Self

Lore & Background

In the Hebrew Bible, God's 'own self' is invoked as the basis of His oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, promising land and countless descendants (Exodus 32:13). In the New Testament, Jesus distinguishes his own will from the Father's, stating he can do nothing of his own self (John 5:30), yet he also prays to be glorified with the glory he had with the Father before the world (John 17:5). Paul downplays human judgment of himself, saying he does not even judge his own self (1 Corinthians 4:3), and he personally pledges repayment in his own hand (Philemon 1:19). Peter affirms that Christ himself bore sins in his body (1 Peter 2:24). Good deeds benefit the self, evil harms it (Surah 45:15), and God can make one self-sufficient (Surah 93:8), but seeing oneself as self-sufficient can lead to transgression (Surah 96:7). The Upanishads present the Self (Atman) as the inner, immortal reality, distinct from the outward-facing senses (Upanishads 1:1). The Self is one, though appearing many; it is the only reality behind names like sun and moon (Upanishads 1:3; 1:4). Seeing all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings leads to freedom from hatred and sorrow (Upanishads 1:6; 1:7). The Self is described as without breath or mind, pure, and superior to the imperishable (Upanishads 1:8). It is the lord of the chariot, with the body as chariot, intellect as charioteer, and mind as reins (Upanishads 4:1; 4:2; 4:8). The Self is identified with the sun, moon, stars, fire, wind, water, and earth (Upanishads 5:6). The Bhagavad Gita instructs that one should act without attachment to results, casting all self aside (Bhagavad Gita 2:47), and that a person can lift or lower themselves by their own Self, which can be friend or enemy (Bhagavad Gita 6:5).

Reader's Guide

The provided passages portray 'self' in at least four distinct frameworks. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, 'self' can refer to God's own being (Exodus 32:13) or to Christ's divine person (John 17:5), yet also to human limitation: Christ says he can do nothing of his own self (John 5:30), and Paul refrains from judging even his own self (1 Corinthians 4:3). The self is also the agent of personal action, as when Paul writes with his own hand (Philemon 1:19) or when Christ himself bears sins (1 Peter 2:24). The self is not an ultimate reality but a locus of accountability before God. The Upanishads offer a radically different view: the Self (Atman) is the ultimate, unchanging reality, identical with the cosmos (Upanishads 1:3; 5:6). It is the inner controller of the body and mind (Upanishads 4:1; 4:2), and realizing its oneness with all beings brings liberation from sorrow (Upanishads 1:6; 1:7). The Bhagavad Gita bridges action and selfhood: one should act without attachment to results, casting aside the ego-self (Bhagavad Gita 2:47), yet the Self can be one's own friend or enemy depending on how one relates to it (Bhagavad Gita 6:5). These portrayals are not harmonized in the passages; they represent distinct theological and philosophical traditions.

Did You Know?

• God swears by His own self in Exodus 32:13, an unusual anthropomorphic expression of divine self-reference.
• In John 5:30, Jesus says he can do nothing of his own self, emphasizing his dependence on the Father.
• The Upanishads describe the Self as 'without breath, without mind, pure' (Upanishads 1:8), contrasting with embodied human experience.
• Surah 96:7 links human transgression to seeing oneself as self-sufficient, a key Quranic critique of arrogance.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"In philosophy, the self is the idea of a unified being which is the source of an idiosyncratic consciousness." — Self "Bernard J. Baars, ibid., "Understanding Subjectivity: Global Workspace Theory..." — Self "The Arch-flatterer, with whom all the petty flatterers have intelligence, is a man’s self." — Self "Chercher à objectiver le moi ou à le saisir par le dehors, c'est comme si l'on voulait se mettre à la fenêtre pour le voir passer." — Self