Lesson 1: Biblical Perspective of the Self  We can understand and enjoy the

miracle of His creation.

1. Man is Created in the Imaged of
 Dominion – obedience and identity
God
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Constitution of Human Being  Adam in his original state is vastly
Then the Lord God formed the man of dust superior to what he was after the fall.
from the ground and breathed into his nostrils  Fertilized, reproductive cell.
the breath of life, and the man became a living  Learning and adaptive capability
soul. – Genesis 2:7  Language Acquisition

Body + Breath of Life = Living Soul/being

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that 2. Man is Fallen and Sinful
the man should be alone; I will make him a
Disobedience
helper fit for him. So, the Lord God caused a
deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he And He [God] said, who told thee that thou
slept took one of his ribs and closed up its were naked? Hast, thou eaten of the tree,
place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord had whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest
taken from the man, He made into a woman not eat? – Genesis 3:11
and brought her to the man. – Genesis 18,21-
Normal Unhappiness
22
 Among the most common of human
EGW Patriarchs and Prophets
emotions are dissatisfaction, boredom,
Eve was created from a rib taken from the side depression, unhappiness, bitterness,
of Adam, signifying that she was not to jealousy, envy, and of course guilt.
control him as the head, not to be trampled  Adaptation Level
under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by  Relative Deprivation
his side as an equal, to be loved and protected  Moral Weakness
by him.  Sin, the fundamental flaw
In the Image of God… Situational Influence vs. Moral Character
Then God said, “Let us make man in our 1. Opinions and Attitudes
image, after our likeness. And let them have 2. Memory and Testimony
dominion, over the fish of the sea, and over 3. Impulses to Violence
the birds of the heaven and over the livestock 4. Helping others
and over all the earth and over every creeping 5. Vulnerability to Suggestions and
thing that creeps in the earth. – Genesis 1:26 Manipulation
Human Creativity Spiritual Implication
 Consider the wonders of arts and  Only God is good (Luke 18:19)
literature and performances  We must not place our trust in our
 Science and Technology own character and goodness.
 Discoveries  Stay close to God and His word.
The Joy of Discovery

3. Man is Dependent on God

I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13
The Reality of Choice
Responsibility, Choice, and Mental Health
 Research in nursing homes.
 People who are encouraged to have a
positive attitude about their ability to
accomplish worthwhile and helpful
objectives are healthier, happier, and
more productive.
Recreation into His Image
Man is created in the image of the Creator
God, and when man fell into sin, He has been
working to recreate him back to His image.
Our part is to abide in Him moment by
moment.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For
I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, or
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor height,
nor depth, nor any creature, shall separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord. – Romans 8:35, 38-39
He [God] knows each individual by name and
cares for each as if there were not another
upon the earth for whom He gave His beloved
Son. – 2MCP 467.2
How much is your worth?
It depends to the ONE who is willing to…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only Son, that whoever believes in him should
not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
“He that spared not His own Son, but
delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not
with Him also freely give us all things?” –
Romans 8:32
We are His by creation and redemption.
Lesson 2: The Self from the Various
Philosophical Perspectives
Ellen G. White 1MCP 4.5
 To know oneself is a great knowledge.
 Self-knowledge leads to humility and
to trust in God, but it does not take the
place of efforts for self-improvement.
He who realizes his own deficiencies
will spare no pains to reach the highest
possible standard of physical, mental,
and moral excellence.
Socrates
 Socratic Method
 Testing an idea by asking a series of
questions to determine underlying
beliefs and the extent of the
knowledge to guide the person toward
better understanding.
 Triple Filter Test: Filter of Truth (is it
true?), Filter of Goodness (is it
good?), Filter of Usefulness (is it
going to be useful?)
 “The unexamined life is not worth
living.”
 “I know that I don’t know.”
Some of Socrates’ ideas:
 The soul is immortal
 The care of the soul is the task of
philosophy.
 Virtue is necessary to attain
happiness.
Plato
  The student of Socrates
 Theory of Forms – physical form is
not really the real world because the
ultimate reality exists beyond the
physical world.
Theory of Forms
 The Appetitive (Sensual) – the
element that enjoys sensual experience
(food, drink, sex)
 The Rational (Reasoning) – the
element that forbids the person to
enjoy sensual experiences; should rule
over the other parts of the soul through
the use of reason.
 The Spirited (Feeling) – inclined
toward reason but understands the
demands of passion.
St. Augustine of Hippo
 Believed that the human being was
both a soul and body.
 The body is bound to die on earth and
the soul is to anticipate living eternally
in a realm of spiritual bliss in
communion with God.
 The goal of every human person is to
attain this communion and bliss with
the Divine by living his life on Earth
in virtue.
 “All knowledge leads to God.”
Thomas Aquinas
 Man is composed of 2 Parts: matter
and form.
 Matter, or hyle in Greek refers to the
“common stuff that makes up
everything in the universe.” Man’s
body is part of this matter.
 Form or morphe in Greek refers to the
“essence of a substance or thing.”
 The soul id what animates the body;
it is what makes us humans.
Rene Descartes
 Human person has a body and a mind.
 The body is nothing else but a
machine that is attached to the mind.
 The human person has it, but it is not
what makes man a man. If at all, that
is the mind.
Descartes’ claim about the self:
 It is constant; it is not prone to change;
and it is not affected by time
 Only the immaterial soul remains the
same throughout time
 The immaterial soul is the source of
our identity.
Cogito Ergo sum/ I think, therefore I am  But
what then I am? A thinking thing. It has been
said. But what is a thinking thing? Is a thing
that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills,
refuse; that imagines also, and perceives.
David Hume
 Empiricism – the idea that the origin
of all knowledge is sense experience.
 Bundle Theory – self/person is a
bundle or collection of different
perceptions that are moving in a very
fast and successive manner
 All knowledge is derived from human
senses.
2 groups of mind perceptions:
 Impressions – basic objects of our
experience or sensation; vivid and
lively (ex. touching an ice cube)
 Ideas – copies of impressions; less
forcible and less lively (ex. Being in
love for the first time)
Immanuel Kant
 Self is transcendental which means
that self is related to a spiritual or
nonphysical realm.
 The self is not in the body but outside
the body
 It is knowledge that bridges the self
and the material things together
  Reason is the final authority of
morality. Morality is achieved only
when there is absence of war because
of the result of enlightenment
2 components of self:
 Inner self – the self by which you are
aware of alterations in your own state.
This includes your rational intellect
and your psychological state (moods,
feelings, sensations)
 Outer self – it includes your senses
and the physical world. It Is the
boundary between the external world
and the inner self. It gathers
information from the external world
through the senses, which the inner
self interprets and coherently
expresses
Gilbert Ryle
 He wrote The Concept of the Mind
 He rejected the notion that mental
states are separable from physical
states
 What truly matters is the behavior that
a person manifests in his day-to-day
life.
 “I act therefore I am.”
Ryle points against Descartes’ theory:
 The relation between mind and body
are not isolated processes
 Mental processes are intelligent acts,
and are not distinct from each other
 The operation of the mind is itself an
intelligent act
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
 The mind and body are so intertwined
that they cannot be separated from
one another.
 The living body, his thoughts,
emotions, and experiences are all one.
 Physical body is an important part of
the self.
Paul Churchland
 If something can be seen, felt, heard,
touch, or tasted, then it exists. There is
nothing beyond sensory experience.
 The sense of self is originated from
the brain itself, and that this “self” is a
product of electrochemical signals
produced by the brain
 “The physical brain and NOT the
imaginary mind gives us our sense of
self.”
Dualism Vs. Monism
 Where do you stand on this issue?
 What does science believe?
 As Seventh Day Adventist Christians,
what do we believe?
Mind-Body Dualism
 a philosophical view which holds that
mental phenomena are, at least in
certain respects, not physical
phenomena, or that the mind and the
body are distinct and separable from
one another
Monism
 views man as a unified organism of
great complexity and varied
functioning
 rejects the notion that man is
composed of a mind and a body which
interact (a weak form of dualism), but
rather emphasizes man's absolutely
basic unity.
What the science says…
 You, your joys and your sorrows, your
memories and your ambitions, your
sense of personal identity and free will
are in fact no more than the behavior
of a vast assembly of nerve cells and
their associated molecules. -Francis
Crick
 “You're nothing but a pack of
neurons. “–Lewis Carroll
  Mental activity and certain types of
brain activity are, so far as we can tell,
inseparable. Nearly all neuroscientists
support the position of monism –
Kalat, 2019
What SDA believes…
 “The relation that exists between the
mind and the body is very intimate.
When one is affected, the other
sympathizes.” MCP, p 8
 Implication on health
 Implication on the State of the Dead
 Implication on the Great Controversy
We are on the side of Monism because...
 It is the most logical and scientific
explanation of the nature of man
 It is Biblical
“You cannot be anything you want to be – but
you can be a lot more of who you already
are.” –M.P. Seligman
Lesson 3: Sociological, Anthropological,
and Psychological View of Self
Sociological View Of Self
SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH
 There is a reciprocal relationship
between the self and the society.
 The sociological approach to
understanding the self means that we
must also understand the society in
which the self is acting, and keep in
mind that the self is always acting in a
social context in which other selves
exist. -Stryker, 1980
G.H. MEAD
 The self is created and develop
through human interaction
3 Reasons:
 We do not create ourselves out of
nothing
 We need others to affirm and reinforce
who we think we are
 What we think is important to us may
also have been influenced by what is
important to our social and historical
context
SOCIAL SELF THEORY
 The mind is the individual importation
of the social process.
 One must participate in the different
social positions within society and
only subsequently can one use that
experience to take the perspective of
others and thus become self-
conscious.
 Primary socialization occurs when a
child learns the attitudes, values, and
actions appropriate to individuals as
members of a particular culture.
 Secondary socialization refers to the
process of learning the appropriate
behavior as a member of a smaller
group within the larger society
 Group socialization is the theory that
an individual’s peer groups, rather
than parental figures, influences his or
her personality and behavior in
adulthood.
 Organizational socialization is the
process whereby an employee learns
the knowledge and skills necessary to
assume his or her organizational role.
How the Self Develops
 Language – conveys others’ attitudes
and opinions toward a subject or the
person. Emotions, such as anger,
happiness, and confusion, are
conveyed through language.
 Play - develops self by allowing
individuals to take on different roles,
pretend, and express expectation of
others.
  Games - develop self by allowing
individuals to understand and adhere
to the rules of the activity.
TWO SIDE OF SELF
Two Sides of Self: Me and I
- According to Mead’s Theory, the self
has two sides or phases: me and I.
- The me is considered the socialized
aspect of the individual. The me
represents learned behaviors, attitudes,
and expectations pf others and of
society.
- The I, therefore, can be considered the
present and future phase of the self.
The I represent the individual’s
identity based on response to the me.
- The me and the I have a didactic
relationship.
➢Ethnology – based on cross-cultural
comparison
➢Archeological – interprets human behavior
through material remains
➢Biological (Physical) – scientific study
concerned with the biological and behavioral
aspects of human beings and other non-human
primates
➢Linguistic – language in its social and
cultural context across time and space
PERSPECTIVE – a particular way of viewing
things that depends on one’s experience and
personality.
SELF “Physical organism, possessing
psychological functioning and social
attributes” – Katherine Ewing (1990)

LOOKING GLASS SELF THEORY by:

CHARLES COOLEY

- Theory of the Looking-Glass Self –

self-perception is influenced by an
individual’s:
- Beliefs about how he or she is
perceived by others
- Observations of how others react
- Interpretations of how others react

We imagine how we appear to other people.

We imagine how other people judge the
appearance that we think we present. If we
think the evaluation is favorable, our self-
concept is enhanced. If we think the evaluation
is unfavorable, our self-concept is diminished.
Anthropological View of Self
“The self is not static; it is added to and
subtracted from by genetic maturation,
learning, forgetting, stress, aging and disease.”
– Joseph LeDoux (2002)

Anthropology SELF-REPRESENTATION

Anthropos – humans; Logos – study TWO ASPECTS OF SELF

Sub disciplines of Anthropology
➢Cultural – explores the diversity of past and
present
➢Ethnography – based on fieldwork
Explicit – aspect of the self that you are
consciously aware
Implicit – not immediately available to the
consciousness
CULTURE – Customary behavior and beliefs SIGMUND FREUD
that are passed on through enculturation. –
• Psychoanalytic Theory – a personality
Kottak (2008)
theory based on the notion that an individual
gets motivated by unseen forces, controlled by
the conscious and the rational thought.

3 structures of the self/mind

•Id – operates on the pleasure principle

•Ego – operates on the reality principle

•Superego – incorporates the values and

morals of society

MARCEL MAUSS – Author of “A Category

JEAN PIAGET
of The Human Mind: The Notion Of Person;
The Notion Of Self •Theory of cognitive development –
development of human intelligence
MOI – the idea of “self”
•Children construct an understanding of the
PERSONNE – the idea of “person”
world around them, experience inconsistencies
CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGIST between what they already know and what
CONSTRUAL – interpretation of the they discover in their environment, and then
meaning of something independent construct – adjust their ideas accordingly. (McLeod, 2009)
characteristic of individualistic culture
interdependent construct – collectivist culture
in Southeast Asia.

CATHERINE RAEFF

1. Relationships
2. Personality Traits
3. Achievement
4. Expressing Emotions

Psychological View of Self

WILLIAM JAMES •The person you actually are

•Me and I •How you behave right at the moment of a

situation
•I-self – aware of its own actions; the thinking,
acting, and feeling self •Who you are in reality – how you think, feel,
or act at present
•Me-self - the physical characteristics and
psychological capabilities

I-self four features:

•A sense of being the agent or initiator of

behavior

•A sense of being unique

•A sense of continuity

•A sense of awareness of being aware

CARL ROGERS

“If the way that I am (the real self) is aligned

Me-self dimensions:
with the way that I want to be (ideal self), then
•Material – physical appearance and I will feel a sense of mental well-being or
extensions peace of mind. High congruence leads to a
greater sense of self-worth and a healthy,
•Social – social skills and significant productive life.”
interpersonal relationships

•Spiritual – personality, character, defining

values

CARL ROGERS

•Real and Ideal self-concepts

•Self-concept – an organized, fluid,

conceptual pattern of concepts and values
related to the self.
Ideal self
•The person that you would like yourself to be
•The concept of the “best me” who is worthy
of admiration
Ideal self could include:
•Notions influenced by your parents
Self-awareness
•When we are aware of our self-concepts
•Can either be positive or negative depending
on our circumstances and our next course of
action
•Can keep you doing from doing something
dangerous

•What you admire in others •Self-consciousness – too much self-

awareness
•What the society sees as acceptable

•What you think is in your best interest

Self-esteem
Real self
•Our own positive and negative perception or
evaluation of ourselves

•Influenced by group-identity and self-

awareness

Social comparison theory

•We learn about ourselves, the appropriateness

of our behaviors, as well as our social status
by comparing aspects of ourselves with other
people

•The downward social comparison is

comparing ourselves with those who are worse
off than us.

•The upward social comparison is comparing

ourselves with those who are better off than
us.

Self-evaluation maintenance theory

•We can feel threatened when someone

outperforms us, especially when that person is
close to us

•Narcissism - “trait characterized by overly

high self-esteem, self-admiration, and self-
centeredness.”

“It is not wise to give children special notice

or to repeat their clever sayings before them.
Vanity should not be encouraged by
praising their looks, their words, or their
actions. Nor should they be dressed in an
expensive and showy manner. This encourages
pride in them & awakens envy into the hearts
of their companions. Teach the children that
the true adorning is not outward”. -Adventist
home

“… By speaking kindly to their children and

praising them when they try to do right,
parents may encourage their efforts and make
them very happy.” -Adventist home