WESTERN AND EASTERN More focused on Holistic approach – all

the individual events in the universe

THOUGHT events and the role are interconnected
of the person
Searching outside Searching inside
➢ The tendency to stress either yourself through yourself – by
research and becoming a part of
individuality or more collective
analysis the universe through
response is one of the most widely
meditation and right
distributed traits around the world. living
Not every culture is at one end or Your future in Your future is
the other end of the spectrum, but unknown, it was determined by the
the majority tend to favor one over predetermined by past and your deeds
the other in an everyday life. God and is not today
➢ Knowing about the basis of this much influenced
Collectivism versus Individualism by your deeds
construct will help you to A human being has A human being is an
recognize, understand, and an individualistic integral part of the
anticipate attitudes in different part of the universe and the
types of culture. universe and the society
society

West: INDIVIDUALISTIC SELF

➢ North and South America ✓ Through the process of
➢ Europe introspection and reflection, man
➢ Australia begins to search for clues as to the
➢ New Zealand probable purpose of his existence
and the role he plays in the general
order of the things of the world.
East: ✓ As a result of his introspection, he
decides that since he has only one
➢ Asia
life to live and that death is
➢ Middle East
inevitable, he should make the
most of this life he was given.
✓ This is an example of a person
WESTERN EASTERN
manifesting his individualistic self.
Strives to find and Accepts the truth as
✓ He sees himself as being capable of
prove the truth. given and is more
interested in finding living his own life, doing the things
the balance. that he would love to do, making
Christianity, Buddhism, his own mistakes and learning from
Rational, Scientific, Confucianism, his experiences.
Logical schools Hinduism, Integral ✓ He is aware of his rights and the
Yoga, Islam, Taoism, limitations of his freedom in the
Zen
 extant society; he sets goals and
works hard to achieve them.
TYPES OF INDIVIDUALISM
✓ EGOISTICAL INDIVIDUALISM – the
idea that individual freedom is
associated with self-interest and
self-reliance.
✓ DEVELOPMENTAL INDIVIDUALISM
o The idea that individual
freedom is linked to human
flourishing.
o He knows that he is the one
who will suffer the most if
he wastes his chance to live
a life that he and his family
can be proud of.
o Something that would
define him and inspire
others that being in the
world meant making it
better not only for himself
but also for others.
✓ COLLECTIVE SELF
o The identity of the
individual is lost and does
not exist except as a part of
the group.
o The family and the society
control how the group
members should think, act
and generally conduct
themselves in society.
o It is observed that strong
bonds of unity are formed
and developed in
collectivism.
✓ In an extreme sense, all decisions
made are group decisions.
✓ They are bound by the customs,
beliefs and traditions by the group.
✓ Some examples of issues decided
upon by the group are gender roles,
marriage practices and patriarchy.
In such cases, individual freedom is
sacrificed for the benefit of the
group.
➢ In contemporary society, both the
individualistic and collective self
may exist in a single individual
through:
1. Result of influences and
intermarriages between
people of the East and
the West.
2. Sharing of knowledge
and the influx of
information from mass
media and social media.
THE SELF IN WESTERN THOUGHT
✓ ECOLOGICAL SELF – sees the self as
a process that is undergoing
development.
✓ Human biological and
environmental characteristics like
race, gender, social status,
education and culture are factors
that influence self-development.

CONFUCIUS
✓ Was the name for which Kong
Zhongni of China was known in the
West.
✓ Born in the period of the Zhou
dynasty in 551 BCE in the small
state of Lu.
✓ He grew up poor even though he
descended from a scholarly family.
✓ The Zhou dynasty was
characterized by political, social,
and moral disintegration in China.
✓ Through all of there unrest,
Confucius’ family made sure that
he received proper education.
✓ Through scholarly study, Confucius
came to be known as “Master
Kong” and as “Great Sage and
Teacher” (Koller, 2007)
✓ His experiences in politics made
him focus on social reforms. His
philosophy came to be known as
humanistic social philosophy. He
considers the society and its
communities as the main source of
values of both human beings and
the society in general.
THE SELF IN CONFUCIAN THOUGHT
✓ Ren – the center of the
philosophical concept of
Confucianism which can be
manifested through:
1. Li (Propriety)
2. Xiao (Filiality)
3. Yi (Rightness)
✓ It can also be understood as human
goodness.
✓ It involves feelings and thinking
which serves as the foundation of
all human relationships.
✓ Ren further signifies the Chinese
culture’s emphasis on feelings
(heart) as the most important
instead of the head in human
nature.
1. Li (propriety) – in order to guide
human actions, rules of propriety
should be followed.
➢ Such rules involve adherence to the
rituals of the community.
➢ In connection with the Li, Confucius
stated “to master oneself and
return to propriety is humanity”.
➢ Self-mastery includes self-
development and rejects selfish
behavior.
➢ Self-mastery is characterized by
self-control and the will to redirect
impulses and change these to
socially accepted expressions of
human nature.
➢ Confucius believes that everyone
has duties and responsibilities esp.
in the five relationships:
1. Between father and son
2. Ruler and the subject
3. Older and younger brothers
4. Husband and wife
5. Friend and friend
Five Relationships – Harmony in society is
possible when people accept their place in
society. Key relationships include father to
son, older brother to young brother,
husband to wife, ruler to subject, and
friend to friend. Except for friendship,
none of these relationships is equal.

Relationship Appropriate Virtue

Father/son Filial piety
Ruler/subject Loyalty
Brother/brother Brotherliness
Husband/wife Love and obedience
Friend/friend Faithfulness

2. Xiao (filiality) – the virtue of

reverence and respect for family.

➢ Parents should be revered for the

life they had given. Children should
show respect to their parents by
exerting efforts to take care of
themselves.
➢ Reverence for parents and family is
further demonstrated by bringing
honor to the family, making
something of himself to earn the
respect of others.
➢ If ever, the person is having
difficulty giving his family the honor
that they deserved, he should just
do his best to not disgrace the
family.
➢ The family is a reflection of the
person. How the person interacts
socially and the values he emulates
can all be traced back to his family
environment. This forms the basis
of the person’s moral and social
virtue.
3. Yi (rightness) – the right way of
behaving. It is unconditional and
absolute.
➢ Actions must be performed and
carried out because they are the
right actions.
➢ Obedience to parents, for instance
is expected of children because it is
morally right and obligatory to do
so.
➢ Confucius emphasized that actions
should be performed because they
are right and not for selfish benefits
that they provide.
➢ Li, Xiao, and Yi are virtues observed
in a person whose humanity is
developed, morally cultivated and
aware.
Virtuous people, according to
Confucianism, result in a well-rounded,
civilized, humane society.