De Rerum Natura By Lucretius: Poem Analysis

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Essentially, the term self is how one perceives themselves. Over the years, the meaning of self has been debated amongst ancient philosophers such as Lucretius and Apuleius. Some say self is the innermost sense of a person, some say self represents one’s relationship with others and some say that the self is in fact and illusion. In the ancient Hellenistic period, self have been presented in the poem “De Rerum Natura” by Lucretius, as well as the novel “the Golden Ass” by Apuleius. Additionally, “nature or nurture”, the debate that have been going on for years discusses what the self is and where it comes from. There is numerous of theories on the meaning of self, its existence, and its presence that will be discussed further more in …show more content…
This poem by Lucretius is in fact focuses on Epicurean philosophy and represents the respect for Epicurus and his ideas. In book one, Lucretius believes that matter exists in the form of invisible particles, for example the particles of the wind, of odors, cold, sound, and that void exists. In other words, he thinks that everything is made up of body and void and the properties of the mind and the spirit. According to him, the mind is in charge of the whole body, experiencing pain and joy, whereas the spirit only controls the movement of one’s body. He mentions that the mind and the spirit consist of four substances; “breath, heat, air and an unseen power.” (Lucretius, Page 80) He further insists that; “mind and soul are intimately connected, and together from a single substance.” Furthermore, Lucretius believes that mind is more essential to the body than the soul, which is made up of the mind and the spirit. He also thinks that one shouldn’t be afraid to die. According to him, when the soul and the mind are torn apart, you simply die. He says; “The mind is born with the body, develops …show more content…
This argument discusses two ideas: if someone’s development predisposed in his DNA or if a majority of it is influenced by this life experiences and his environment. For a matter of fact, it is known that both nature and nurture affect one’s self being, but it is unknown which influences the self more. Many people believe that self is influenced by how other people treat you, and that how you’ve been treated shapes who you become. The article “The Self: Why are you like who you are?” by Michael Bond is an example of this way of thinking. Bond insists that the self is influenced by our relationships with others. He believes that this process starts at a very young age by adapting the parents’ personality, characteristics, and even by observing their mimics. On the other hand, it can also be said that how you look like, blue eyes, brunette and other physical appearances, can identify who you are as well. The article “The Self: The one and only you” by Jan Westerhoff contradicts with Bond’s article “The Self: Why are you like who you are?”. Westerhoff believes that the self doesn’t change by your experiences. Even though the author does not necessarily say that the self depends on physical appearance or genetics, one can say that he disagrees with the idea of self being influenced by your relationship with

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