The Nature of the Self
Christian Anthropology Revisited
Keywords:
Body self, Narrative self, Transcendental self, Self-knowledge, Christian anthropologyAbstract
The word “self” comes up frequently in everyday language. We talk about “self-respect,” “myself,” “self-determination,” “self-help,” “yourself,” “him/herself,” and so on. All of these expressions refer to the subject of investigation of anthropology: the human person and what it means to be human. Thus, in everyday languagewhen we refer to “self” or “person” or “human being,” often we are referring to the same reality. What is the nature of the self that we so often mention in everyday language? This article takes a critical look from multiple perspectives at the concept of “the self” to understand its deeper meaning in everyday language use and in Christian anthropology.
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