Introduction

Abstract

Most of us take it for granted that each of us in some sense has a self. Still, we do not know exactly what we mean by saying so. When we reflect upon ourselves and turn inwards to face the self, we seldom notice anything but a tangled heap of thoughts and sensations. The self appears to be an abstruse power that moulds one’s character and controls one’s actions in silence. It is out of reach of any inquiry. Of course, we may have been fooled. Perhaps there is no self. Perhaps there is not more than meets the eye: the publicly accessible human being. Nevertheless, it is difficult to free oneself from the idea that thoughts about oneself have a subject that in some sense transcends the public person. This idea has given birth to many fascinating theories about the nature of the self as well as to denials of its existence. The more elusive the problem, the more energy is put into solving it.