scholarly journals Conceptual and experiential estrangement of the self - a neo-Fregean elucidation

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
C W Van Staden
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
The Self ◽  
Personal Experiences

Reductionist and non-reductionist philosophers and mental health professionals have debated about what and where the self is. In this article I deploy a neo-Fregean theory to clarify the process by which: (i) the self becomes so susceptible to this debate; and (ii) the self presents so variably in personal experiences. Accordingly, the self can be either estranged or well equipped, depending on the position it occupies in relations, whether in the conceptualisation or in the personal experiences of the self.

New Identities for the New Century

2001 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Freud
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
The Self ◽  
Static Structure ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
The Many

In view of our postmodern Zeitgeist, and our shrinking world, we come upon identity as a concept that needs to be reconsidered. This paper examines the various categories that constitute identity, such as age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, race and even family. Each category forms a collection of values. These categories are viewed as socially constructed, usually with fuzzy boundaries, and have often been used for malignant purposes such as warfare, persecution, and discrimination. If people become identified with only one or two categories, either out of choice or through coercion, the identification negates the many elements that constitute the self, and it may lead to hostility and warfare against all “outsiders.” Identity is not viewed as a static structure, since different categories become foreground or background, depending on social, political, and historical circumstances. The author uses her own identity-voyage to illustrate her thoughts. Mental health professionals should try to propagate manifold categories for many-sided selves that will avoid pitting groups of people against each other and promote inclusive rather than exclusive identities. Therapists should be in the forefront in dialogues about values for the new century and this paper is a step in this direction.

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