Self-knowledge
Self-knowledge (rarely also autognosia from Greek αὐτός autos , German 'self' , and γνῶσις gnosis , German 'knowledge' ) is the knowledge of a person about one's own self . Self-knowledge is closely related to self-reflection , thinking about oneself ( self-observation ), and self-criticism, critically questioning and assessing one's own thoughts , one's own viewpoints and actions. The ability to self-knowledge presupposes the existence of self-awareness , which can be defined as "reflective, level-headed awareness of one's self ". Self-knowledge therefore requires a certain objectivity of self-observation and self-image , that is, the "correct assessment of the properties, dispositions, powers, values of the self, drawn from the comparison of the activities and reactions of the ego in life, in the social community."
Self-knowledge is a fundamental human ability that is studied not only by philosophy but also by psychology and especially by understanding psychology . It is also the basis of intersubjectivity , i.e. the understanding of other people, and thus an important prerequisite for a functioning social coexistence. The opposite of self-knowledge is self-deception .
One consequence of too little self-awareness can be overestimation or underestimation of oneself. The latter is a rarely used term; it is mainly used in psychological contexts (see also inferiority complex , wallflower ).
Philosophical term
For the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates , self- knowledge is the condition for morality . Among other things, at Heraclitus traditional, often Thales or the Seven Sages attributed motto Gnothi seauton ( "Know thyself") adorned the entrance to the ancient Apollo temple at Delphi . The demand for self-knowledge is thus one of the oldest and still most important demands of philosophy on the individual.
Epistemologically , the philosophical structure of self- knowledge is based on a return of the cognitive process to the knowing person himself (see also hermeneutics ). The incentive for this recognition is to overcome the " subject-object split ". According to Karl Jaspers , self-reflection lies “within the comprehensive relationship between the conscious and the unconscious ”. In this respect, the subject-object split also exists in ourselves, precisely in the inner opposition between conscious and unconscious, not only in our always imperfect relationship to the outside world .
Psychoanalysis
In the sense of psychoanalysis, self designates the ideas about oneself and one's relationships to the environment. Self-knowledge in this context is the acquisition of knowledge about one's own psychological abilities, possibilities and realities. It is a prerequisite for self-realization . In psychoanalysis as a treatment method, the ability to self-knowledge and self-reflection is a basic requirement for the success of the treatment. Even if a person has the ability to self-knowledge, this is made more difficult by internal resistances that want to oppose the recognition of unpleasant details of oneself or the environment.
mysticism
Self-knowledge can also be seen as the result of experiencing timelessness in the sense of mysticism . In Plotinus , the state of timelessness is characterized by complete self-knowledge, presence and the letting go of wishes and ideas about the future. Similar statements can be found in many writings of theologians , mystics and the Philosophia perennis . In order to realize the “birth of God in the soul ”, as Meister Eckhart teaches , one must remove the notion of time from everyday life. The experience of timelessness requires the task of identifying with sensory perceptions, and in a certain sense also with the mind or knowledge, hence the basics of everyday experience and science.
Theoretical models
There are numerous theoretical models available that deal with self-awareness. These include personality tests and models such as the Big Five , the MBTI or the Enneagram .
Quotes
- "The longest journey is the journey inward."
- "A god cannot grant man a greater favor than that of self-knowledge."
See also
- Damascus experience, an experience that gives a person a profound self-knowledge
- Dialogic introspection , a method for researching individual psychological processes
- Kokology , a game of self-awareness
- Criticism and self-criticism , a term in Marxism-Leninism
- Self-esteem , a reflexive sensation linked to self-awareness
literature
- Franz Brentano : Psychology from the empirical point of view . Vol. 1: 1978, Vol. 2: 1911, Vol. 3: 1928, reprint, Hamburg 1968-73.
- Meister Eckhart : From self-knowledge or: From the perfection of the soul, in: Meister Eckhart, From the miracle of the soul, a selection from the treatises and sermons . Reclam, ISBN 315007319-7 .
- Jürgen Habermas : Knowledge and interest . 4th edition. In: Technology and Science as »Ideology«. Edition 287, Suhrkamp, Frankfurt, page 151 ff.
- Karl Jaspers : General Psychopathology . 9th edition, Springer, Berlin [1913] 1973, ISBN 3-540-03340-8 , page 289.
- Georgi Schischkoff (ed.): Philosophical dictionary . 14th edition, Alfred Kröner-Verlag, Stuttgart 1982, ISBN 3-520-01321-5 , page 163, entry knowledge
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Brockhaus, FA: The Great Brockhaus. Compact edition in 26 volumes, FA Brockhaus, Wiesbaden, 18th edition 1983, volume 20, page 48, keyword self-criticism .
- ↑ Both quotations: Rudolf Eisler : Dictionary of Philosophical Terms , 1904, Art. “ Self-knowledge ”.
- ↑ see for example Psychology of Personality by Jens Asendorpf , p. 260.
- ↑ See self-knowledge , dictionary of philosophical terms
- ↑ Jaspers: General Psychopathology. 1973, p. 289.
- ↑ Dag Hammarskjöld : Signs on the way. Munich, Droemer 1965, p. 58
- ↑ Volker Gerhardt : The sense of the sense. Try on the divine. Munich, Beck, 2014, p. 48.