The Self: A Very Short Introduction

The self is a complex and elusive concept, with puzzles and paradoxes such as being oneself but not being able to get away from oneself. Marya Schechtman explores the self from a variety of perspectives, including philosophy, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, and popular thought, to consider questions about what kind of object a self is, what it means to be oneself, and why it is important.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 28 March 2024
Publisher: Oxford University Press

"Know thyself" is a maxim carved into the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, but it can be challenging to understand what it means. The self is with us at all times, but it is elusive and opaque. What is a self? Is it an object? If so, what kind? If not, what? Our understanding of the self is filled with puzzles and paradoxes.

We cannot be anyone but who we are, but being oneself can be difficult in certain circumstances. We can change and become different people, but we cannot get away from ourselves. Marya Schechtman explores these questions through insights from philosophy, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, and popular thought.

She considers what kind of object a self is, what it means to be oneself, why it is important, what changes the self can and cannot survive, whether a self can be separated from its body, whether more than one self can exist in a single body, and what role engagement with the environment and with other selves plays in constituting and maintaining the self.

These investigations yield a complex, multi-dimensional picture of the self as a subject and agent embedded in and interacting with a natural and social world. The Very Short Introductions series offers concise and accessible introductions to a wide range of subjects, perfect for students, scholars, and anyone interested in learning more about the world around them.

Weight: 126g
Dimension: 111 x 173 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198835257