READING ASSIGNMENT: SCHECHTMAN

Posted by Winnie Melda on November 20th, 2018

The main two phrases that Schechtman uses to describe the concept of the 'self' are that; 1. ) the self is a product of narrative and 2.) The self is a socially constructed element. In this case, Schechtman urges that the self is a non-existing product, and yet it is about the replacement of the self-model concept (Schechtman, 2004). In her article Schechtman gives a psychologically and sensitive realistic account to personal identity. She addresses the issues that surround personal identity through the view of the philosopher John Locke and the problems that extend this view. She also presents the psychological continuity theories that gave birth to the concept of personal identity. She claims that an individual is far much extensive than the conscious mind which also comprises the activities of the non-conscious mind.

 She argues that one has to have a self-conception that includes a trajectory in which the present fields meaningfully unfold from one’s past that replace the implications for how one does it and one does. Thus, when writing about the self, it is much more on how a narrator considers being the self and one who is trying to make sense out of himself as a human being with certain feelings and thoughts and sometimes the failure to find the actual meaning (Schechtman, 2004).

 The self as a narrative product means that having a sense of self or self-understanding involves looking at personal experiences and actions as forming the intangible whole. These connections are the links of memory or the apparent memory, desires, continued beliefs, emotions and projections among many others. It is the reason Locke (1975) defines a person as an individual standing for an intelligent and thinking being that has reflection, reason and consider him as s elf. Example 1. Betty is a 65-year-old woman who believes that she is well aware of her position and role in life. She applies herself conscious entity which is not from a single memory but enough memory that she has gone through on this planet. The connections with her past as the aspects that make her are of her identity (Schechtman, 2004).

 For the case of the self-being, a social construct is by trying to answer the question of what makes a person be the same over time. According to Locke’s account, the personhood that remains constant is when there are common claims among members of a given context (Schechtman, 2004). This social context supports the discussing of a range of identity conditions for various sought of things persisting over a period. For example, a person in an Islam society is expected to act in a certain way due to a given set of reasons for the Sharia laws and the Islamic laws. However, it is dependent on whether the individual has the belief or desire with the content relevant to that behavior. Such as an Islam woman covering her head with the Hijab is the typical modesty in any Islamic state.

Reference

 Schechtman M, (2004) self-expression and self-control. Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in best custom research papers if you need a similar paper you can place your order for custom college essay services.