRINE OF NECESSITY, MILL....................................................................................................15
7. FREEDOM, SARTRE......................................................................................................................15




IB PHILOSOPHY SL 1

,THE SELF
Who am I? Which iteration of myself is the real me?

THE CONCEPT OF SAME
Numerical: one and the same thing
Qualitative: two or more identical objects but not the one and the same (2+ versions of the
same type)

THE ESSENTIAL SELF
A set of characteristics that pertain to a person which endure over time

1. ILLUSION THEORY
The theory that we do not have a set of characteristics that endure over time
 We undergo continuous qualitative change
 Bodies are constantly gaining/losing mass
 There is no one permanent, unchanging self if we examine ourselves empirically
 “it is not possible to step twice in the same river” - Heraclitus
 Since there are no permanent conditions of any kind, we should live instinctually and
have no deliberate actions
 Buddhists believe that a theory of a continually persisting self is ignorant and foolish

CRITIQUE
 We still continually plan for our future
 What becomes of our relationships with others?
 How can we still hold people responsible for their past crimes?

2. BODY THEORY/ANIMALISM
The theory that we are identical to our biological bodies
 We are our bodies
 If we have the same DNA, we are the same person
 We persist through time so long as our bodies retain functional organization
 Humans are, in principle, same as other animals
 Even if aspects of our bodies change over time, we are still numerically dealing with
the same physical body

CRITIQUE
 A person needs to be able to think/reason (ex. coma)
 What about post-mortem existence? (religion)
 Cases where bodies are switched?
 Amnesia? We might also need psychic continuity

3. SOUL THEORY
The theory that our personal identity is tied to an enduring entity, namely the soul
 Same soul → same person
 Our personal identity is not affected by the death of our physical body as our soul
endures

CRITIQUE
 How can you check if someone is the same person? We use physical appearances
to affirm if someone is who they say they are. With soul theory, you couldn’t be sure
 Leads to heavy skepticism




IB PHILOSOPHY SL 2

, 4. MEMORY THEORY
The theory that memories provide us with a form of psychological continuity
 You are identical to the person in the past so long as you may recall some events
experienced by that person
 Logically possible to survive one’s own death; you may remember your life on Earth
in the afterlife
 You may verify the identity of another via shared memories

CRITIQUE
 What becomes of forgotten memories?
 What about lapses in memories?
 What of false memories?
 The concept of direct memories vs indirect memories

5. RADICAL FREEDOM, SARTRE
The theory that our authentic self always lies in the future

KEY TERMS:
Being-in-itself: a being with no free will or consciousness, one who cannot choose their
purpose, one who is made for a specific purpose
Being-for-itself: a being which can choose how its existence shall be, one who is able to
use consciousness/freedom to create meaning
Facticity: the state of having facts that you cannot change (i.e. your birth)

PREMISES
 We are born free; we experience negative ecstasy once we realize it
 Being precedes essence
 We are social beings
 There is no god

THEORY
 We must exercise our freedom
 When a supposed facticity is used as an excuse to not do something freely, then we
are acting in mauvaise foi, or bad faith – we always have options
 By exercising our freedom and remaining authentic to ourselves, we may transcend
and work towards a final state of authenticity
 This authentic state can never truly be reached, but we grow closer to our true selves

6. ON DASEIN, HEIDEGGER
The theory that we have a collective social identity

KEY TERMS:
Dasman: they/they-self, an anonymous no-one
Dasein: oneself/authentic self

THEORY:
 Our dasein is always out of our reach but within ourselves
 “Everyone is the other, and no one is himself”
 We must take hold of ourselves as individuals and attempt to find our authentic
selves/dasein within us by doing the following:
o Admitting to ourselves that we are not ourselves
o Grow aware of moments when we are putting on a mask, and which mask we
are wearing



IB PHILOSOPHY SL 3

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