A Processed Processor: The Processual Nature of the Self

Abstract

The contribution deals with the question of the constitution and persistence of the “self,” linking psychological and sociological approaches. The central interface of this linkage is derived from the process character of the self. It is argued that transdisciplinary work aiming at this common conceptual core will be prove particularly fruitful. After discussing the status of the term “the self” in both science and everyday usage, conceptual arguments and definitions (in contrast to related terms such as ego, individual, person, or subject) are examined. A third step provides a synopsis of established approaches and arguments both from psychological and sociological perspectives, offering points of convergence for a metadisciplinary concept of the self. The proposed process character of the self is discussed with respect to language pragmatics, memory performance, and body boundedness. The final section sums up the lines of argumentation and emphasizes intended inspiration for interdisciplinary discussion.