Descartes posited, "I think, therefore I am." However, his revelation did
             not end the debate on the nature of the self; in fact, it gave rise to a
             slew of other opinions on the subject. The nature of the self is a
             fundamental philosophical question, as it delves into the very nature of
             our existence. One of the main problems with theorizing about the nature of
             the self is that selfhood can be constructed and looked at in a number of
             different ways. For instance, the self may or may not be connected to the
             body. The "mind-body problem" has been debated by a number of notable
             philosophers like Descartes and Leibniz. Both duelists, Descartes and
             Leibniz posited that the mind and body are separate entities. Descartes
             assumed that the mind and the body interact causally; the impulses or
             actions of one impact the impulses or reactions of the other. Although he
             was also a dualist regarding the mind-body problem, Leibniz suggested that
             the mind and body interact simultaneously. Monistic philosophers also range
             in their treatment of the mind-body problem. Materialists suppose that
             there is nothing beyond the physical, that the mind is but an illusion.
             Identity theory proposes the idea that the brain is the actual origin of
             the mind. Practically the opposite of materialistic theories, idealism
             suggests that all matter is merely a construct of the mind. Finally,
             philosophers like Spinoza and Russell believed that a separate substance or
             quality transcended both body and mind.
             The nature of self is not limited to theories of mind versus body. The
             nature of self can also be constructed socially, in relation to other
             people. Because socializing is an integral aspect of human existence,
             examining the nature of self from a social-psychological perspective can be
             especially fruitful. In fact, a comprehensive vision of the nature of self
             depends on social psychology and cannot be limited to an ex...