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The Role of Abstractions in the Philosophical Understanding of the Self

The three primary concepts which are the foundation of an ordered philosophical understanding are events, objects, and relationships. These three terms are the absolute simplest terms that can be used to describe something. For example: an object in relation to another object or many objects cause this or that event. Detailed example: a person (object) writing (relationship) a book (object) causes the publication (event) of it. These three concepts exist as abstractions until detail is added to them.

The next level of complexity of these terms would be positive/negative/neutral relationships, animate/inanimate objects (inanimate is used in all cases when the object is not being considered as a part of the universe as a whole), and positive/negative/neutral events.

These concepts serve philosophy adequately as an apparatus for ordering the understanding of the self. For example, the body may be considered as the object doing the work in a specific instance just as the mind may be considered in another, while it is more useful and accurate to perceive that the hands are doing the work just as the faculty of reason and the faculty of understanding are doing the work.

The value of understanding ones own mind is made apparent once understanding has been achieved. Once this understanding of self has been achieved one's psychology (mental architecture, values, emotions, etc..) can be precisely manipulated. This could be called the self creation of the mind. The faculties of the mind are numerous. Here is a basic list: intelligence, genius, memory, creativity, imagination, reason, understanding, possibly the irrational (emotional) part as well.

The irrational part (emotional part) of the soul produces positive and negative feelings in relation to mental events (the movement of thought about the mind). I personally make a distinction between the irrational part, which I name the heart, and the mind. The heart produces positive or negative feeling in relation to the mind. The neutral state of the heart is called indifference.

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