HANDOUTS For UNIT 1 - The Self From Various Perspectives

16/08/2020
THE SELF FROM VARIOUS

PERSPECTIVES
PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY ANTHROPOLOGY ORIENTAL/

EASTERN
THOUGHT
Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives
PHILOSOPHY
The self in a philosophical paradigm
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HOW DO YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION:
IN WHAT WAYS DO I GET

TO KNOW MYSELF?
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Ancient Philosophy
1000 BC to 500 AD
The Ancient Triumvirate
Socrates Plato Aristotle

• “Know thy self ” • 3-Part Soul/self (Psyche) = • The mind (self) is a tabula rasa (a
• “An unexamined life is not worth Reason, Physical Appetite & blank tablet).
living.” Spirit/Passion • Self is composed of matter and
form
• Dualistic Reality: Body and Soul
• The Process of Completion is
• “Our soul strives for wisdom and through experiences
perfection”

Socrates
Physical World
Changeable, transient, imperfect
World of Senses/Matter
Two Aspects of Reality Dualistic Reality: Body and Soul

Spiritual World
Unchanging, eternal, perfect
World of Ideas/Form
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Socrates
Our Soul (Self)
▪ Strive for wisdom and perfection
▪ Reason is the soul’s tool to achieve such state
▪ A unified, indissoluble, immortal entity that
remains the same over time
▪ That is in the very likeness of the divine

Plato
3-Part Soul/Self (Psyche)
▪ Reason: the divine essence that lets us think deeply
(wisdom), make wise choices, and achieve a true
understanding of eternal truths
▪ Physical Appetite: accounts for the basic biological needs
such as hunger, thirst and sexual desire
▪ Spirit/Passion: accounts for the basic emotions such as
love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness, and empathy
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Plato
3-Part Soul/Self (Psyche)
▪ The three are in a dynamic relationship with each other: in
agreement or in conflict
▪ But it is the responsibility of the Reason to restore harmony
among the three
▪ Harmony: justice in the individual, social, and political levels

Aristotle
▪ The mind (self) is a tabula rasa (a blank tablet).
▪ Comparison of the mind to a blank writing tablet occurs in Aristotle’s
De anima (4th century BCE; On the Soul).
▪ Self is composed of matter and form
▪ Matter is in a continuous process of developing and
becoming
▪ The Process of Completion is through experiences
▪ Knowledge is acquired through the senses
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Aristotle
▪Self comes from a First Cause, the
source of all changes although
unchangeable itself
▪The goal of the human self is
reached in happiness through
moderation or balance of things
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The Post-Aristotelians
Stoicism
Apathy or indifference to pleasure
Hedonism
“Eat, drink, and be happy. For tomorrow, you will die.”
Epicureanism
Moderate pleasure
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Is the self related to a supreme being/god?

Who am I in relation to a supreme being/god?
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Medieval Philosophy
500 AD to 1350 AD
Theo-centric
▪ From the scientific investigation on
nature and search for happiness to the
question of life and salvation in another
realm, in a better world (i.e., the afterlife)
▪ There was an aim to merge philosophy
and religion
(Christian, Jewish, Muslim)
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Medieval Philosophy
500 AD to 1350 AD
St. Augustine
▪ Integrates Platonic ideas with the tenets of Christianity
▪ The self strives to achieve union with God through faith and reason
St. Thomas Aquinas

• Self-knowledge is dependent on our experience of the world
around us (objects in our environment)
• The labels we attribute to ourselves are taken from the things we
encounter in our environment
• “The things that we love tell us what we are”
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If St. Thomas tells us that our knowledge is based on our encounter of things,
Does this mean that we get to know

everything simply by experiencing it?
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St. Thomas Aquinas

▪Experiencing that something exists
doesn’t tell us what it is
▪Knowing and learning about a thing
requires a long process of
understanding; same with the mind and
the self – with experience and reason
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How can I be sure that the self exists?

What are the proofs that the self
exists?
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Modern Philosophy
14th Century to the early 20th Century
Anthropocentric
▪ Thinkers began to reject the scholastics’
(medieval thinkers) excessive reliance on
authority
▪ Period of radical social, political and
intellectual developments
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Modern Philosophy
14th Century to the early 20th Century
Rene Descartes
The self is a thinking thing, distinct David Hume Gilbert Ryle
from the body There is no “self,” only a bundle of
The self is the way people behave
constantly changing perceptions
passing through the theater of our
minds.
John Locke Immanuel Kant Paul & Patricia Churchland

Personal identity is made possible by The self is a unifying subject, an The self is the brain. Mental states
self-consciousness organizing consciousness that will be superseded by brain states.
makes intelligible experience
possible.
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Sigmund Freud
Father of Psychoanalysis
▪ The self is multi-tiered/multi-layered:

• Conscious – refers to those thoughts
and feelings that we are aware of
• Preconscious – experiences that are
unconscious but could become
conscious with little effort
• Unconscious – contains all drives, urges
or instincts that are beyond our
awareness but motivate our feelings,
thoughts and behavior
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Contemporary Philosophy
Late 19th Century
Embodied Subjectivity:
• Both Husserl and Merleau-Ponty
agree that our living body is a natural
synthesis of mind and biology.
Phenomenological approach:
• describe the phenomena of the lived Edmund Husserl
We experience our self as a
experience (reducing biases) by
unity which the in mental and
describing what your immediate physical are seamlessly woven
responses are— physically, together
emotionally, cognitively. Maurice Merleau-Ponty
The self is embodied subjectivity.
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Which among these philosophies can you

relate with?
How do they affect the way you see yourself?
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SOCIOLOGY
The self as a product of modern society among other constructions
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The Self in the Sociological Perspective
Classical sociological perspective:

the self is a relatively stable set of
perceptions of who we are in
relation to ourselves, others, and
to social systems
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The Self in the Sociological Perspective

▪ The self is socially constructed in the
sense that it is shaped through
interaction with other people
▪ As with socialization in general, the
individual is not a passive participant in
this process and have a powerful
influence over how this process and its
consequences develop
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The Looking Glass Self

(Charles Horton Cooley)
▪A person’s self grows out of
a person´s social
interactions with others
▪The view of ourselves
comes from the
contemplation of personal
qualities and impressions of
how others perceive us
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The Looking Glass Self

(Charles Horton Cooley)
▪ Actually, how we see ourselves does not come from who we really
are, but rather from how we believe others see us
HOW MY HOW MY HOW MY EX-

PARENTS GIRLFRIEND GIRLFRIEND
SEE ME SEES ME SEES ME
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Johari Window
(Joseph Luft & Harrington Ingham)
Technique used to Known to the self Not known to the self

enhance the
individual's Known to
Open/Arena Blindspot
others
perception on self
and others.
Not known
Hidden/Facade Unknown
to others
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PSYCHOLOGY
The self based on psychoanalytic approach and cognitive construction
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THE SELF BASED ON

PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH
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Structure of the Self

(Sigmund Freud)
ID EGO SUPEREGO
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ID (Biological Self)
Pleasure Principle
▪ Natural part of the self

▪ Animalistic nature of man
▪ Pleasure seeking part of the personality
▪ Determined by the genetic code
▪ Providing the raw materials
▪ Setting the boundary conditions for development
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The id represents the basic need of man.

If it is not satisfied, it could result to stress and tension.
If satisfied, it could give you comfort and joy.
If the id is properly If the id is angered or provoked it

controlled it could bring or
could destroy not only himself
warmth and comfort but also his surrounding
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SUPEREGO (Social Self)

Idealistic Principle
The superego incorporates

the values and morals of
society which are learned
from one's parents and
others
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EGO (Psychological Self)

Reality Principle
▪ The only region of the mind that is in contact

with reality; it operates to fulfil the reality
principle
▪ The ego constantly tries to reconciles the
irrational wants of the id and the superego
with the realistic demands of the world
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▪ When the scale is out of

balance, it is the
responsibility of the EGO to
mediate the conflict between
the ID and SUPEREGO
▪ Weak ego will lead to
ANXIETY
▪ To protect the ego from
anxiety, we use DEFENSE
MECHANISMS
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Ego Defense Mechanisms
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THE SELF AS A COGNITIVE

CONSTRUCTION
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Symbolic Interactionism
(George Herbert Mead)
Symbolic Interactionism - the self is

created and developed through human
interaction
“I and the Me” self
▪ Two aspects of self awareness:
▪ The “me” is the socialized aspect of the
person Sociologist George Herbert Mead argued that self-identity is
formed from two parts: the I and the me. Social expectations—
▪ The “I” is the active aspect of the person the generalized other—inform the development of the me part.
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Imaginary Audience
▪ Adolescents are thought to believe that others are always watching
and evaluating them, and that they are special and unique
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Self-Concept
▪ Mental representation
▪ What we look like
▪ How we feel in different types of
situation
▪ How we behave towards others
▪ What do we do at work
▪ What are the roles we have in the family
or society
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Real and Ideal Self

(Carl Rogers)
▪ A person's ideal self may not be
consistent with what actually happens
in life and experiences of the person
▪ Hence, a difference may exist between a
person's ideal self and actual experience
▪ Carl Rogers believed that for a person to
achieve self-actualization they must be
in a state of congruence
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Self as defined by Social Comparison

(Leon Festinger)
TEMPORAL COMPARISON SOCIAL COMPARISON
▪ Considering your present ▪ Evaluating yourself in
condition in relation to how you comparison to others – using
were in the past others as a basis for evaluating
your attributes
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How does the social comparison process work?

▪ Depending on the level of
someone’s motivation, he/she
may have the tendency to
compare himself/herself with
others either in an UPWARD or
DOWNWARD kind of
comparison
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Two Modes of Social Comparison

1. Upward social comparison
▪ When we compare ourselves with those who we believe are better than
us
▪ Often focus on the desire to improve our current level of ability
▪ A highly motivated person tends to engage in upward comparisons, and
usually assume himself/herself as better or equal to the “best person”
▪ Studies have shown that if given a chance, people choose to make
upward comparisons instead of downward ones
2. Downward social comparison
▪ When we compare themselves to others who are worse off than
ourselves
▪ Often centered on making ourselves feel better about our abilities
▪ A person who is unhappy or is unmotivated usually engages in this to
feel better about himself/herself
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Two Modes of Downward Social Comparison

1. Passive downward comparison
▪ Happens when a person takes into consideration the previous condition in
making comparison
▪ Example: A low performing student comparing himself/herself with a worse
off student
2. Active downward comparison
▪ Happens when a person compares himself/herself with others by demeaning
or causing harm to them
▪ By derogating the target or causing harm to him/her, this person generates a
situation in which the target is worse off than him/her, therefore giving
him/her the chance to make a downward comparison
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Self-Evaluation and Self-Enhancement

▪ Motivation plays a role in this model and is manifested by self-
evaluation and self-enhancement
1. Self-evaluation occurs when someone looks for positive traits in
himself/herself based on the best person he/she compares
himself/herself with
2. Self-enhancement, on the other hand, occurs when the person
questions which aspects of himself/herself need to be improved to
reach the level of goodness of the person he/she is comparing
himself/herself with
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Self-Esteem
▪ Used to describe a person's overall
sense of self-worth or personal
value
▪ In other words, it refers to how
much you appreciate and like
yourself
▪ Self-esteem is often seen as a
personality trait, which means that it
tends to be stable and enduring
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Reference Group
▪ A group to which an individual
or another group is compared
▪ According to sociologists, a
reference group is any group
that individuals use as a
standard for evaluating
themselves and their own
behavior.
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The Creation of Identities

▪ One’s identity must balance the need to be
similar to one’s reference group with the
need to be a unique individual
• Children become aware of the need for a group
identity and are often afraid or acting
differently
• Teens often seem torn between the need to
assert their own individual identity and the
need to conform to their reference group
• New identities are forged in relation to work,
parenthood, economic status, and ageing
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ANTHROPOLOGY
The self and person in contemporary anthropology
& the self being embedded in culture
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Western Self vs. non-western Self
Western Self Non-western self

▪ autonomous and egocentric ▪ identity shared with others and
derived from a culture instead of
a “self”
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Individualism vs. Collectivism
Individualism Collectivism
▪ A human being has an ▪ A human being is an integral
individualistic nature and is an part of the universe and the
independent part of the society
universe and the society ▪ People are fundamentally
connected
▪ Duty towards all others is a very
important matter
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Individualism
Being dependent
Individual rights take Independence is upon others is often
center stage highly valued considered shameful
or embarrassing
The rights of People often place a

People tend to be individuals tend to greater emphasis on
self-reliant take a higher standing out and
precedence being unique
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Collectivism
Social rules focus on
promoting selflessness Working as a group and
and putting the supporting others is
community needs ahead essential
of individual needs
People are encouraged Families and

to do what's best for communities have a
society central role
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THE SELF IN ORIENTAL/EASTERN THOUGHT

The self as embedded in relationships and through spiritual development in
Confucian thought
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Asian Schools of Thought
Buddhism Hinduism Taoism Confucianism

(Siddhartha Gautama) (Fusion of various Indian (Lao-Tzu) (Confucius)
cultures and traditions)
The self is the source of all Self does not exist Filial piety is a foundational
Hindus believe that
sufferings. It is our quest to without the existence of concept in the thought of
an individual’s action
forget about the self, forget the the other. Confucius. It teaches how
(karma) – the bad or
cravings of the self, break the Self as a separate one should properly act
good actions that the
attachments you have with the identity is supported by according to their
individual performed
world, and to renounce the self the equal and opposite relationship with other
in a previous life
in order to attain the state of sensation of otherness people; focused on having a
determines his or her
Nirvana. harmonious social life.
caste
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16/08/2020

THE SELF FROM VARIOUS

PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY ANTHROPOLOGY ORIENTAL/

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

HOW DO YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION:

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

IN WHAT WAYS DO I GET

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Socrates Plato Aristotle

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

The Ancient Triumvirate

Two Aspects of Reality Dualistic Reality: Body and Soul

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

The Ancient Triumvirate

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

The Ancient Triumvirate

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

The Ancient Triumvirate

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

The Ancient Triumvirate

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

The Ancient Triumvirate

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Is the self related to a supreme being/god?

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

St. Thomas Aquinas

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Does this mean that we get to know

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

St. Thomas Aquinas

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

How can I be sure that the self exists?

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

John Locke Immanuel Kant Paul & Patricia Churchland

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

▪ The self is multi-tiered/multi-layered:

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Which among these philosophies can you

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

The Self in the Sociological Perspective

Classical sociological perspective:

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

The Self in the Sociological Perspective

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

The Looking Glass Self

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

The Looking Glass Self

HOW MY HOW MY HOW MY EX-

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Technique used to Known to the self Not known to the self

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

THE SELF BASED ON

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

Structure of the Self

Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Self from Various Perspectives

▪ Natural part of the self