Treatise On Self Knowledge: Intermixed With Various Reflections And Observations On Human Nature

by John Mason

Treatise On Self Intermixed With Various Reflections And Observations On Human Nature by John Mason. This work presents a sustained meditation on self-knowledge as the foundation of wise living and moral virtue. Divided into two parts, it first elaborates the nature and importance of knowing oneself, detailing the threefold constitution of the human person (body, animal soul, and rational mind), the different relations to God, Christ, and other beings, and the aims of self-knowledge in personal conduct, humility, piety, and death. Mason argues that true wisdom begins with honest self-examination, steady self-government, and constant watchfulness over thoughts, appetites, and temptations. The second portion extols the practical benefits of self-knowledge—the governance of passions, improved judgment, moderation, charity, and usefulness in the world—before describing how such knowledge is to be through self-examination, conversation with superiors, cultivated temper, memory, mental taste, and fervent prayer. The text also offers a long preface and a didactic structure, revealing 18th-century Protestant ethics and a pedagogy of moral self-culture.

207 pages, Paperback

Published August 12, 2021

About the author

John Mason is a national best-selling author, noted speaker, and executive author coach. He is the founder and president of Insight International and Insight Publishing Group.

He has authored twenty-five books including "An Enemy Called Average," "You’re Born an Original Don’t Die a Copy," and "Know Your Limits—Then Ignore Them" which have sold nearly two million copies and are translated into thirty-eight languages throughout
the world. These books are widely known as a source of sound wisdom, genuine motivation, and practical principles. His writings have been published in Reader’s Digest along with numerous other national publications. And seven of his books have reached the #1 spot on Amazon best-seller lists.

Known for his quick wit, powerful thoughts, and insightful ideas, he is a popular speaker across the U.S. and around the world.

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