ABSTRACT
The phenomenological and ontological status and nature of the self are controversial issues that are currently debated in a variety of different fields, including philosophy of mind, social theory, cultural studies, psychiatry, developmental psychology, and cognitive neuroscience. Among the topics discussed are questions like the following. What is a self? Does it exist for real, or is it a mere social construct or perhaps a neurologically induced illusion? If something like a self exists, what role does it play in our conscious lives, and when and how does it emerge in the development of the infant?
