A Not-So-Minimal Self?
Studia Phaenomenologica January 1, 2026 Agustina María Lombardi
The minimal self, often considered the core and unchanging sense of self, is reinterpreted as having two levels: a formal, immutable level and a more robust level that can change. Drawing on phenomenological psychiatry, the paper critiques the idea that the minimal self is entirely unchangeable. It examines schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder to show that while the most minimal aspect remains stable across psychopathologies, the less minimal aspect is vulnerable to alteration.