- seCtIon sIx: seLF AnD otHeR
which seem to bear especially on the rela-
tionship between self and consciousness. In
each case we can consider, first, whether the
theory is an ego or bundle theory; second,
how it accounts for the experience of seeming
to be a unified and continuous self; and, third,
whether it helps us to understand the nature
of consciousness.
THOUGHT ITSELF IS
THE THINKER
William James is the obvious starting point,
for he wrote extensively about both self and
consciousness, and his ideas are still widely
respected today. James built his theory first
and foremost on the way it seems. Central to
the concept of personal identity, he said, is
the feeling of unity and continuity of oneself;
one’s own thoughts have a warmth and inti-
macy about them that distinguishes them
from others’ thoughts – although where
exactly to draw the boundary between
one’s own and others’ thoughts is not always
clear.
The universal conscious fact is not
‘feelings and thoughts exist,’ but ‘I think’
and ‘I feel’. No psychology, at any rate,
can question the existence of personal
selves. The worst a psychology can do
is so to interpret the nature of these
selves as to rob them of their worth.
(1890, i, p. 226)James divides the self into two ever-present
elements: the ‘me’ and the ‘I’. The ‘me’, the
empirical self or objective person, includes
three aspects: the material self (including
body and possessions), the social self (includ-
ing how we behave with and are seen by
others), and the spiritual self (this may seem
an odd name to us today, but it includes
mental dispositions and abilities, religious
aspirations, and moral principles). This last
part of the empirical self, or ‘me’, includes
subjective experience. Within the stream of
consciousness, says James, there seems to be
a special portion that welcomes or rejects the‘Even Bundle Theorists
don’t want to die’
(Broks, 2003, p. 223)
FIGURE 16.6 • Where’s the University?
seLVes, CLUBs, AnD
UnIVeRsItIes
the theory that the self is just a bundle of sen-
sations, or a stream of words, or a collection of
events happening to no one, is not easy either
to understand or to accept. to make the task
easier, we can think about clubs or universities.
suppose that the Bristol gardening club thrives
for many years and then, for lack of interest,
folds. the few remaining members put away
the books, tools, and other club possessions,
and move on to something else. A few years
later a new gardening enthusiast starts the club
up again. she retrieves the books, but rede-
signs the stationery. she attracts a few of the
old members and lots of new ones, too. now,
is this the same club or a different one? If you
think there must be a right answer, then you do
not understand the nature of clubs. According
to bundle theories, the self is a bit like this.
Con
C
e
P
t
16.2