THE SELF: EASTERN PHILOSOPHY

In the East, the idea of the self is one of complete unity with the creator. In the
West, the idea of the self is perceived as distinct from God.

1. Buddhism
o Siddharta Gautama Buddha
o Anatta – “no-self”; nothing is permanent and that no one is an independent
entity as we are all a part of a collective whole
o There is no unchanging self
o Buddhism as a doctrine argues that there is no self or no soul. However, it is
believed that every human has a mind and body as well as a stream of
consciousness
o 5 components (skandas) which make up a person:
o Form which comprises the body and the sense organs
o Sensations which are the processes created by the senses in contact
with the external environment
o Perception which is recognition of objects according to one’s senses
o Mental formations or our predispositions, tendencies, traits, habits
o Consciousness which is awareness about a stimulus from the internal
or external environment
o 4 noble truths:
o All life, all existence, is characterized by duhkha, meaning suffering;
o Suffering is due to attachment – craving, thirsting for pleasure;
o Suffering ceases when attachment ceases; and
o Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold path
2. Hinduism
o The self finds its place in the story of creation pertaining to the creation of the
universe and of man.
o Atman (the soul) is Brahman (supreme being)
o Believes in reincarnation; the soul passes through different physical bodies
as it is destined to undergo what it deserves in accordance with Karma
o The world we are living in is comprised of varied levels of existence
o The paths to salvation which are all similar to other doctrines which evidently
leads to the same goal
3. Taoism
o A doctrine based on the philosophy of Lao Tzu
o “knowing others is wisdom, knowing thyself is enlightenment”
o The world and this life are good as there are the elements guiding us to
experience harmony through the “Dao”
o The Toists’ bible called the Tao Te Ching explains processes on how to live a
good life through the “Dao” or the “Way” of the world which is the path to
happiness and harmony.
 o Lao Tzu argues that humans refuse to take the simple path and opt to go
through that which causes discord, confusion and suffering.
o “stillness of the mind” – emptying ourselves of the negative and confusing
thought; letting go of all worries and just experience the world
o Nature was never in a hurry that everything happens in its perfect time and its
right schedule such as the blooming of flowers
o If we are too busy and too preoccupied with anxiety or ambition, we will miss
a thousand moments of the human experience that are our natural
inheritance
o We need to be awake to the way light reflects off of ripples on a pond, the
way other people look when they are laughing, the feeling of the wind playing
with our hair. These experiences reconnect us with ourselves.
o Taoists’ principle reiterates how our ego distracts us in seeing our true self.
4. Confucianism
o Identifies personality as a product of one’s upbringing and environment
o The individual is a social being which makes us social animals
o Every person is born with four beginnings which lead to the formation of the
self. It includes the following components which are the perception of virtues
that is found innately in the heart of every human:
o Heart of compassion;
o Heart of righteousness;
o Heart of propriety; and
o Heart of wisdom
o The practice of the above values lead to the formation of the self
o Family and community have a vital role in the formation of the self
A. THE SELF IN THE ALLIED SCIENCES

B.1. THE SELF: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

o In sociology, self-concept is defined in various ways as the presence of the larger

society and the significant others play a major role in the understanding of the
genuine nature of the self which is found in the realm of a collective whole.
o CHARLES HORTON COOLEY’S LOOKING GLASS SELF
o Describes the development of one’s self and identity through one’s
interpersonal interactions within the context of the society
o The self is an interweaving and inter-working mental selves.
o Expresses the tendency of a person to understand oneself through their own
understanding of the perception which others may hold of them.
o Three steps:
 We imagine how we appear to others
 We imagine and react to what we feel their judgment of that
appearance must be
 We develop our self through the judgment of others.
 o GEORGE HERBERT MEAD’S ROLE TAKING
o Aka social perspective taking
o People develop self-images by interacting with other people
o One of the most important factors in facilitating social cognition in children is
the growing ability to understand others’ feelings and perspectives, an ability
that emerges as a result of general cognitive growth.
o Three stages of development:
 Preparatory stage (birth to 2 y/o) – children mimic people around them
but do not understand the meaning of the behaviors
 Play stage (2-6) – children play pretend and do not adhere to the
rules; they pretend to be like their significant others
 Game stage (7 onwards) – children begin to understand and adhere
to the rules.
o Rosenberg (1979)
o Self-concept is comprised of the insights about the self as an object
o This reveals how the person is considered as a functioning entity serving the
community
o The identity of the person is reliant on his or her function in the community
o Gecas and Burke (1995)
o The self is composed of various identities, attitudes, beliefs, values, motives,
and experiences with respect to their communities and the institution to which
they belong
o Identities comprise the understanding of the self in sociology such as it should suffice
queries as to the roles and functions of the self in relation to the significant others.
o The individual with the conception of the self has a role to play which is publicly
scrutinized. Such roles may include being a student, a son, a mother, a teacher, a
leader, and the like.
o In sociological perspective, the self basically is considered a product of social
interaction through the utilization of language.

THE SELF AND HOW IT IS DEVELOPED THROUGH SOCIAL COMPARISON

o Downward social comparison

o Common type of comparing ourselves to others
o We create a positive self-concept by comparing ourselves with those who are
worse than us
o By having the advantage, we can raise our self-esteem
o Upward social comparison
o Comparing ourselves with those who are better than us
o While it can be a form of motivation for some, a lot of those who do this
actually felt lower self-esteem as they highlight more of their weakness or
inequities
o Self-evaluation maintenance theory
 o States that we can feel threatened when someone out-performs us,
especially when the person is close to us
o In this case, we usually react in three ways:
 We distance ourselves from that person or redefine our relationship
with them. Some will resort to the silent treatment, change of friends,
while some become closer to the person, hoping that some
association may give him a certain kind of acknowledgement also
 We may also reconsider the importance of the aspect or skill in which
we were outperformed
 We also strengthen our resolve to improve that certain aspect of
ourselves

THE SELF AS A PRODUCT OF MODERN SOCIETY

o Modernization leads to delocalized self

o Free to seek own identity, defining religion, theological traditions, free from
customary constraints, hence, destruction of the traditional way.
o Clifford Geertz – rational and scientific calculations replace theological traditions
o Urbanized way of life leads to impersonal associations

PROBLEMS: SOLUTION
o The newfound freedom o Discover our true and authentic
threatens the authenticity of the self identity or self
o Alienation
o Objectification of the body

THE SELF AND HOW IT IS DEVELOPED THROUGH SOCIAL COMPARISON

o Downward social comparison

o Common type of comparing ourselves to others
o We create a positive self-concept by comparing ourselves with those who are
worse than us
o By having the advantage, we can raise our self-esteem
o Upward social comparison
o Comparing ourselves with those who are better than us
o While it can be a form of motivation for some, a lot of those who do this
actually felt lower self-esteem as they highlight more of their weakness or
inequities
o Self-evaluation maintenance theory
o States that we can feel threatened when someone out-performs us,
especially when the person is close to us
o In this case, we usually react in three ways:
 We distance ourselves from that person or redefine our relationship
with them. Some will resort to the silent treatment, change of friends,
 while some become closer to the person, hoping that some
association may give him a certain kind of acknowledgement also
 We may also reconsider the importance of the aspect or skill in which
we were outperformed
 We also strengthen our resolve to improve that certain aspect of
ourselves