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I agree, that the self is emergent.No, I propose that both the "self" and consciousness are emergent in that they are dependent for their existence on the right causes and conditions. Physical reality is eternal, or at least as eternal as it gets.
eudaimonia,
Mark
I agree!No.
On top of that, I am under the impression that "self" is a very fragile concept - possibly useable for everyday purposes, but not suitable for philosophical considerations.
What is that "unique qualifier"?Will try again. Have you ever been to a school reunion where you encounter a person that you had not seen for 30 yeas or a long time? While many aspects of that person may have changed, after a moment of speaking with them their personality as a unique qualifier emerges and you remember them and can distinguish them.
personality
[ ˌpərsəˈnalitē ]
NOUN
noun: personality · plural noun: personalities
- the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character
I think most people are scared of "ending", and thus hold on to the idea of an eternal self - whatever that is.There's no evidence that it is. I could imagine that it is and pretend that what I imagine is real but that would be useless. I imagine being dead will be just like it was before I was born and so I'm not scared of my personality ending because I won't be around to fret over it.
What I worry about most is living in the here and now. I think not believing that I will go on in some way forever makes life all the more sweet. Every moment is precious and not to be wasted. I worry about getting so old that I can't do the things I love to do like mountain biking and hiking. I'ts going to happen, I know this. So I try to fit in as much biking and hiking as I can now instead of wasting my time watching TV, except for the Walking Dead of Course. Best show ever besides Firefly.
IN my understanding, my "self" consists of a combination of five constantly mutable things: matter, sensation, perception, mental objects, and consciousness. Taken together, I perceive my "self".
To use a metaphor, multiple strands wrapped and joined together creates something called a "rope". Or, wheels, tires, a metal frame, an engine, transmission, and other parts, joined together, creates something called a "car".
Yet in the sense of my self - or even for a rope or car - we do not exist apart from the combination of the individual parts which makes up the whole. Additionally, the individual parts are all subject to change and decay. What is subject to change and decay cannot be eternal. So it cannot be said that there is anything identifiable in my "self" that is eternal.
Do you propose that the essential "self" is eternal, and what is it exactly that is eternal?
What do you consider to be the "self"?
No, I'm merely hypothesizing. Aren't you doing the same in your post below?You are engaging in circular reasoning. You define what self is and then you draw a conclusion.
Does your scriptures really speak of an eternal punishment, or punishment which actually and only lasts for an aeon/olam?You are a psychosomatic being. What is corruptible is corruptible what is eternal is eternal. Our eternal being is dependent on God. Your soul is eternal, your body is not. Your body experience memory, emotions, pain, depression, joy, sadness, even death. So does your soul even when not inhabit the body. Your body makes in contact with the visible world, your soul will experience the invisible world. You see the visible thru light processed by the retina, interpret by the brain. Your perception of the world is thru experience and is not always a true representative of reality.
So yes the self is eternal, think about the eternal punishment. How can you be punished for something you won't have full knowledge of?
Your description isn't too far off what I think of it as. I made a thread regarding self a while back in the philosophy section. I'll see if I can link it for you as it contains a lot of my understanding of "self".
What about situations where some trauma causes a person's "personality" to dramatically change, so much so that they have little or no trace of who they used to be?It's personality, it's the essence of a person that distinguishes them from any other person. You know a persons personality by experiencing it although words can't define it adequately enough that one could pick it out of a lineup.
Who is the living god, and how does your self know that to be so?Or being afraid of trusting the Living God people over develop the self.
It's not the personality that changes, for instance that persons friends or family may recognize their personality even if the trauma has left that person without memories of their life experiences.What about situations where some trauma causes a person's "personality" to dramatically change, so much so that they have little or no trace of who they used to be?
That's just so sad, really. Its the acme of self centeredness, the antithesis of the joy of service, eternal service, sharing.
I think that the fact that some have been discovered living normally without a brain shows that the brain is not the self.
I agree, that the self is emergent.
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