X-Message-Number: 14166
From: "Yuri Pichugin" <>
Subject: about "Self", a soul
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2000 17:15:15 -0700
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I have my work about the nature of the Self in Russian
(20 typing pages) written in 1979. At present I have no time
to translate the article from Russian to English. Here is its abstract.
On whole, I disagree with the information paradigm on the nature
the Self, or "pure" soul (unfilled soul, soul without content).
Dr. Perry and others try to go from objective reality
to the phenomenon of the Self (approach "for others"), but
without approach "in myself for myself", without introspection,
they lost the phenomenon of the proper Self that is the central
phenomenon of subjective reality. I develop a non-information
paradigm on the nature of the Self. There is a problem:
scientists did not discover a material substance of a soul yet,
but this does not mean that the substance is not existent.
The substantial paradigm of a soul can well explain
characteristic features of the real phenomenon of a pure
soul (the Self) in subjective reality. Everyone can feel and
then "understand" his or her own pure soul just in his or
her subjective reality. A soul is not an information, but
it is feeling. Therefore computers cannot have souls.
I did not adapt my notion of the word "existence" to English,
but I think it is the same as a soul, the Self.
Abstract of the paper by Yu.I. Pichugin "Concept of
"Existence" (To the Problem of Self-consciousness:
A Hypothetical Model of the Phenomenon Determining
the Quality of Subjectivity of Human Psyche).
Only the lower level of human reality and aspect of feeling and
self-perception are dealt with in the present paper.
Subjective reality and thus I for myself disappear in the sleep
without dreams or under deep anesthesia though the brain remains alive.
I connect myself with the subjective reality but I don't identify myself
with the whole of subjective reality. What is properly my own Self? And
what is mine? My body is material mine; my thoughts, feelings,
perceptions - are my subjective. They belong to me, I refer them
to myself but they are not properly my own Self. To feel what in my
subjective world, in me is mine and what is Self proper, an experiment
of experiencing, perception of "pure "existence" is carried out. The
phenomenon of "pure" (i.e. without any concrete content) being for
itself can only be singled out by way of introspection. A difference
between "explain the phenomenon to other" (approach for other) and
"feel, perceive this phenomenon in my own introspection" (approach for
myself) is drawn.
Five categories of the phenomenon's characteristic features are
presented:
I.a) "Existence" or Self for myself is UNITY of perception of my own
existence by myself and this existence itself. Being that feels,
perceives itself alive. Self-perceiving being. Being for itself. This
being is open directly to the Self and is not manifested as adequately
for other;
b) Inability of "existence" to materialize;
c) Singularity. Uniquity. Inimitability. Irreplacability.
Impossibility to copy;
d) Singleness. "Monadability". Indivisability. Separateness.
II. "Existence" is an attribute, unity and form of subjective reality.
"Existence" is inseparable from essentiality of diversity of contents
of subjective reality but at the same time it is impossible to unite
with it. "Existence" is a minimum of subjective reality, my self as
proper me. "My proper Self" unlike the diversity of "mine" cannot
be removed, replaced, changed: otherwise everything, all my
subjective reality will disappear for myself. Because "the point", "the
axis" round which my subjective reality rotates will disappear.
III. a) Constancy, invariability, immutability. During the whole life,
during all the changer there is something in the person that
absolutely never changes for this person, "remains the same" - it
is Self proper, "existence". "Existence" is not fixed by memory.
Memory is not necessary for "existence" because "existence" is
constant, unchangeable, is an attribute of subjective reality,
all the subjective contents are "remembered" on it, it "manifest
everything that can be remembered".
b) "Existence" is self-sameness, identity which does not require
identification.
IV. a) Self-sameness of the self to the self;
b) Empty self-determineness. In order to feel (but not be conscious
of) myself definite and defined I do not need any information or
contents from my past life;
c) Univercality. Undetermineness by the content, but determineness by
the form makes "existence" a universality, i.e. it can accommodate
(reflect) any contents and at the same time remain imchanged, not
dissolve in it, preserve its determineness as self-certainty and self-sameness.
V. a) Inactivity; b) Reflectiveness.
Then, a hypothetical model of material that serves as a direct
base of "existence" is given. Man as an "existential" system.
"Existence" as a particular, substantial element of "existential"
system. Other elements of this system have functional character. The
purpose of the substance of "existence" is transmission, transfer of
information to the brain's control elements. However, evidently, this
substance does not produce or process information.
Explanation of introspective characteristics of "existence'
due to properties of its substance is presented.
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