The concept of the multifaceted self is a central theme explored across both philosophical and psychological perspectives within the provided sources, particularly those engaging with existentialism, phenomenology, and related psychological traditions. Understanding the self as multifaceted involves recognizing its complex, dynamic, and often paradoxical nature, viewed from various angles. **Philosophical Perspectives on the Multifaceted Self** Philosophically, the idea of the self as multifaceted is deeply intertwined with the existential understanding that existence precedes essence, meaning humans lack a fixed, predetermined nature or purpose. Instead, individuals are characterized by subjective experience and are free and responsible for creating themselves. 1. **Ambiguity and Paradox:** A core philosophical lens through which the self is seen as multifaceted is the concept of ambiguity. Simone de Beauvoir uses ambiguity to describe the human condition of being simultaneously an object in the world and a subject conscious of it . We experience ourselves as an "internality" that external power cannot grasp and as a "thing in the world"—material, visible, and vulnerable. This inherent ambiguity is tied to human freedom and the necessity of choice. Existentialism emphasizes that human beings are fundamentally defined by paradoxes, such as the duality of freedom and determinism, mortality and the wish for immortality. Kierkegaard views human existence as a synthesis of the infinite and the finite, the temporal and the eternal, freedom and necessity. The self is not merely this synthesis but the relation that relates itself to itself in this synthesis. 2. **Being and Becoming:** The self is not a fixed substance but a project or becoming. Kierkegaard argues that every moment a self exists, it is in a process of becoming; the self in potentiality does not actually exist but is what ought to come into existence. This continuous becoming is also a key feature of the self for Carl Rogers. Husserl also implies this in discussing the person needing to be spoken of phenomenologically in many ways, gravitating around the contention that being a person involves becoming we who are to be. Identity itself is seen as a state of being and becoming. 3. **Self as Relation:** Sartre defines the person as a free relation to himself. The self is fundamentally embedded and not an isolated entity; the Cartesian idea of the isolated mind is considered a myth. Stolorow and Atwood emphasize that the self is not a thing that can be objectified. Relatedness is seen as the individual's primary experience of being, with the construction of the self-structure being secondary, giving rise to worldview and self-awareness. This relational view extends beyond just interpersonal connections to the idea of an interconnection between two personal worlds where mutual and joint meaning-construction occurs. It also includes the dialogical character applying not only to interaction with others (Mitwelt) but also with the inarticulate parts of oneself (Eigenwelt). Husserl and Zahavi suggest that ego and other ego are relational concepts, and without an "other," there would be no ego; thus, the genuine absolute is the community of monads, not the individual ego. 4. **Dimensions and Perspectives:** The self can be thought of as having multiple dimensions or threads. One perspective suggests four interwoven threads: mind, body, heart, and soul, which influence how we construct our sense of self and live our lives. Foucault's later work, focusing on the constitution of subjects, outlines three potential domains: self in relation to truth (subject of knowledge), self in relation to power (subject acting on others), and self in relation to ethics (moral agent). These different domains represent ways the self is constituted. From a phenomenological standpoint, the self is not a single entity but can be understood and experienced from different standpoints or "modes of apprehension". Husserl distinguishes the "personal ego" (related to the interpersonal world) and the "psychic ego" (related to its body), which, while in one sense the same, are apperceived differently. Merleau-Ponty points to the ambiguity of the body as neither pure thing nor pure consciousness, and its temporal ambiguity, consisting of actual acting and habitual layers. 5. **Critique of Unity and Objectification:** Philosophical existentialism and related thought often critique traditional notions of a fixed, unified self or the idea that the self can be fully grasped through objectification. To objectify oneself is to turn oneself into an object, but this only captures one side or aspect of the self, not the full being capable of objectifying itself. Identifying exclusively with an empirical, objectified self means losing the potential of what one _can_ be. Foucault's early work, influenced by Nietzschean genealogy, is seen as disrupting the notion of a unified self, fragmenting what was previously considered consistent. However, in his later work, Foucault suggests that while unity is not pre-given, it can be achieved through the ethical practice of turning one's life into a work of art, bringing together aspects constitutive of the self. The idea of the self as a detotalized totality is also mentioned, suggesting an inherent lack of complete, graspable unity. **Psychological Perspectives on the Multifaceted Self** Psychological perspectives, particularly existential and humanistic psychology, align with and build upon these philosophical foundations, focusing on subjective experience, identity, and the complexities of human being. 1. **Identity and Experience:** Existential psychology radically stresses the concept and experience of identity as essential to human nature. The self is understood through personal, subjective, experiential knowledge. Erik Erikson places the question of identity and its becoming at the heart of his psychology, seeing it as a state of being and becoming, involving a subjective sense of personal sameness and continuity within shared world images. He notes that identity requires integrating the past, present, and future. 2. **Psychological Structures and Fragmentation:** The self can be viewed psychologically in terms of different internal structures or aspects. Ken Wilber describes the mind's fragmentation into "persona" and "shadow". The persona is the self-image, the conditioned patterns of mind one identifies with, while the shadow consists of discarded, repressed elements. Jung's work also addresses experiences of split or double personality, which can be seen as personifications of complementary or compensatory character traits. He views the psyche as involving internal tensions between conscience and desire, ego and self, conscious and unconscious. The self, for Jung, is the totality of psychic experiences, a matrix of relations, processes, and enfleshed existence that presents itself both internally (reflection, dreaming) and externally (language, action, physical being). Consciousness mediates between this interiority and exteriority. 3. **Relational and Intersubjective Psychology:** Psychologically, the self is understood as emerging in a relational constellation, intersubjective in origin. Self psychology, for example, views the self/self-object matrix as a psychological field, emphasizing the embeddedness of the self rather than its isolation. This embeddedness persists throughout life. Relatedness is primary in constructing the self-structure. Jung highlights the intersubjective not only as relations between individuals but also between the individual and the collective. The process of individuation involves a dialectical struggle for recognition within these relations. Projection and introjection are seen as part of this dynamic engagement between self and other, where the psyche moves out to receive from an object and returns, acknowledging the other's existence and affirming collective membership. 4. **Dimensions of Existence in Therapy:** Existential therapy explores the multifaceted nature of human reality through dimensions of existence. Building on Binswanger, van Deurzen outlines dimensions such as the physical (Umwelt), personal (Eigenwelt), intersubjective/social (Mitwelt), and spiritual (Überwelt). Confrontation with each dimension leads to dilemmas and anxiety stemming from inherent paradoxes that cannot be fully resolved. Eigenwelt specifically relates to identity and authenticity, involving dilemmas of choice, freedom, and responsibility. This therapeutic approach emphasizes describing these dimensions rather than categorizing people into personality types. 5. **Critique of Reductionism:** Existential psychology critiques reductionist approaches, such as neurologism or purely objectifying perspectives, arguing they fail to grasp the human being as a person with intentions. Attempting to integrate psychological and neurobiological perspectives often results in juxtaposition or rapid shifts in perspective rather than simultaneously perceiving the person and organism. An autonomous science of the person perspective is needed to understand the self in its full complexity. In essence, the multifaceted self, from both philosophical and psychological standpoints within these sources, is seen not as a simple, unified entity, but as a complex, dynamic, relational, and sometimes fragmented phenomenon. It is characterized by inherent ambiguities, paradoxes, and dimensions, constantly in a state of becoming, understood primarily through subjective experience and engagement with the world and others. This understanding moves beyond purely analytical or objectifying views to embrace the richness and complexity of human existence.