Understanding the Self UNIT 1: The Two Aspects of Reality

Self from Various • Physical World - Changeable, transient,

imperfect World of Senses/Matter
Perspectives
• Spiritual World - Unchanging, eternal,
perfect World of Ideas/Form
• PHILOSOPHY
*Dualistic Reality: Body and Soul
• SOCIOLOGY
• PSYCHOLOGY Our Soul (Self)
• ANTHROPOLOGY ▪ Strive for wisdom and perfection
• ORIENTAL/ EASTERN THOUGHT ▪ Reason is the soul’s tool to achieve such
state ▪ A unified, indissoluble, immortal
PHILOSOPHY entity that remains the same over time
Ancient Philosophy (1000 BC to 500 AD) ▪ That is in the very likeness of the divine
The Ancient Triumvirate
 Plato
Socra 3-Part Soul/Self (Psyche)
tes   Reason: the divine essence that lets us
Aristo think deeply (wisdom), make wise
tle choices, and achieve a true
 Plato understanding of eternal truths
 Physical Appetite: accounts for the basic
Socrates biological needs such as hunger, thirst
“Know thy self” and sexual desire
 Man must live and stand  Spirit/Passion: accounts for the basic
according to his nature emotions such as love, anger, ambition,
 Man must look at himself “An aggressiveness, and empathy
unexamined life is not worth living.”  The three are in a dynamic relationship
Two fundamental questions: with each other: in agreement or in
 To find what? conflict
 Invitation to introspection:  But it is the responsibility of the Reason
Platonic theory of reminiscence to restore harmony among the three
 Knowledge is within, inherent in  Harmony: justice in the individual,
man; not outside  Wisdom social, and political levels
is learning to reflect  By what
means? Aristotle
 The Socratic Method: Dialogue • The mind (self) is Tabula Rasa – a blank slate
between the soul and itself • Self is composed of matter and form
 Between a student and his - Matter is in a continuous
teacher process of developing and
becoming
 • The Process of Completion is through
experiences
- Knowledge is acquired through
the senses
• Self comes from a First Cause, the source of
all changes although unchangeable itself
• The goal of the human self is reached in
happiness through moderation or balance of
things
The Post-Aristotelians
▪Maintains the dualism between body and soul
▪More ethical in the ideas
 Moral norms: attainment of happiness
 Stoicism
- Apathy or indifference to
pleasure
 Hedonism
- “Eat, drink, and be happy. For
tomorrow, you will die.”
 Epicureanism
- Moderate pleasure
IS THE SELF RELATED TO A SUPREME
BEING/GOD?
WHO AM I IN RELATION TO A SUPREME
BEING/GOD?
Medieval Philosophy (500 AD – 1350 AD)
Theo-centric
• From the scientific investigation on
nature and search for happiness to the
question of life and salvation in another
realm, in a better world
(i.e., the afterlife)
• Influence from ancient thought:
• The (human) self-endures through time
• More imposing than informing, because
it was trying to aim at paganism and
barbarism
• There was an aim to merge philosophy
and religion (Christian, Jewish, Muslim)
St. Augustine (Theologian, Philosopher)
▪Integrates Platonic ideas with the tenets of
Christianity
▪Platonic Realm of Idea = Christian Philosophy of
a
Transcendent God
▪The self-strives to achieve union with God
through faith and reason
St. Thomas Aquinas
▪Self-knowledge is dependent on our
experience of the world around us (objects in
our environment) ▪We don’t encounter
ourselves as isolated minds or selves, but
rather always as agents interacting with our
environment
 The labels we attribute to ourselves are
taken from the things we encounter in
our environment
• Examples: Gardener, Artist, Kind,
Loving “The things that we love tell us
what we are.” If St. Thomas tells us that
our knowledge is based on our
encounter of things, Does this mean
that we get to know everything simply
by experiencing it?
▪Experiencing that something exists doesn’t tell
us what it is
▪Knowing and learning about a thing requires a
long process of understanding; same with the
mind and the self – with experience and reason
HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT THE SELF EXISTS?
WHAT ARE THE PROOFS THAT THE SELF EXISTS?
Modern Philosophy (14th Century to the
early 20th Century)
• Genuine knowledge has to be based on
independent rational inquiry and real
world experimentation, rather than
dependent on knowledge handed
down by authorities
Anthropocentric
▪Thinkers began to reject the scholastics’
(medieval thinkers) excessive reliance on
authority ▪Period of radical social, political
and intellectual developments
RENE DESCARTES
“Cogito ergo sum”
▪ “I think, therefore, I am”
▪ Human identity: self-awareness ▪
The Self if a thinking thing which
can exist independently of the
body
Dualism
Thinking (Spiritual) Self
- Governed by laws of reason &
God’s will
Physical Body
- Governed by the laws of nature
JOHN LOCKE
▪ The self endures because of memory ▪
Conscious awareness and memory of
previous experiences are the keys to
understanding the self
DAVID HUME
▪ Impressions – basic sensations of
experiences ▪ The self is a “bundle or
collection of different perceptions, which
succeed each other in an inconceivable
rapidity, and are in perpetual flux and
movement”
IMMANUEL KANT
▪ A priori concepts
▪ The self actively organizes all the sensations
and thoughts into a picture that makes sense to
each one of us
▪ Self as subject, not object
SIGMUND FREUD (Father of
Psychoanalysis) ▪The self is multi-
tiered/multi-layered:
1. Conscious – refers to those thoughts
and feelings that we are aware of
2. Preconscious – experiences that are
unconscious but could become
conscious with
little effort
3. Unconscious – contains all drives, urges
or instincts that are beyond our
awareness but motivate our feelings,
thoughts and behavior
GILBERT RYLE
▪ The self is defined in terms of behavior that is
presented to the world
▪ The self is a pattern of behavior, the tendency
or disposition for a person to behave in a certain
way in certain circumstances
PAUL CHURCHLAND
Eliminative Materialism
▪ Grounded in neuroscience
▪ The mind/self is the brain
Contemporary Philosophy (Late 19th
Century)
▪Political Revolution
▪Industrial Revolution
▪Scientific advancements and growth of
materialism
▪Theory of Evolution
▪More humanist as a response to the so-called
alienation of the human person
EDMUND HUSSERL
▪ We experience our self as a unity which the in
mental and physical are seamlessly woven
together
MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY
“Lived Body”
▪ An entity that can never be objectified or
known in a completely objective sort of way, as
opposed to the
“body as object” of the dualists
▪ “There is no duality of substance but dialectic
of living being in its biological milieu”
WHICH AMONG THESE PHILOSOPHIES CAN YOU
RELATE WITH? HOW DO THEY AFFECT THE WAY
YOU SEE YOURSELF?
SOCIOLOGY
 The self as a product of modern society
among other constructions
The Self in the Sociological Perspective
 Classical sociological perspective: the self is
a relatively stable set of perceptions of
who we are in relation to ourselves,
others, and to social systems
▪The self is socially constructed in the sense
that it is shaped through interaction with
other people ▪As with socialization in general,
the individual is not a passive participant in
this process and have a powerful influence
over how this process and its consequences
develop
The Looking Glass Self (Charles Horton
Cooley) ▪A person’s self grows out of a
person´s social interaction with others
▪The view of ourselves comes from the
contemplation of personal qualities and
impressions of how others perceive us
▪ Actually, how we see ourselves does not come
from who we really are, but rather from how we
believe others see us
Johari Window (Joseph Luft & Harrington
Ingham) Technique used to enhance the
individual's perception on self and others.
Known to the Not known to
self the self
Known to Open/Area Blind spot
others
Not known to Hidden/Facade Unknown
others
PSYCHOLOGY
 The self based on psychoanalytic
approach and cognitive construction
The Self Based On Psychoanalytic Approach
Structure of the Self (Sigmund Freud)
1. ID (Biological Self)
- Pleasure Principle
▪ Natural part of the self
▪ Animalistic nature of man
▪ Pleasure seeking part of the personality
▪ Determined by the genetic code
▪ Providing the raw materials
▪ Setting the boundary conditions for
development
 The id represents the basic need of man.
- If it is not satisfied, it could
result to stress and tension.
- If satisfied, it could give you
comfort and joy.
- If the id is angered or provoked
it could destroy not only himself
but also his surrounding
- If the id is properly controlled it
could bring warmth and
comfort
2. SUPEREGO (Social Self)
- Idealistic Principle
 The superego incorporates the values
and morals of society which are learned
from one's parents and others
3. EGO (Psychological Self)
- Reality Principle
▪The only region of the mind that is in
contact with reality; it operates to fulfil the
reality principle ▪The ego constantly tries to
reconciles the irrational wants of the id and
the superego with the realistic demands of
the world
ID SUPEREGO
“I want to do that now!” “It’s not right to do that.”Symbolic Interactionism (George Herbert Mead)
EGO
“Maybe we can compromise.”
The job of the ego, or self, is to balance the
aggressive drives of the id with the moral
control of the superego. ▪ When the scale is out
of balance, it is the responsibility of the EGO to
mediate the conflict between the ID and
SUPEREGO
▪ Weak ego will lead to ANXIETY
▪ To protect the ego from anxiety, we use
DEFENSE
MECHANISMS
Ego Defense Mechanisms
▪Repression: when the ego is threatened, it
unconsciously forgets or blocks unpleasant
feelings ▪Displacement: redirecting
unacceptable urges to less threatening people
or objects
▪Regression: the ego may revert back to an
earlier stage during times of stress or anxiety
▪Projection: attributing the unwanted impulse
to another person.
▪Sublimation: suppression of unwanted
impulses by substituting it with a creative
cultural accomplishment
Functionalism (William James)
▪ Focused on the operation of conscious activity
- Example: thinking and learning
▪ Study of man’s adjustment to his environment
- Materials
- Capacities
- Skills
THE SELF AS A COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTION
“I and the Me” self
▪Two aspects of self-awareness:
- The “me” is the socialized aspect of the
person
- The “I” is the active aspect of the person
Imaginary Audience
▪ Adolescents are thought to believe that others
are always watching and evaluating them, and
that they are special and unique
Self-Concept
▪ Mental representation
- What we look like
- How we feel in different types of
situation
- How we behave towards others
- What do we do at work
- What are the roles we have in the
family or society
Real and Ideal Self (Carl Rogers)
▪ A person's ideal self may not be consistent
with what actually happens in life and
experiences of the person ▪ Hence, a
difference may exist between a person's ideal
self and actual experience
▪ Carl Rogers believed that for a person to
achieve selfactualization they must be in a state
of congruence Self as defined by Social
Comparison (Leon Festinger)
1. TEMPORAL COMPARISON
▪ Considering your present condition in relation
to how you were in the past
2. SOCIAL COMPARISON
▪ Evaluating yourself in comparison to others –
using others as a basis for evaluating your
attributes
 How does the social comparison process
work? ▪Depending on the level of someone’s
motivation, he/she may have the tendency to
compare himself/herself with others either in an
UPWARD or
DOWNWARD kind of comparison
Two Modes of Social Comparison
1.Upward social comparison
▪ When we compare ourselves with those who
we believe are better than us
▪ Often focus on the desire to improve our
current level of ability
▪ A highly motivated person tends to engage in
upward comparisons, and usually assume
himself/herself as better or equal to the “best
person” ▪ Studies have shown that if given a
chance, people choose to make upward
comparisons instead of downward ones
2.Downward social comparison ▪
When we compare themselves to others
who are worse off than ourselves
▪ Often centered on making ourselves feel better
about our abilities
▪ A person who is unhappy or is unmotivated
usually engages in this to feel better about
himself/herself
Two Modes of Downward Social Comparison
1. Passive downward comparison ▪
Happens when a person takes into
consideration the previous condition in
making comparison
- Example: A low performing student
comparing himself/herself with a worse
off student
2. Active downward comparison ▪
Happens when a person compares
himself/herself with others by demeaning or
causing harm to them ▪ By derogating the
target or causing harm to him/her, this person
generates a situation in which the target is
worse off than him/her, therefore giving
him/her the chance to make a downward
comparison
Self-Evaluation and Self-Enhancement ▪
Motivation plays a role in this model and is
manifested by self-evaluation and self-
enhancement 1. Self-evaluation occurs when
someone looks for positive traits in
himself/herself based on the best person he/she
compares himself/herself with 2. Self-
enhancement, on the other hand, occurs when
the person questions which aspects of
himself/herself need to be improved to reach
the level of goodness of the person he/she is
comparing himself/herself with Self-Esteem
▪ Used to describe a person's overall sense of
self-worth or personal value
▪ In other words, it refers to how much you
appreciate and like yourself
▪ Self-esteem is often seen as a personality trait,
which means that it tends to be stable and
enduring
Reference Group
▪ A group to which an individual or another
group is compared
▪ Sociologists call any group that individuals use
as a standard for evaluating themselves and
their own behavior a reference group
The Creation of Identities
▪ One’s identity must balance the need to be
similar to one’s reference group with the need
to be a unique individual
- Children become aware of the need for
a group identity and are often afraid or
acting differently
- Teens often seem torn between the
need to assert their own individual
identity and the need to conform to
their reference group
- New identities are forged in relation to
work, parenthood, economic status, and
ageing
ANTHROPOLOGY
 The self and person in contemporary
anthropology & the self being
embedded in culture
Anthropology
is the study of humans, human behavior and
societies, past and present. They study human
biological make-up and genetics and they
compare and contrast human with other
animals to see what makes us unique.
4 Subfields
Archeology
analyzes human culture by studying things what
people have, particularly from the past. They
explain the differences and similarities of human
societies past and present
Biological anthropology
studies how humans adapt to various
environments, the causes of diseases and early
death, and how humans evolved from animals.
Cultural anthropology
study how humans in various places live and
make sense of world around them. The
knowledge derived can be used to improve
wider human understanding.
Linguistics anthropology
explore the varied methods of communication
people use around the globe. The language is
connected on how people see the word and
how they connect to each other.
Anthropological Approach to Self
Anthropologists believe that concepts of the
self, and who we are is culturally constructed.
MARCEL MAUSS
used the concept of self (moi) but was to mean
as a person (personne). He is more focused on
the concept of person as a cultural model and
leaving the idea of the self to psychology.
BRIAN MORRIS
self is not an entity but a process that
orchestrates an individual’s personal
experiences which make him or her become
self-aware and self-reflective about his or her
place in society. He further emphasized that the
most decisive mode of interaction and exchange
is between the self and his or her cultural
environment as mediated by social practices.
CLIFFORD GEERTZ
Western Self vs. non-western Self
Western Self
▪ autonomous and egocentric community needs ahead essential
Non-western self of individual needs
▪ identity shared with others and derived from a
culture instead of a “self” People are encouraged to Families and communities
LEON FESTINGER do what's best for society have a central role
Cognitive Dissonance-refers to a situation
involving conflicting attitudes, beliefs or
behaviors. This produces a feeling of mental
discomfort leading to an alteration in one of the
attitudes, beliefs or behaviors to reduce the
discomfort and restore balance. For example,
when people smoke (behavior) and they know
that smoking causes cancer (cognition), they are
in a state of cognitive dissonance.
KATERINE EWING
individual selves continuously modify
themselves into a new selves as a person to
internal and external stimuli. THE SELF IN ORIENTAL/EASTERN THOUGHT
Individualism vs. Collectivism  The self as embedded in relationships and
Individualism through spiritual development in
▪ A human being has an individualistic nature Confucian thought
and is an independent part of theuniverse and
the society Asian Schools of Thought
1. Buddhism (Siddhartha Gautama)
Being dependent
Individual rights take Independence is upon others is often -Buddha discovered why life is filled with
center stage highly valued considered shameful suffering and how humanity can escape
or embarrassing
from this unhappy existence
- Buddhist believes that the self is subject
People tend to be The rights of People often place a to the law of change.
self-reliant individuals tend greater emphasis on - The goal is to reach the enlightenment
to take a higher standing out and
precedence being unique
by not being ignorant, because
ignorance causes sufferings.
- The individual must know the four noble
Collectivism truths and practice the eight fold path.
▪ A human being is an integral part of the The Four Noble Truths
universe and the society - Life has inevitable sufferings.
▪ People are fundamentally connected - There is a cause to our sufferings
▪ Duty towards all others is a very important - There is an end to sufferings
matter - The End of sufferings is contained in the
eight-fold path
The Eight-fold Path
Social rules focus on Working as a group and
promoting selflessness Right View – have the right concepts
supporting others is
and putting the and ideas.
 Right Intentions – eliminate the 3
poisons (greed, anger and ignorance) by
keeping you’re your thoughts in accord
with the right Dharma.
Right Speech – wholesome verbal karma
a. Words of truth
b. Words of compassion
c. Words of praise
d. Words of altruism
Right Action – the behavior that is right
and in accord of the truth.
Right Livelihood – right occupation and
right way to make a living
Right Effort – people should move in the
direction of the truth with courage and
dilligence
Right Concentration – by using Samadhi
to focus the mind and settle the
distracted body so we can better
develop ourselves
Right Mindfulness – have a mind that is
pure, aware and does not give rise to
unwholesome thoughts.
2. Hinduism
- Hindus believe that an individual’s
action (karma) – the bad or good actions
that the individual performed in a
previous life determines his or her caste
- The self in hinduism is universal self
(atman) identical with the eternal core
of personality that after death it either
moves to a new life (reincarnation) or
attains release from the links of
existence.
- The purpose of atman is to attain
nirvana.
- Attachment to the maya (material
world) leads to samsara (suffering of the
self )
2. Taoism (Lao-Tzu)
- Relativity of opposites (i.e., yin and
yang) through self-transformation a
selfless person lives a balanced life
coherent with nature and society
Self does not exist without the existence
of the
Other
- Self as a separate identity is supported
by the equal and opposite sensation of
otherness
4. Confucianism (Confucius)
Five Basic Virtues
 Ren/Jen (benevolence ,
humaneness)
 Yi (righteousness or justice )
 Li (proper rite)
 Zhi or Chih (knowledge)
 Xin (integrity)
- The Self in Confucianism is the starting
point of a constructive process
- For western philosophers, the concept
of the self is the end of their searches
- It is only through the continuous
opening up of the self to others that the
self can maintain its wholesome
personal identity
- A person who is not responsive to
others is self centered
Confucian self is relational and
interdependent
- Belief that certain sets of human
relationships are basis for moral
community  Ruler and minister
• Friend and friend
• Elder and younger brother
• Husband and wife
• Father and son
Filial piety is a foundational concept in the
thought of Confucius ▪ to be good to one's
parents
▪ to take care of one's parents - is someone who works hard in
▪ to engage in good conduct not just towards whatever he or she does.
parents but also outside the home so as to bring
a good name to one's parents and ancestors
▪ to ensure male heirs
▪ display sorrow for their parents’ sickness
and death ▪ to bury their parents and carry
out sacrifices after their death
Filipino Self
3 main characters
Type I – listen to others approachable, cheers
others, does not easily angry, understands other
people’s conditions, friendly with everyone, fun
to be with, lots of friends, supports friends and
helpful.
Simpleng Tao
– he may reach his ambition in life and
he may not be left out and look stupid.
Masayahing tao
– is a person that is easy to become
happy and likewise easy to make other’s happy.
Taong may Malasakit
– is someone who readily shares time
with others, he or she may be a shoulder to cry
on.
Taong Matapat
– is a person who shows complete and
constant support to his or her relationships.
Type II – sensitive, moody, thinks a lot,
problematic, has conflict with external world,
afraid of criticism express dislikes for others
through words or actions, quiet, does not talk
too much, does not joke a lot, not easy to get
along with, says the truth, hot-tempered, and
hides one’s feeling.
Taong hayag ang Kalooban
- is a type of person who typically
expresses in direct manner whatever is on his or
her mind.
Type III – does everything possible to succeed,
persistent, impatient, plans, decisive, desires,
dedicated, industrious, striving, and forceful.
Ang Taong Nagsusumikap