Self, Self-Consciousness, and Affect

Within philosophy, it is disputed what the characteristic properties of a self and paradigmatic examples of a self are. It is equally controversial whether a self exists at all. The first task that a theory of the self should solve is therefore to determine the starting point of an investigation of the self, in view of which it can be well justified that a self exists. This starting point should also make it possible to realize what the self is and to determine properties of the self. This chapter presents a proposed solution to this task and goes some way to answering the question of what a self is and what its properties are. In addition, the concept of affect is discussed in relation to the following questions: Is the self affective? What significance do affects have for the self?