CHAPTER 1

DEFINING THE SELF:

PERSONAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVES ON SELF AND IDENTITY

LESSON 4: The Self in Western and Eastern Thoughts

Specific Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. Differentiate the concept of self according to Western thought against Eastern/Oriental
perspectives;
2. Explain the concept of self as found in Asian thoughts; and
3. Create a representation of the Filipino self.

Religious beliefs and political philosophies that greatly influenced the mindset of each nation or culture:

■ CONFUCIANISM

- can be seen as a code of ethical conduct, of how one

should properly act according to his/her relationship
with other people; thus it is also focused on having a
harmonious social life.
- Self-cultivation is seen as the ultimate purpose of life.
- The cultivated self in Confucianism is what some
scholars call a “subdued self” wherein personal needs
are repressed (subdued) for the good of many, making
Confucian society also hierarchal for the purpose of
maintaining order and balance in society.

■ TAOISM
- Living in the way of the Tao or the universe.
- Rejects having one definition of what the Tao is.
- Rejects the hierarchy and strictness brought by
Confucianism and would prefer a simple lifestyle and its
teachings thus aim to describe how to attain that life.
- The self is not just an extension of the family or the
community; it is part of the universe.
- The ideal self is selflessness but this is not forgetting
about the self; it is living a balanced life with society and
nature, being open and accepting to change, forgetting
about prejudices and egocentric ideas and thinking about
equality as well as complementarity among humans as
well as other beings.

■ BUDHISM
- The self is seen as an illusion, born out of ignorance, of
trying to hold and control things, or human-centered
needs; thus, the self is also the source of all these
sufferings.
- To forget about the self, forget the cravings of the self,
break the attachments you have with the world, and to
renounce the self which is the cause of all suffering and
in doing so, attain the state of Nirvana.
Eastern thoughts:
- Sees the other person as part of yourself as well as the things you may create, a drama in
which everyone is interconnected with their specific roles
- Asian culture is called a collectivistic culture as the group and social relations that is
given more importance than individual needs and wants.

Western thoughts:
- Looks at the world in dualities wherein you are distinct from the other person, the creator
is separate from the object he created, in which the self is distinguished and
acknowledged
- The Western culture is what we would call an individualistic culture since their focus is
on the person.

Reference:

https://www.slideshare.net/monsterako/taoism-literature
https://thediplomat.com/2014/09/the-chinese-communist-partys-confucian-revival/

Book:
Alata, E.J., Caslib, B.N.,Jr., Serafica, J.P., Pawilen, R.A.(2018).Understanding the Self(First Edition).Manila, Philippines: Rex Book Store, Inc