Immanuel Kant: Views on Religion and Self

The view of self largely depends on a person's metaphysical beliefs. Some people believe that the body is the one true self, while others believe that the body is composed of different aspects, such as the soul, spirit, and physical body (and yes there is a difference between soul and spirit). Kant's view of self is similar to the multiple aspects belief, but instead of having separate essences, they are different parts to a whole, and at the same time inseparable from the whole - at least with regards to the spirit.

The bodily self is the physical manifestation of ourselves. This is the most basic form of substance, and allows others to recognize us for who we are through the senses. Without a physical form, there would be no way to recognize what, or who, something is. By having senses and form, we can recognize a dog as a dog, and a person as a person. Kant would refer to these objects or entities that are not us to be considered "empirically external", or ''things that are to be found in space" (404). He further describes the perceptions of the external in three different parts (from A 374);

1) Perception is the presentation of an actuality

2) The actuality is presented to outer sense

3) Space is nothing more than presentation.