The self is a fundamental notion in a wide range of fields, including philosophy, anthropology, psychology, literature, and political theory. However, the notion, or notions, remains poorly understood. In part, this is because the problem of the self is not one problem, but multiple problems, each of them enormously difficult. There is the problem of continuity—what makes you the same person today as you were yesterday?; the problem of identity—what, if anything, is your true self?; and the problem of responsibility—what makes you morally accountable for your actions?

Of course, these problems might be approached in any number of ways. What is it about human beings that makes it so compelling to understand human lives in terms of a self? We will engage this question by way of three problematics: The extent and limits of self-knowledge, the nature and function of memory, and the epistemic role of imagination: Is there a self to know, and if so, how do we know it? Does memory record our histories or give voice to our aspirations? Are our imaginings of self merely daydreams or are they somehow a guide to who we really are?

This seminar will rely especially on resources drawn from philosophy and psychology, but the issues considered will resonate with a broad range of humanistic and scientific inquiries: What role does the self have in narrative, both autobiographical and fictional? What relation does the notion of self have to related notions in politics, such as citizen and subject? What is the relation between self and culture; is the self a presupposition of culture, or a product of it? What is the relation of the idea of self to spiritual beliefs about the soul and mortality?