Module 1: The Self from

Various Perspectives
Module Overview
Most, if not all, fields in the social sciences study the concept of the "self," but none can claim a monopoly
of the truth of answering the eternal question, "Who am I?". This unit explains how different scholars view
the idea of "the self" from a multifaceted manner, particularly on the following perspectives:
1. Philosophical Perspective
2. Sociological Perspective
3. Anthropological Perspective
4. Psychological Perspective

This module's multidisciplinary approach aims to assist you in your constant quest for self-discovery by
establishing theoretical foundations across different fields.

Motivation Question

Who am I?

Module Pretest

Supply the answers on the blank before each item with the appropriate word(s) found inside the box.
Anthropology Ideal Self Symbolic Essence
Interactionism
Culture Sociology Philosophy Personality

Agentic View Impression Enculturation Existentialism

Management
Collective Dialectic Method Psychology Sociological
Identity Imagination
_____________________ 1. The discipline in UTS that focuses more on the idea of the Self as a product
of culture and the community a person belongs.
_____________________ 2. The discipline in UTS that studies the Self by investigating the individual
person’s behavior and cognitive processes.
_____________________ 3. The discipline in UTS that caters to a wide variety of ways of thinking about
the notion of the Self, highlighting themes as such essence, meaning, authenticity, existence, and purpose
in life.
_____________________ 4. The discipline in UTS that posits that the Self is developed by the different
interactions and institutions
_____________________ 5. The transmission of culture from one generation to the next.
_____________________ 6. This is characterized by language, tradition, norms, folkways, religion,
worldviews and practices.
_____________________ 7. Refers to a more enduring concept in understanding the self and is considered
as the defining construct of a person.
_____________________ 8. A social cognitive psychology concept developed by Albert Bandura that
acknowledges one’s ability to self-regulate, be proactive, self-reflect and self-organize.
_____________________ 9. The alteration of the presentation of the self that was coined by Goffman.
_____________________ 10. The ability to relate personal experience to public concerns.
_____________________ 11. The method in ancient philosophy wherein a person knows things, including
knowing the Self, by asking questions and “talking to the self,” and accepting that fact, humans can be
wrong and learn from mistakes.
_____________________ 12. The philosophical concept that refers to the necessary component of things
that, when applied to the Self, is always part of you even if you take away unnecessary things in your life -
your properties, titles, etc.
_____________________ 13. The school of thought in Philosophy that circulates on the premise that
humans can freely make choices in life to be authentic.
_____________________ 14. This theory stipulates that society is composed of interpretations we make
about personal engagements.
_____________________ 15. The notion that an individual will portray the appropriate identity depending
on which group he or she is interacting with.
Lesson 1.1: Philosophical Perspective

Lesson Summary
Philosophy offers a wide variety of ways of thinking about the notion of the self. This lesson
revolves around the ideas of the notable philosophers in the Western world from ancient Greece, to the
medieval period, to the Renaissance, to the industrial revolution, until modern times. Lastly, we will also
discuss alternative notions of the self, according to Eastern or Oriental thinkers.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
1. Articulate in your own words the concepts of the Self as expounded by different philosophers;
2. Synthesize the recurrent themes related to understanding the Self according to philosophers in
different historical periods;
3. Distinguish the core differences between Western and Eastern thoughts of the Self;
4. Demonstrate critical and reflective analysis of your life by applying the perspective of any of the
philosophers.

Motivation Task
Six Blind People and the Elephant

Figure 1. Six Blind People and the Elephant

What can you say about the illustration?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

Each blind person in the illustration above describes the elephant differently, but they are talking
about one thing. They have come up with different answers because they came from different reference
points.

Similarly, in the Philosophical perspective, the elephant is the “Self,” and the blind people are the
philosophers. Philosophers say different things about the self because they were born in different times and
places.

You are also one of these blind people. You can have your own point of view about the “Self,” but
it is always best to listen to other “blind people” so that you can understand the “Self” better. Knowing how
great thinkers in history see the “Self” will help you reflect as we discuss the lesson.

Discussion

Ancient Period

In the ancient period, we will discuss Socrates’ dialectic, Plato’s dualism, and Aristotle’s critiques
on Plato’s idea of the soul, matter, and form. Through the discussion of these monumental philosophers
belonging to three different generations, you will learn the early beginnings of inquiries of “how to take
care of the self” in Ancient Greek society. There are three concepts you need to remember in this period:
(1) Dialectic method, (2) Ideal, and (3) Substance.
The dialectic method is a way of knowing the Self by Socrates, written in Plato’s Dialogues (2018). You
know yourself by “talking to yourself.” Imagine yourself in a quiet place having conversations in your head.
“Why am I like this? What I am here in the world for?” Moreover, it is also crucial that you admit, “I know
nothing” because sometimes we can be wrong.
Having ideals is a product of Plato’s view of the world as imperfect copies of the World of Forms, which
he explains in the Allegory of the Cave in his book The Republic (2000). The Allegory of the Cave is a
story of people trapped in the cave who are comfortable in the dark where the shadows they see on the wall
are real. When one of them went out of the cave, that prisoner knows the truth, and he shares his discovery
with his fellow prisoners. However, his companions reject his idea calling him foolish.
Part of the World of Forms is our soul. For Plato, the human soul is composed of three parts: the appetitive
soul (bodily desires), spiritual soul (feelings and emotions), and rational soul (reason and logic). To become
our ideal self, we must let our rational soul control our appetitive and spiritual souls. Thus, our mind must
be above our heart and body.
As a reaction to Plato’s idealistic view of the world, Aristotle reacts that we must accept the world we are
living right now as real. In his books, De Anima (1986) and Metaphysics (2010), he posits substance – that
things are composed of matter and form. For Aristotle, not only that the World of Forms is real, but also
the world we are living in now is real.
To illustrate, let us say you have an idea of a tree in your mind, the concept of “treeness.” Then, you see
Narra and Mahogany trees. Both the Narra and Mahogany trees you see are all real for Aristotle. Unlike
Plato, the idea of treeness only exists in mind. Relating this to understanding the Self, Aristotle may agree
with Plato that we establish an ideal self as a goal in life, but he reminds us that we need to ground ourselves
to reality.

Figure 2. Raphael’s painting, School of Athens, depicting the philosophical differences of Plato and Aristotle

If you zoom in, you will see Plato and Aristotle talking side by side. Notice that Plato’s hand points upwards
and Aristotle’s palm faces downwards. We can imagine their conversation. “Ideas are superior. What is real
is up there.” “Hey! Calm down, Sir. Your ideas are floating around. Let’s go back to the ground”.
In the ancient period, we talk about the Big Three in Greek philosophy -- Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. In
understanding the Self, whether you are more of an idealist like Plato or a realist like Aristotle, always go
back to the basics. As Socrates said: “talk to yourself.”

Medieval Period

In the medieval period, we will tackle two of the greatest philosopher-saints in Christendom, Augustine of
Hippo and Thomas Aquinas. The former follows Plato’s dualism while the latter emulates Aristotle’s
scholastic stance. Despite different philosophical leanings, both scholars shed light during the “dark ages,”
particularly finding the Self concerning grand concepts like God, soul, and man’s rational nature. There are
three concepts you need to remember in this period: (1) privation, (2) essence, (3), and purpose.
Privation is an idea developed by Augustine of Hippo as a way to explain the existence of things which
“may not be really existing” like darkness, coldness, and evil. In his City of God (2000), Augustine adopted
as Plato’s dualist philosophical through reading Plotinus’ Enneads (2017). For Augustine, darkness does
not really exist, but darkness is a privation of light. Coldness does not exist. Instead, it is a privation of
warmth. In the same manner, evil is the privation of good.
Figure 3. Augustine's idea of understanding the Self by finding peace
in God
With understanding the self, there will be
a point in our life that we feel empty inside.
Augustine explains in his Confessions
(1998), Soliloquies (2004), and other
books that he also felt empty inside when
he was young. They realize that the
emptiness he feels is a privation because
he is away from happiness. When he got
converted to Christianity, he realized that
his source of joy is God. Through prayer
and a life of holiness, he got closer to God,
who fills the emptiness inside him. Like
Augustine, we must also search our
“source of fulfillment” to understand
ourselves better.
Essence is something that makes a thing
what it is (Maurer, 1968). This is an idea
developed by generations of scholastic
philosophers like Thomas Aquinas, who
followed Aristotle’s notion of substance.
Applying this concept to understanding
your Self, you need to reflect on your
essence. Ask yourself the question, “What
makes me ‘me’?”. It is easy to find the
essence of things by simply defining it, e.g., A chair is a “physical seat with a backrest.” “A circle is a series
of points equidistant to its center.” However, if you look for the essence of a person, it is complicated.
Aquinas suggests in his Summa Contra Gentiles: Book 3 – Providence (1956), that we may better
understand our essence if we know our purpose.
Purpose means the reason why a particular thing
exists. “What is it for?” Aquinas realized that
everything in the world has a purpose. “There is a
reason for everything.” Even cockroaches that many
of us hate so much serve the purpose of being a
carrier for decomposing bacteria. After investigating
how nature operates, Aquinas concludes that
everything exists to glorify God.
How about you? What is your purpose? What is this
mission in life that makes you who you are?
Knowing your essence and purpose will make you
realize what is “essential” in your life -- what you
need versus what you want. That way, you become a
better self-reflecting individual
Figure 4. Thomas Aquinas' ideas about essence and purpose
in society.

Renaissance Period

During the Renaissance, knowledge is no

longer exclusive to church fathers. It was this time
that the printing press was invented, and knowledge is now available to the masses. Compared to the other
historical periods in Europe, during the Renaissance, many people can read and write even if they are not
priests or royals. This new status quo ushered many alternative ideas to flourish, aside from those coming
from the church’s authorities.
Our discussion highlights three ingenious philosophers of their time - Francis Bacon, Rene Descartes, and
Thomas Hobbes. There are three concepts you need to remember in this period: (1) Inductive method, (2)
doubt, and (3) selfish human nature.
The inductive method is a way of attaining certainty through a careful process of investigation and
experimentation. Francis Bacon started the scientific tradition when he wrote in Advancement of Learning
(1891) and Novum Organum (1844).
Before the Renaissance, people in Europe believe something is true when the religious leaders told them
so. Bacon questions this and proposes another way of knowing things. The inductive method needs the
support of evidence. In other words, you do not jump to conclusions. Instead, try out some ideas. Observe
and experiment until you find proof.
Applying this type of reasoning to understanding the Self, you can only be sure about yourself through your
own experience. In your life, many people say different things about you. For example, someone might say,
“You’re dumb.” If you follow Bacon’s inductive method, do not believe what they are assuming
immediately. Instead, look for evidence that proves your mental capacity. You may look at your grades or
your overall educational achievement. Your awards and the praises you receive from your teachers or
classmate all show that you are not dumb. Therefore, your experience proves that that person who called
you stupid is wrong.
If you want to know yourself using Bacon’s philosophy, do not be afraid to try new things. You can only
prove that you know how to swim when you immerse yourself in deep water. You can only show that you
have excellent social skills when you start making friends. In other words, you can only be sure about
yourself once you experience things in life.
 Like the inductive method, Descartes also proposes another way to achieve certainty. He wrote in
his Discourse on Methods (1850), Meditations (2017), Principles of Philosophy (2019), and Passions of
the Soul (1989) that the way to be sure about things is through doubt.
Unlike pure skepticism, Descartes does not stop doubting. He uses doubt to attain certainty. Imagine his
way of thinking, like solving a sudoku puzzle. You cannot complete the sudoku puzzle by writing random
numbers on the empty boxes. You need to be sure that the number you will write does not repeat on each
column, row, and small boxes. Attaining certainty in life requires this careful deductive and intuitive
process. If everything in the world can be doubted, there should be one thing that you can never doubt.
Descartes said it is “the fact that you are thinking.” Through that realization, he uttered the words “Cogito
ergo sum” or “I think; therefore, I am.”
Applying Cartesian doubt as a way to understand the Self, you know yourself by doubting everything you
know about yourself in the past. You also need to doubt first when you hear others say something about
you. Through the process of doubt, you purify your past assumptions and other’s opinions. Doubting itself
is a thinking process that you can carefully evaluate yourself. However, always remember, do not doubt for
the sake of doubting. If you see truths about yourself that you can no longer doubt, you can only be sure
about yourself.
Aside from attaining certainty, Renaissance philosophers are also concerned for society. One of
them is Thomas Hobbes, who started modern political philosophy. His social construct theory is based on
selfish human nature he wrote in his book, Leviathan (2004).
For Hobbes, human beings are naturally greedy and unruly. He observes that humans are living for
themselves. We do something because we get something in return. For example, you study not because you
want “to serve the country” but because “you want to have a job in the future.” You help your classmate
not because “you want to help him understand the lesson,” but because “you want to gain some favors from
him.” In Hobbes’s mind, being selfish is normal. “Men are wolves to other men.”
Concerning understanding the Self, the most important lesson is to acknowledge our selfishness. Through
that, we will know what we want, and our “wants” are parts of ourselves. It is virtually impossible to be
generous all the time. Sometimes you need to take care of yourself because other people might abuse you.
For example, imagine yourself in a bus terminal. You arrive there at 3:00 PM, and the terminal is full of
people because they are also going home for the long weekend. When the bus arrived, people rushed in,
and the bus is already full. You calm down, telling yourself, “It’s okay. The next bus will come”. The next
bus comes, still you were not able to ride. “It’s okay. Patience, patience”. The third bus came. The terminal
is full of people, and it is already 6:00 PM. This time, you want to be sure that you can ride. So, you squeeze
yourself in the crowd. “Enough is enough! This is a war of all against all.” If you did not force yourself in
the crowd, you would not be able to ride at all.
However, Hobbes said that we need to control our selfishness. If we want to do whatever we want, there
will be chaos in society. So, we need something that controls all of our selfishness. That is the government
that he presents in the imagery of the mythical monster called “Leviathan.” Because every human being is
selfish, we need laws to control us so that there will be harmony.

Figure 5. Educational Meme about some philosophers during the Renaissance

Modern Period

If the Renaissance is the dawning age, the industrial revolution is the daybreak of modernity.
During this historical period, people in Europe started to flock from rural communities to urban centers.
The cities became melting pots of cultures where different ideas, customs, and traditions flourished. The
gradual transition from the relaxed provincial life to the busy urban lifestyles gave birth to new insights
into how to seek meaning in the seemingly mechanical work-home dichotomy of modern life. We will
discuss schools of thought that directly tackles the Self – Existentialism.
Existentialism is the school of thought in Philosophy that centralizes on the idea that human beings are
persons who create their own choices. We will discuss four existentialists in this portion: Soren
Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Martin Heidegger. There are eight terms you need to remember about
existentialism: (1) authentic, (2) leap of faith, (3) ubermensch, (4) eternal recurrence, (5) Dasein, (6)
being-thrown-in-the-world, and (7) being-unto-death.
The common goal of existentialism is to be authentic. According to philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, an
authentic person is “someone who is truly free” and that “existence precedes essence” (Sartre & Macomber,
1996). In layman’s terms, an authentic person is someone who “is true to himself/herself,” someone whose
“life is consistent with his/her beliefs,” or someone who “walks the talk” regardless of what the society or
other people tell you to do.
For Soren Kierkegaard, the journey to be authentic is like a leap of faith. In his books Either/Or (2004),
Fear and Trembling (2006),The Concept of Anxiety (2014), and Stages on Life’s Way (2000), Kierkegaard
illustrates that there are three stages of life to be an authentic person: the (1) aesthetic stage, (2) ethical
stage, and (3) religious stage.
To explain this, imagine the life of a drug addict who wants to change for the better. At first, the addict
enjoys life by using drugs and partying all the time. This moment when the addict enjoys a lower form of
pleasures is called the “aesthetic stage.” Then, the drug addict goes to a rehabilitation center. He realizes
that he needs to be a responsible citizen in the country. On the moment that the addict convert becomes
conscious of the laws and respect other people, he is now on the “ethical stage.” However, the drug addict
thinks that the moral codes in society still cannot satisfy him. He may choose to believe in a higher being
than him. When this person believes in God, he is in the “religious stage.”

For Kierkegaard, the aesthetic stage’s journey to the ethical stage is like a step in a stairway. If you are
willing to change your selfish ways to abide by the rules in the society, you taking are taking one-step
higher. However, the journey from the ethical stage to the religious stage is different. It is not like a stairway
that you can simply step up. There is a huge gap that you need to jump or take the leap of faith. In other
words, the choice to believe in something divine depends on the person. It is all up to you if you believe in
God or not.
Friedrich Nietzsche believes in becoming authentic, you need to “go beyond good and evil” or
become
an

Figure 6. The Stages of Life by Soren Kierkegaard “Übermensch”

as he narrated in
his book, Thus Spoke Zarathustra (2006). He explains the journey to be authentic in an allegory of three
metamorphoses: (1) camel, (2) lion, and (3) child.
In this story, Nietzsche says that there is a huge dragon that is so magnificent that all the world laws are
written on its scales. This dragon represents the laws of society and religion. At first, human beings are like
“camels” or “beast of burden.” We follow whatever our faith or culture tells us. The moment we start
questioning our society or religion, we become the “lion” or the “conqueror” that will kill the dragon. This
implies that we need to abandon our faith so that human beings can get away from being slaves of a belief
system. Now, the dragon is dead; there are no more laws to follow. Being a lion is not enough. We need to
transcend to another being; we need to become a “child” – a “creator.” A child has a very creative
imagination, and in this stage, we create our own rules in life. Still, we are a child at this point. One day,
we will grow, and once we actualize our potentials, we become an Übermensch.
In Nietzsche’s book Ecce Homo (2012), he explains eternal recurrence as a necessary part to be authentic.
Remember the story above. Becoming the Übermensch is not the end of the journey. When you get too
comfortable being an Übermensch, you might become a camel again, a slave to your own rules. Eternal
recurrence means that you need to undergo this process again.

Figure 7. Nietzsche’s Eternal Recurrence Put merely,

Nietzsche’s
philosophy is about “breaking your limits.” You need to become a better version of yourself as you live
your life. He suggests that an authentic person is someone who “lives dangerously.” This is a difficult life,
but do not worry because you need to face hardships head-on because “whatever doesn’t kill you makes
you stronger.” Those who do not follow any trail but create their own take this path.
Lastly, Martin Heidegger describes human beings in his book Being in Time (1996) using the German term
Dasein. This term means “being-in-the-world,” “being-in-itself,” “being-thrown-in-the-world,” or only as
“being.”
The most interesting Heideggerian concept here is “being-thrown-in-the-world.” Our throwness means
that the moment we born in the world, we already have so many things that are not products of your choices.
Your parents, the culture and economic status you are born into, and even your own name are things given
to you already. You never ask for them. Part of becoming authentic is to embrace this throwness because
it is essentially part of who you are.
However, do not stay stagnant by accepting only what the world has already given you. Remember, Dasein
also means that you are also being-in-itself. In other words, you are a separate individual apart from
everyone else. You are you. Your mother is your mother. Your brother or sister is not you. Because you are
your own individual, you need to make your own choices. It is your life.
In the journey to become authentic, Heidegger emphasizes the fact that we are also being-unto-death. In
simpler terms, we are born to die. You might ask, “What is the point of living is we will die someday? For
Heidegger, you should not be afraid because death that gives meaning to our life. Because our life here on
earth is limited, we must live life to the fullest.
To understand all these Heideggerian concepts, imagine your student journey in VSU. Your being-thrown-
in-the-world means that there are things you get from VSU that are not products of your choice. Your
classmates, your instructor, and even the pandemic situation you are in now are not your choice, but you
need to deal with it. You need to accept them. You are also being-in-itself. Your classmates, teachers, and
other people in the university are not you. Thus, you make your own decisions as a student. Your parents,
teachers, and classmates may say different opinions about your studies. Still, at the end of the day, the
ultimate decision-maker is you. Lastly, you are being-unto-death. You cannot be a student of VSU forever.
Your studies here in VSU are limited, and that is why you need to make the most of it. Study hard, make
friends, and participate in school events as much as possible because your time in VSU is limited. You
might not have another chance again. As much as our death gives meaning to our life, your graduation
provides sense to your studies.

Figure 8. Martin Heidegger’s core concepts of existentialism

Eastern/Oriental Thoughts on the Self

The philosophers we discussed so far all came from the European tradition. Now, you will learn ideas about
the Self closer to home, in Asia. This sub lesson focuses on the alternative schools of thought in Eastern
antiquity, notably Siddhartha Gautama Buddha and Confucius’s teachings. There are three concepts to
remember about Oriental Philosophers: (1) nirvana or enlightenment, (2) middle way, and (3) virtues.
More than a religious founder, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, started a philosophy on dealing with
suffering in the world. Leaving his luxurious life in an Indian palace behind, he sought inner peace through
meditation until he reached the point of nirvana, the highest form of enlightenment. (Burns, 2004)
Becoming the “awakened one” or a “Buddha” is the ultimate goal for Buddhists. How do we achieve it?
The answer is simple but very difficult to do – abandon luxury in life. However, this does not mean that
you need to reject everything in the world. You need to leave some for yourself, at least having enough
food to eat, live, and meditate. Giving up riches in life and moderating your needs is what Buddhist calls
the middle way.
Buddha explained about the path toward enlightenment by teaching Four Noble Truths in the World. First,
“There is constant suffering in the world.” Second, “There is a cause for this suffering.” Third, “We can
end our suffering.” Lastly, “We can end our suffering by following the ‘Noble Eightfold Path’” shown in
the infographic below (Chatterjee & Datta, 1948; Edelglass & Garfield, 2009; Lumakis, 2008):

Figure 9. Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path

Understanding the Buddhist tradition does not mean memorizing the items above. What is more important
is to know the relevance of Buddhist culture to realizing the Self.
Remember Buddha to end our suffering, we need to get rid of our desires. One straightforward yet effective
way to do this is to change your outlook rather than the circumstances of things. Buddhist monks say,
“happiness and unhappiness are just states of the mind” (Thubten, 2020).
For example, you studied hard in school, aiming to be the top in your class. Then, your teacher announces
the ranking of honor students. You found out that you are in second place with only 0.1 average grade
difference from the first honor. Instead of feeling sad or angry about it, you change your view on how you
see the situation. Accept it and be happy about the fact that you earned second place. Do not stress yourself
on things you cannot control. Your happiness should not depend on other people nor on the circumstances.
Instead, find your joy deep inside you. By reorienting your mind and ignoring superficial things, you will
reach a stable form of happiness that leads to enlightenment. Changing your mindset is one application of
“Right View” in the Noble Eightfold Path.
Ironically, in Buddhist philosophy, taking care of the self recognizes that “there is no such thing as self” at
all. It is not about rejecting yourself and the world around you but about acknowledging that you are one
with the world - that you can be happy with simple things and do not care about things that do not matter
in life. You have a “Buddhahood” in you. Siddhartha Gautama is not a god but a model in life. You can be
a Buddha too. It is a matter of activating it through the Noble Eightfold Paths.
Unlike Western traditions, reflection for Buddhism is not about filling your mind with thoughts, asking for
questions, and looking for explanations of things. Instead, Buddhist meditation requires you to empty your
mind, and once you are an empty vessel, wisdom will come into you.
Confucianism emerged as a school of thought when Master K’ung Fu-Tzu, popularly known as
Confucius, lived during the warring states period of China. He saw the devastating effects of war – deaths,
poverty, greed, etc. He thought that there must be a philosophy to address the problem of a divided Chinese
society. To create a strong nation, the foundation of society starts by developing virtues in individuals.
Confucius believes that the formation of the human character starts with the family. He regarded filial piety
so much that respect for elders is a superior custom than any law in society. A portion of the Analects, even
claim that if the father has stolen a sheep, the son should defend him (Huang, 2017).
Confucian teaching always highlights the importance of self-improvement. Central to this philosophy are
three core values: filial piety, humaneness, and ritual consciousness (Oxnam et al., 1941). Briefly,
Confucius believes that cultivating good virtues to children in the family will make them better citizens
who will build a strong nation. If you want a good government, start by being a good person.
Concerning understanding the Self, you become your “better self” by developing a good sense of morality.
Perhaps, you can better understand Confucian teachings related to the self by reading quotations from the
Analects (2008).

“If you rule people by punishment, they will avoid crime,

but they will have no personal sense of shame.
If you govern them with propriety,
they will gain their own sense of shame and correct themselves.”

“When you see someone of worth,

think of how you will emulate.
When you see someone unworthy,
examine your own character.”

“Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you.”

The last quote is the golden rule and the most recognizable Confucian saying. It may sound cliché, but it
calls for self-reflection, an opportunity to imagine yourself in others’ shoes. Through the emphasis of
virtues, Confucius incorporated morals as an essential part of character development. Thus, taking care of
the self for Confucius is becoming an ethical person and a responsible citizen.
Having been able to run through some notable examples of Western and Eastern thinkers, you can see some
similarities and differences. The journey of finding out what is essential in the world reveals one stark
contrast between the two traditions. On the one hand, Western philosophy emphasizes the individual,
promoting concepts like freedom and choice. On the other hand, Eastern philosophy highlights harmony
and balance, reminding us that a person is a part of the society, the world, or something higher than us.
(Mark, 2012)
Both traditions have their share of criticisms too. Many thinkers often accuse Western thought “too
narcissistic”, while Eastern philosophy “too vague” for spouting words without clear explanations.
Nevertheless, regardless of the diversity of approaches, both Western and Eastern philosophical traditions
aim at one thing – to answer the question “Who am I?” by searching for meaning in life. Even in the
Philippines, our Western-influenced education mixes with Eastern beliefs like karma and Gaba (Fernandez,
2004). As our world today becomes smaller and connected by technology, it is our task as humans to
combine the wisdom of both traditions to be a better person in the world.

Taking Care of the Self in the Philosophical Perspective

As you have noticed, each of the Philosophers we discussed has different concepts relevant to the Self.
Each one of them also has different advice on how to take care of the Self. Perhaps, you can remember
them better if we summarize them in an infographic on the next page.
Figure 9. Summary the ideas about taking case of the Self according to different Philosophers across different historical periods
and cultural traditions.
 Learning Task
Let us go back to the illustration of the six blind persons. This time, label these six blind persons according
to your top six philosophers whose views of the Self are most relatable.
When you selected your Top 6 philosophers, your answers indicate that you agree with their point-
of-view.
However,
remember
those are
their

Figure 10. Choose your Top Six Philosophers

perspectives. There other philosophers and scholars who have different opinions about the Self not included
in the roster of this learning guide.
Have an open mind to listen to great thinkers’ wisdom, but have a critical mind to filter the ideas they
preach. At the end of the day, as you deeply examine yourself, you may use words to describe this
“elephant” and develop your own philosophy in life.
Now, share some “words to live by”. Write your simple motto or a cool one-liner in the quotation box
below.
A great philosopher once said…

Figure 11. Your “Words to live by”

Assessment

IMPORTANT! Go to Appendix Page 65, to write your answer for this lesson. You
can also see there some detailed instructions on how you submit your output and tips
in writing and general instructions for submission.

Write a paragraph – in not more than 10 sentences – answering the question “Who am I?” using
the philosophical perspective. Do not write a simple biodata or a chronological narrative of your life.
Instead, use one or more concepts by any philosopher discussed in this lesson and apply their philosophy
to your life.
Please be guided by the following questions:
 Who among the philosophers is most relatable to you?
 How do you see yourself in this world?
 What do you think is your purpose?
 What do you want to do in life?
 What comes to mind when you are alone?
 What are the most important things to you?
 Are you content with who you are and what you have now? If not, how do you plan to make
yourself better?
 What motivates you to keep on living?

Go to “Appendix “page 65”, to write your answer for this lesson.