“Ego” vs “Bundle” theory of Self

20 Mar “Ego” vs “Bundle” theory of Self

There are many theories about the self but they fall into one of two categories.
The first category are Ego theories of self and the second are bundle theories of the self.

The following descriptions of the Ego and Bundle theories of Self are taken
directly from Susan Blackmore’s excellent book “Consciousness an introduction” (p 98).

EGO THEORY

According to Ego theory, the reason each of us feels like a continuous unified self is because we are. Underlying the ever-changing experiences of our lives there is an inner self who experiences all these different things. This Self may change gradually as life goes on, but it is essentially the same ‘me’. In other words, according to any kind of ego theory the self is a continuous entity that is the subject of a person’s experiences and the author of their actions and decisions.

This is the view we naturally and intuitively hold and describes the position of most of the world’s religion’s excluding Buddhism. Buddhism has a doctrine of annatta or no-self.

BUNDLE THEORY

The Buddha (500 BCE) has been described as the first ever bundle theorist by the philosopher Derek Parfitt. Bundle theory was later also put forward by the Philosopher David Hume in 1734. It is from Hume that bundle theory takes it’s name.

According to Bundle Theory, the feeling that each of us is a continuous, unified self is an illusion. There is no such self, but only a series of experiences linked loosely together in various ways. Bundle theory does not deny that each of us seems to be a unified conscious being. It denies that there is any separately existing entity that explains that appearance. There are experiences but there is no one who
has them. Actions and decisions happen but not because there is someone who acts and decides.

In recent years Bundle theory has seemed less strange and more convincing then Ego theory to a number of scientist’s, psychologists and philosophers. Many mystics also gravitate towards Bundle theory as when they meditate on the self they find none. In fact they claim they can experience consciousness untouched by any sense of self. They feel the feeling of self being extinguished then a short while later re-lit like a candle.

My personal opinion is that we start as Ego theorists but when we change to not only thinking bundle theory is true but actually naturally feeling it to be true, that is when we permanently lose our sense of self and become ‘enlightened’ or ‘awakened’. Our sense of self is so central to how we think and feel that when we lose it our whole perspective of reality fundamentally shifts.
There are many theories about the self but they fall into one of two categories.
The first category are Ego theories of self and the second are bundle theories of the self.

The following descriptions of the Ego and Bundle theories of Self are taken
directly from Susan Blackmore’s excellent book “Consciousness an introduction” (p 98).

EGO THEORY

According to Ego theory, the reason each of us feels like a continuous unified self is because we are. Underlying the ever-changing experiences of our lives there is an inner self who experiences all these different things. This Self may change gradually as life goes on, but it is essentially the same ‘me’. In other words, according to any kind of ego theory the self is a continuous entity that is the subject of a person’s experiences and the author of their actions and decisions.

This is the view we naturally and intuitively hold and describes the position of most of the world’s religion’s excluding Buddhism. Buddhism has a doctrine of annatta or no-self.

BUNDLE THEORY

The Buddha (500 BCE) has been described as the first ever bundle theorist by the philosopher Derek Parfitt. Bundle theory was later also put forward by the Philosopher David Hume in 1734. It is from Hume that bundle theory takes it’s name.

According to Bundle Theory, the feeling that each of us is a continuous, unified self is an illusion. There is no such self, but only a series of experiences linked loosely together in various ways. Bundle theory does not deny that each of us seems to be a unified conscious being. It denies that there is any separately existing entity that explains that appearance. There are experiences but there is no one who
has them. Actions and decisions happen but not because there is someone who acts and decides.

In recent years Bundle theory has seemed less strange and more convincing then Ego theory to a number of scientist’s, psychologists and philosophers. Many mystics also gravitate towards Bundle theory as when they meditate on the self they find none. In fact they claim they can experience consciousness untouched by any sense of self. They feel the feeling of self being extinguished then a short while later re-lit like a candle.

My personal opinion is that we start as Ego theorists but when we change to not only thinking bundle theory is true but actually naturally feeling it to be true, that is when we permanently lose our sense of self and become ‘enlightened’ or ‘awakened’. Our sense of self is so central to how we think and feel that when we lose it our whole perspective of reality fundamentally shifts.