The Western

and eastern
Concepts of
Self
Chapter 5
The self in the west and the east

• Cultures around the world can be

categorized by two main labels: the
west and the east.
• There is a huge difference between
them in terms of the self. In the West,
the self is the center but in the East, the
self is part of the group.
• The east has a lot of religious beliefs,
respect in seniority, and luck. While the
west values enterprise and hard work.
 Western
• Self is a social construction which is
symbolically and signally created
between and among social beings.
• Phenomenological object which can
be productively studied through as
series of evanescent action, self is
multidimensional entity.
• Self takes form in communication.
• Self is intimately connected to bodily
experience both ontogenetically and
here and now awareness.
• Self is both phenomenal and non-
phenomenal.
• Self acquires substance according to
semantic, syntactic and pragmatic.
Eastern
• A gentleman by following the moral way
consisting of the virtues of love,
righteousness, wisdom, propriety and
loyalty in order to promote harmony in
society.
• Detachment and lack of desire to reach
nirvana; reciprocal relationship;
compassion to other humans for belief that
we are part of the same every-changing.
• Attainment of liberation in the identification
of Atman essence of all individual human
and Brahman, essence of the universe.
• Concept of Kapwa recognition of shared
identity, two levels or modes of social
interaction: ibang-tao or outsider and hindi
ibang-tao or one-of-us.
 Individualism
• People are autonomous
and independent from
their in-groups.
• Give priority to their
personal goals of their in-
groups.
• Behave on their basis of
attitudes.
Collectivism
• Interdependent from
their in-groups.
• Give priority to the goals
of their in-groups.
• In-groups shape
behavior.
• Behave in accordance to
the norm.
• Highly concerned in
relationship with others.
Western Concept of Self
1. Western as Analytic-
deductive with emphasis on
the casual links (part-to-whole
relationships). The whole is
understood when
differentiated into parts.
2. Western as Monotheistic – the belief
in one Supreme Being coexisting with
the universe condenses the
supernatural and human capabilities
into bipolarity of both qualities of
existence, and categories
• e.g. beautiful/ugly; kind/cruel;
sacred/profane; strong/weak
• and categories of identity or
experiences
• e.g. God/Satan;
body/soul;
love/lust; sinner/saint
3. Western as
Individualistic - exhibits
the coexistence of
favorable and
unfavorable conditions
inherent in personal
freedom. Although the
right to individual
freedom provides
opportunities for self-
fulfillment, it also
increases the likelihood 4. Western as materialistic &
of experiencing Rationalistic – focused on materials
alienation and frustration. things favors a rational-empirical
approach over magical and
superstitious explanations of material
things.
EASTERN CONCEPT OF SELF
Described as pluralistic,
share the same goal – to
teach how to become a
perfect person.

The Self in 4 Great Systems of

Eastern Thought
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Confucianism
• Taoism
 Hinduism
• The law of karma is the most
important doctrine of Hinduism. All
actions are subject to karma. An
individual actions will lead to
whether good or bad outcomes in
one’s life. People get exactly what
they deserve. If you do good
things, you will be rewarded, if you
do bad, you will be punished.
• Therefore the individual is the only
one responsible for the
consequences of his or her actions.
 Buddhism
• The Four Noble Truths:
• Life is suffering
• Suffering is caused by
attachment to desires
• Suffering can be eliminated
• Elimination of suffering is
through the practice of the
eightfold Path (right view,
right aspiration, right
speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, right
connection
• In Buddhist philosophy, man is just a title for the summation of the 5 parts
• (matter, sensation, perception, mental constructs, and consciousness) that compose the
individual, however each of the parts distinctly is not a man. Man has no self (or no soul).
• There is only nothing and all else is an allusion.
• There is nothing permanent but change. The ignorance of the impermanence of everything
may lead to an illusion of selfhood. This primal ignorance is the cause of life’s misery, births
and rebirths.
• The perfect morala-intellectual knowledge
• becomes powerful in the sense that it eliminates the cause of one’s misery and awakens one
from the illusion of selfhood.
• The ideal is to experience NIRVANA
• (literally meaning “blowing out”), a state of transcendence devoid of self-reliance. This state
of transcendence can be achieved through meditation.
Confucianism
Taoism
• Is the Chinese counterculture. They reject Confucian
idea of relational self.
• To them self is an extension of the cosmos, not social
relationships.
• He self is described as one of the limitless forms of the
Tao
• Tao is commonly regarded as Nature that is the
foundation of all that exists. It is not bounded by time
and space.
• The ideal is to identify with the Tao, the perfect man has
no self.
• Selflessness is attained when the distinction between “I”
and “other” dissolves.
• The selfless person leads to a balanced life, in harmony
with both nature and society.
• Taoists believe that
simplicity,
spontaneity, and
harmony with nature
should govern one’s
life. Individuals must
seek to understand
and act in
accordance with the
natural order.
• There should be
unity and harmony
among apposing
elements: the Yin
and Yang.
Materials
• Eastern Philosophy Vs Western Philosophy
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu3oIVuvbJg
• Hinduism
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlBEEuYIWwY
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INv2gdpfXPQ
• Buddhism
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTI3P9zx-oY
• Confucianism
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPQ6GB822x4
• Taosism
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtGtqmC5wU4