The philosophical theories developed to enhance an understanding of the self have been outlined with applications of symbolism that appeal to everyday man. Philosophers have, therefore, discovered the use of layman explanations that furnish the readers with the information necessary to hammer in the complicated knowledge. It is for that reason that two popular fruits have been adopted in the explanation of human views of the self. The avocado has been used synonymously with the essentialist idea to present one view while the artichoke conception has also been referred to as the protean view. The aim of this essay is to highlight an understanding of the two views and also expound on how different groups respond to their ideals.
In her book titled Roots of Wisdom, Michell (2011) stratifies human in two groups, the avocados and artichokes. The description is founded on the differing qualities and characteristics that are displayed by the two fruits. Whereas an avocado has a chunk of flesh beneath its skin and a large seed at the core, the artichoke is a composition of layers and layers of buds with nothing left at the core when all the layers have been peeled off. The contrasting characteristic, thus, is the fact that when the avocado has a seed that can germinate and grow to produce other avocadoes, the artichoke, on the other hand, is not endowed with such qualities and thus cannot reproduce to bring forth more artichokes.
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The essentialist or avocado view of the self has formed the foundations of some religions, such as Christianity and Judaism. The two religions are guided by scriptures to understand that they have a bigger role than mere existence and other worldly duties. The subscribers are reminded that they are created in the image of God making them stand out as special among the other creatures. Much more, religion has assigned humans a divine duty cultivating the avocado view of the self where their purpose is assumed to go beyond their death (Noggle, 2005). It matches the qualities of the avocado whose seed may germinate after the flesh has been consumed.
The artichoke view of the self, on the other hand, develops from the approaches that campaign for exclusion of rules or guidelines in day to day life. Characteristic protean idealist will identify with slogans such as “You Only Live Once” advocating for a carefree life since there will be no qualities left to propagate after death. Resigned to the fact that they are going to die someday anyway, the artichoke advocates believe that they have choice and chance to determine their fate (Mitchell, 2011). There is no code of conduct set to define good or evil and for better or worse, humans are at liberty to make choices. Artichoke idealists further intimate that everybody is born with a base and as they develop, the environmental factors help shape their characteristics through interactions (Galperin, Bennett and Aquino, 2011). These people are dynamic because they believe that character or personality can be developed whenever necessary as humans may at times be required to adapt and fit in the society.
The role of desire in the self is to drive an individual to pursue fulfillment. An artichoke idealist will, therefore, pursue what is desirable if there is a valid reason for the pursuit. Since inner personal fulfillment triggers desire, there is close relationship between the two and they cannot be separated. However, the modernist advocate for a separation of the two. Religious ideologies, too, from the conception that there is a greater purpose to life than living for life’s sake, believe that the application of reason should come in to save individuals for desires that may drive them to betray their ultimate purpose.
References
Galperin, B., Bennett, R., & Aquino, K. (2011). Status Differentiation and the Protean Self: A Social-Cognitive Model of Unethical Behavior in Organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 98 (3), 407-424.
Mitchell, H. B. (2011). Roots of Wisdom, (6 th Ed). A Tapestry of Philosophical Traditions. Wadsworth.
Noggle, R. (2005). Integrity, the Self, and Desire-Based Accounts of the Good. Philosophical Studies: An International Journal for Philosophy in the Analytic Tradition, 96 (3), 303-331.
