Understanding the Self

MODULE 1

The Philosophical
Perspective of the Self
 Learning Objectives:

Different representation and conceptualization of self

from various perspectives

Influences of Eastern and Western philosophers of self;

Sociology – Mead and Cooley
Anthropology
Psychology and Social psychology – William James
Sikolohiyang Pilipino – Virgilio Enriquez
PHILOSOPHY is a particular set of ideas about
knowledge, truth, the nature and meaning of life.

The philosophy of self refers to the conditions of identity

that make the individual distinct from all others.

IDENTITY means the qualities, characteristics, beliefs etc.

that makes a person or group unique from one another.
 The concept of self in 5 ways:

SELF-KNOWLEDGE refers to one’s knowledge and

understanding of one’s own learning’s, characters,
motivations and capabilities. One must know his/her
particular experiences, sensation, attitudes and beliefs.

SELF-ACTIVITY is an independent and self-determined

action of one person. A person’s decision to carry out
actions which you have thought about yourself and ot
been told to do by others.
SELF-INDEPENDENT of the senses refers to the inner self.
It is related to a person’s sense of worth and self-esteem
and help us to strive to achieve our goals in life.

SELF-IDENTITY is the recognition of one’s potentials and

qualities as an individual, his/her uniqueness.

SELF-IMAGE is a mental picture of an individual and is quite

resistant to change through time regarding one’s abilities,
personality, and role.
 EASTERN PHILOSOPHY OF SELF

HINDU Philosophy of Self

Believed that the self is made up of two aspects:

ATMAN which means “essence, breath or soul.

The innermost essence and sould of the person.

BRAHMAN connotes the highest Universal

Principle, the Ultimate Reality in the universe. It
is the material, formal and final cause of all
that exists.
 BUDDHIST Philosophy of Self
Buddha’s teaching of self is to understand
the nature of self which is a combination of
5 aggregates of existence known as the
“FIVE SKANDHAS of the Five heaps”
1. FORM is the physical form.
2. SENSATION is made up of feelings including our senses:
seeing, hearing, tasting, touching & smelling.
3. PERCEPTION is conceptualization, cognition, reasoning.
4. MENTAL FORMATION includes habits, prejudices, predispositions,
human volition, or willfulness.
5. CONSCIOUSNESS is awareness of or sensitivity to an object, but
without conceptualization.
CONFUCIAN Philosophy

Personality as such is not seen as

inherently existing, but as something
that is being formed through
upbringing and environment. In that,
the human being is seen as a social
being.
 WESTERN PHILOSOPHY OF SELF

The Western Philosophies of Self encompasses all

views of the self that emanated from the European
and American continent, postulated by thinkers
from these regions.

The nature of the self is a topic of interest among

philosophers and each have their own views.
Believes that to understand
the self is to “Know thyself”.

He argued that successful

fathers do not necessarily
produce successful sons and
that moral excellence was
more a matter of divine
bequest than parental
upbringing.
The soul is immortal

If human beings do not live

in accordance to their
nature / function, the result
will be injustice.
The soul is the essence of self
Self-realization is attained by fulfilling
man’s threefold nature:

Vegetative soul – it can grow and

nourish itself

Sensitive soul – it can experience

sensations and move locally

Rational soul – is its ability to receive forms

of other things and to compare them
using nous (intellect) and logos (reason)
SOCIOLOGY is a social science that focuses on
society, human social behaviour, patterns of social
relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture
associated with everyday life.
GEORGE HERBERT MEAD
Suggests that the self emerges in the
process of socialization or the process
of social interaction mediated by
language.
The self consists of two parts:
“I”, which is active and idiosyncratic
and the
“Me”, or the self-consciousness
CHARLES HORTON COOLEY
 Calls the social self as the
“looking-glass self” or the
ability to visualize oneself
through the attitudes and
responses of others.
ANTHROPOLOGY studies humans and
their ancestors through their physical
characteristics, environment and
culture.
PSYCHOLOGY is the scientific study of the
human mind and its functions, especially
those affecting behavior in a given context.

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY is the study of

how individual or group behavior is
influenced by the presence and
behavior of others.
WILLIAM JAMES
 "Father of American psychology“
 He developed the philosophical
perspective known as radical
empiricism.
 James did important work in philosophy
of religion. In his Gifford Lectures at
the University of Edinburgh he provided
a wide-ranging account of The Varieties
of Religious Experience (1902) and
interpreted them according to his
pragmatic leanings.
 SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO

The Father of Sikolohiyang

Pilipino who proposed the idea
that concept of “self” or
(personhood) can be centered
on the core values expressed in
the word “Kapwa.”

VIRGILIO ENRIQUEZ
(1942-1994)
Reference:

 E.J Westlake (2008). Friend me if you Facebook: Generation Y and

performative surveillance. The Drama Review 52(4), 21-40.
 Tomas, R., Sanchez T., Paragas, E., Perez, N., Marasigan, B., Miranda, M.,
Cortez, L., Montalbo, A., Espiritu, A.,. Understanding the Self.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James#Philosophy_of_religion