The Impossible Question
"What is the self?" What a question that is. Throughout all of human history, people have tried to discover and define this abstract, complex concept through a myriad of different lenses from a myriad of different foundations. The questions of identity and the 'self' have captivated and fascinated neuroscientists, philosophers, psychologists, and other thinkers for generations.
Yet there exists no single, concrete definition of the 'self', not one that everyone agrees upon. Some writers argue fervently for its existence, others deny it altogether. Even within the same areas of study, people's views on the 'self' conflict with each other. Perhaps this friction, in and of itself, is evidence of the existence of the 'self'.
It would be a lie for us to declare that we have a concrete idea of the 'self', nor is there any one thinker whose idea of 'self' perfectly answers the question of 'what is self'. However, by taking every perspective on the 'self' into consideration, we can come to a better and fuller understanding of the self and its complexities.
