philosophy essay
philosophy essay
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Order Paper NowEssay Question for Chapter 11, “Who Am I?”
One of the issues not dealt with in the Wilkens and Padgett discussion of personal identity relates to how we understand the “self” in relation to other people. Notice that our identities or “senses of self” are formed while we’re dependent upon our parents, a stage that lasts from birth usually to age eighteen and sometimes well beyond! Perhaps you’ve seen the Geiko commercials that picture young people behaving like their older parents. The ads conclude with the comment: “Don’t be like your parents!” Watching the commercial probably just reminds us how much we are like our parents! Parental influence is not the only external factor in our identity development. Psychologists have noted as well that while we’re growing up our peers have at least as much influence on us (on the “self” we develop) as our parents.
While some of the qualities we “inherit” (like those mocked in the Geiko commercials, are not hard to uncover, the fact is that we are often virtually blind to significant elements of our character, elements that are obvious to everyone else around us. I recall in high school a friend made a casual observation about my character that totally caught me by surprise. It wasn’t a particularly flattering observation, but after reflecting on the comment, I decided the friend was spot on, and I was glad for the information so I could make the appropriate attitude adjustments.
Our identity being shaped by relationships is also at the heart of the Apostle Paul’s notion that our ability to know God is related to our “being known by him.” Listen to what Paul writes to the citizens of Galatia who had been converted from paganism to Christianity: “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits” (Galatias 4:8,9 NRSV; bold print mine). Similar texts occur in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 and 13:12. Note, too, that Adam’s and Eve’s first reaction to their sin was to hide themselves from God and hide their nakedness from each other.
So, give some thought to your answer to these questions: “Who are you? What is your core identity? How has your sense of self been shaped by family? Friends? Are there elements of your identity that you feel and believe are independent of outside influence? What are they? Describe the conclusions of your reflection in a systematic, well-structured essay. Be as specific in detail as possible. The contents of this essay will be kept confidential and not shared with your classmates.