CUS: UNDERSTANDING SELF (Prelims Reviewer)

B. UNPACKING THE SELF

- THE PHYSICAL SELF
- THE SEXUAL SELF
➢ Physical Self
o is an important aspect because we are readily recognized because of our
physical features. (I.e., Face, Bodily structure, height, weight.)
➢ Physical Attributes
o also include physical competencies, valuation of physical worth and
perception of beauty.
THE PHYSICAL SELF: THE BIOLOGICAL BLUEPRINT
➢ Physical self
o is shaped by biological and environmental factors. (Hygiene, nutrition,
standards of beauty)
➢ Physical self
o is not just superficial but rather includes what is inside our bodies.
➢ Heredity
o transmission of trait from parents to offspring
➢ Gene
o basic unit of heredity
➢ Genotype
o embedded information within one’s gene (sometimes not readily
observed)
➢ Phenotype
o Physical expression of a particular trait
An example:
• XY-Fair Skin + XX-Brown Skin = Brown Skin
• Recessive gene- is a gene that can be masked by a dominant gene, such as
brown skin, you must get the gene from both your parents.
• Dominant gene-is a gene that expresses itself more strongly all by itself than any
other version of the gene which the person is carrying, and in this case, the
recessive. E.g., brown-eyed gene is more dominant than blue-eyed gene which
is recessive.
• Each individual has 23 pairs of chromosomes
• The 23rd is known as the sex chromosomes
Our genes determine the extent of our physical features, but as we grow up, we are
exposed to environmental influences that shape our whole being.
Family - our features, how we take care of our body, nutrition
Social group - physical appearance,
Media - standard of beauty
THE PHYSICAL SELF: ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONING
YES, THERE IS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEALTH AND WELLNESS.
HEALTH- refers to the physical health of the human person. for example: based
on medical lab. results, all vital signs are normal. height and weight are optimal.
no hypertension, bp is normal 120/80 not diabetic-sugar level is below 100. etc.
WELLNESS- refers to the over-all disposition of the human person, is the person
generally, has a positive outlook in life? does he/she approach life in a more
proactive manner? does s/he think of solutions to problems? or is s/he anxious
about everything? does s/he view life as a curse rather than a blessing?
Sex
- Primary sex characteristic either male(penis) or female(vagina)
- Secondary sex characteristic (physical changes during puberty)
- Changes in urges, stimuli, arousal
- Sexual activities

➢ A person should be aware of his or her sexuality and sexual attributes in order to
make responsible decisions.
➢ Adolescents need to make informed choices
➢ Engaging to sexual activities may result to consequences
THE SEXUAL SELF: THE BIOLOGY OF SEX
Sex – assigned at birth
Gender- learned and embraced
Sexual Orientation
Gender Identity
THE SEXUAL SELF: WHAT IS S.O.G.I.?
Sexual intercourse-a.k.a Copulation
Some adolescents claim it is a matter of “love” and “commitment”
Unwanted or unplanned teenage pregnancy
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (S.T.D.s)
Human-Immuno Virus (H.I.V.), if untreated may lead to Acquired Immuno
Deficiency Syndrome (A.I.D.S.)
THE SEXUAL SELF: THE CONSEQUENCES OF SEXUAL CHOICES
 Respect for one’s body
Maturity in thoughts and deeds
Being guided by one’s personal beliefs and core values
Being future-oriented
THE SEXUAL SELF: HOW TO BE A RESPONSIBLE SEXUAL BEING/PERSON
CUS – UNDERSTANDING THE SELF FROM VARIOUS DISCIPLINES/
PERSPECTIVES PART
THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES: PHILOSOPHICAL, SOCIO-
ANTHROPOLOGICAL
• Discussions, Compare & Contrast, Examination of factors and forces that shape the
self & demonstrate critical and reflective thought via analysis of the development of
one’s self and identity via theory development
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY AS A DISCIPLINE
PHILOSOPHIA- literally THE LOVE/study OF WISDOM – is a new way of trying to
make sense of the world.
Philosophers of Ancient Times meant: the academic study of anything, even if
they don’t know yet what “scientific” means back then. (i.e. First Universities in
the Western World- Plato’s Academy vs. Aristotle’s Lyceum)
Math, Political Science, Astronomy, Biology, Physics were considered before
under Philosophy, but later on, they considered these hard sciences by using
“hard core” data that is exact measurable data. These disciplines, by their very
nature, are search for answers. While, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology was
considered, ‘soft ‘sciences, the data gathered in these fields are open to different
ways of interpretation based on both measurable as well as descriptive data. For
example, Psychology uses personality scales as well as behavioral narratives,
observations more popular known as the Triangulation Method.
BUT PHILOSOPHY came to be understood more as a WAY OF THINKING by
asking and generating more questions rather than answers.
It’s has been 2500 years ago when they asked such BIG QUESTIONS and yet
philosophers are still asking the same questions! They still love doing it even if
they don’t find the answers.
WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU THINK THEY LIKE OR LOVE ASKING?
BIG QUESTIONS SUCH AS:
What is the world like? in the field of philosophy, it is not just the physical world
that you see, or the stuff around you. It is much more complex than that. so,
there’s more questions packed inside it?
 So, when philosophers ask what the world is like? They might be asking: what is
the nature of reality? Is the world just made up of matter and energy or is there
something else going on? Where did it all come from? Is there a god? Or if so,
what is he, she or it like?
In view of the self: philosophers will ask about the nature of the self as a citizen
of the world. Questions like: what kind of being am I? Do I have a soul? Is there
something immaterial about me that will survive even after I die?
Philosophy has three branches:
1. Metaphysics which is about the world, the universe and being.
2. Epistemology-knowing about knowing
3. Value theory-involves various approaches that examine how, why and to what
degree humans value things.
It has 2 sub-branches:
1. Ethics- well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribes what
humans ought or should do.
2. Aesthetics- which asks the question, “what is beautiful?” --” beautiful” is
defined as something that is “objectively true”. His truth, her truth and most
importantly, the truth
WHAT IS LOGIC? IT IS PHILOSOPHY’S ‘TOOLBOX’ TO SEARCH FOR ANSWERS
Logic is the philosopher’s toolbox. It is the saws and hammers, the microscopes
and beakers, that philosophers use to go about answering their questions in a
clear and systematic manner.
Logic is about reasoning, giving strong arguments, that don’t fall victim to
fallacies, which are you will learn the mortal enemies of philosophical precision.
Do you think you have done philosophy in your life?
HAVE YOU DONE PHILOSOPHY IN YOUR LIFE?
Yes, when we argue with our parents, we use philosophy.
When we wonder if we want to date someone, that’s philosophy or when you
decide to eat McDonald’s of Jollibee, yes, you are doing philosophy! Why you
may ask, because you are thinking about the world and your place in it. You are
figuring out what you value, why you value it and what you should do about it.
Two-step method:
1. Try to understand (may agree or disagree with ideas) as charitable as possible.
2. Critical evaluation of such ideas: knock ideas and only when you challenge the views
of the world, you can decide if theirs is view worth having. Success in this course is
knowing how to think- come up with questions that make sense to you and learn how to
make arguments that support your ideas, so you can explain why you think you are
right.
WHO IS SOCRATES (GREEK PHILOSOPHER) AND HIS VIEW OF THE SELF
His name is attached to the Socratic Method-in
which you constantly ask questions so that
students can steadily break down a big problem
into smaller parts. He studied politics and
morality and prided himself on not claiming to
know things. He did 2 important things- 1. he
asked a lot of questions, and 2. he inspired the
two rockstars of Ancient Greek Philosophy
Aristotle and Plato- 399B.C. –Socratic Method-
proving something is wrong, to narrow down the
possibilities of what might be right. (Negative
hypothesis elimination), testing your hypothesis
against something to veer or move away from
falsehood.

Socrates’s view of the self

According to Frederick Copleston, Socrates’s
concept of the self is the soul- a thinking and willing subject.
it is safe to assume that the self or the soul is the intellectual and moral
personality of humans
it is the essence of humans to think and to will. (To decide, to act)
the soul or the self is responsible for acting and knowing rightly.
the soul is the seat of goodness and badness, of knowledge and ignorance.
the soul is the person’s true self; the self is our inner being.
we need to take care of our soul to attain the good life. A person’s life is geared
towards the knowledge of a good life. What is a good life? It is being wise and
virtuous.
good life is attained through the acquisition of knowledge, wisdom and virtue.
“The unexamined life is not worth-living”- Socrates says
once the person discovers the truth, she/he then thinks what is the right thing to
do.
famous Socratic dictum: “knowing what is right, is doing what is right.”

Socrates’s problematic view of the self:

He thinks that humans are angels, but what about evil in the world?
 He is aware that evil exists however, he thinks that those who do evil do not have
the immediate realization of the good and has the ignorance of the truth
So as humans, what are we to do? We need to examine the self. What we ought
or should do. “The unexamined life is not worth living.”- Socrates
For Socrates, it is not the fame, money, beautiful clothes or gadgets that make
life meaningful for him, what makes life beautiful is the acquisition of knowledge,
wisdom and virtue.
Plato’s view of the self:
1. Plato is one of Socrates’s legacies. Ancient
Greeks understand that the self or human
persons are capable of reason and action. The
soul the self.
2. The self is the rational soul. The intellect is the
rational soul-the self as ‘knower’
3. Plato said that: self and knowledge are the
highest forms of cognition.
4. The human person is a dichotomy of the body
and soul. Body- material, the one that
decomposes and the dies soul-immaterial, the
part of the human person that lives forever.
4, the self/soul has 3 selves:
the rational soul-head, think, analyze
do other cognitive functions
the spiritual soul- chest experience
emotional feelings, happiness, joy, abomination, anger, etc.
the appetitive soul-abdomen-physical pain, hunger, thirst and other physical
wants - Philo notes
Plato’s view of the self:
5. The rational self is superior to the spiritual and appetitive souls. It serves as their
moral and rational guide.
6. The rational must control the spiritual and appetitive soul to achieve balance. It is
challenging and troublesome.
7. The destination of the rational self is ---the essences of things of beauty, wisdom,
justice and goodness.
8. Allegory of the charioteer – the driver of the two horses:
The mortal – horse of imperfect and darkness
The immortal =horse of the perfect
9. Charioteer –the self who is a reasonable or a rational soul. The person must have a
vision and purpose. He/she must know where she/he is heading. He/she must
harmonize the “two horses– 1. Desire and 2. Spirit. Once the charioteer, the self has
harmonized the “two horses”, a well-balanced personality is attained.
10, in a nutshell, this is how Plato views that a well-balanced self is the true self.
Philosophy notes
Augustine’s view of the self: (354 a.d.-430 a.d.) –
1.lived 1600 years ago in Algeria. Roman province of
Africa
2. He was a theologian who strongly influenced the
early Christian church.
3. He established the concepts of original sin and the
total dependence on the grace of Jesus Christ for
salvation.
4. Battle of light and darkness, mother is devout
Christian, father –porticus was a pagan- nonbeliever
of God.
5. Inspired by the bible-god’s word, first passage he
read, change his life forever: “forever clothed
yourself with the presence of lord Jesus Christ and
don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your
evil desires.
6. Augustine eventually gave up all his possessions and inheritance, the only one he
kept was the house, which he then turned into a monastery.
7. He became a priest and later became a bishop in a town called hippo.
Augustine’s view of the self: (354 a.d.-430 a.d.) -1.
8. In his famous work the city of God, he sees humans as crooked or imperfect, humans
have the desire to dominate, humans are full of ego and pride, our powers of reason are
fragile, no human can made entirely straight. It may sound depressing, but it also takes
the pressure out of ourselves a bit, since we humans are with original sin when they
were born, this is our human condition, which we need to accept.
The two cities:
The city of men- pervasively flawed society a constant reminder of the world can
be cruel, and that humans need a savior who is Jesus Christ.
 The city of God- ideal paradise where justice exists and virtue could reign, and
that which only with Jesus can be attained.
Descartes, Rene- 17th c. French philosopher
Famous for his “I think, therefore, I am”- “cogito
ergo sum”
His thinking is the very basis that he exists,
because he was existing as he was thinking, he is
existing.
he can be certain for sure, that he trusts that he
was thinking, unlike the physical senses which he
said can be just a dream or phantasm,
fierce rationalist, trusted the human power of logic
Famous book: rules for the direction of the mind
He believed that what was wrong with the world is
caused by misusing our minds
To solve key questions, he proposed that large
problems can be solved into bite-sized pieces by
way of incisive questions- which he called ‘method
of doubts’, in a barrel of apples, in order to know which ones are rotten and which
ones are not, he said, that one must ‘sort’ the apples one by one, throw away the
bad ones to ensure that only those which are good will be chosen.
In his book the discipline of virtue: it consists of a manual of advice on how we
can control our passions or how to live a virtuous life: he identified 6 fundamental
passions: namely, wonder, love, hatred, desire, joy and sadness.
He believed that a philosopher’s job is to help people understand and control
their passions. -sol
LOCKE, JOHN- 17TH C. ENGLISH PHILOSOPHER
Human nature and the social contract he is a social
contract
Theorist: his theory is based on “tabularasa” which
is based on the idea that human beings are a blank
slate, which means we humans started with
’nothing’ in us. It is just like a computer with no
operating system, no windows installed or iOS or
anything like that.
He sees humans as without inherent nature and
that we are free to define ourselves, and this is
based on: when Locke wants to build a government
that is based on a social contract, an agreement,
where people don’t need to give up their
sovereignty or independence.
 Locke sees people as being able to live according to the rules that they create,
because at the end of the day, humans created themselves.
-rt
HUME, DAVID 18TH C. SCOTTISH PHILOSOPHER
➢ He sees humans are more influenced by feelings
rather than reason.
➢ Hume said that the key thing we need to get right
in life is feeling rather than rationality, -- this
seems to be an odd or strange conclusion,
normally we assume that what we need to do is
train our minds to be as rational as possible, to be
devoted to evidence and logical reasoning and
committed to preventing our feeling from getting in
the way.
➢ Hume insisted that whatever we may aim for=
reason is the slave of passion. For example, we
decide whether someone is admirable, what to do
with our spare time, what constitutes a successful
career or who to love on the basis of feeling above
anything else.
➢ He is not saying that humans don’t use reason, he is just saying that humans use
reason very sparingly. As if opposing Descartes. Hume is for the championing
the everyday- the common, the wisdom of the unlearned and the ordinary. He
also attempts to answer what is a good life?
KANT, IMMANUEL, 18TH C. PHILOSOPHER
➢ A free will and a will under moral laws are one and
the same
➢ Freedom doesn’t mean we can do anything we
want, but freedom is that what makes one more
reasonable
➢ A universally valid still under which everyone can
be free
➢ So, government ideally is the externalized,
institutionalized version of the best parts of
ourselves
➢ Life is a constant struggle between our better
selves and our passion, between our duty and
pleasure
What is sociology?
• is the study of the world of people
• founder of sociology is auguste comet, French philosopher in the 1800’s
• systematic science to study society, to investigate and solve its basic problems
• therefore, sociology is the study of society and human behavior
• a society is just a group of people who share a culture and a territory/geography.
• culture is in everything—from the biggest questions in politics to the smallest
interactions between people.
• it is may be considered as the broadest of all of the social sciences.
• sociology in a discipline that tries to understand the social world objectively, through
controlled and repeated observations.
• how is sociology different from the other social sciences? Sociology looks at all
aspects of patterns, in all kinds of places and all scales from 2 people talking to nations.
So, the scope of sociology is what sets it apart from the other social sciences
What is anthropology?
• is the study of people and their cultures. Its roots stretch back more than a thousand
years to exotic traveler’s tales imagining strange societies and peoples whose behavior
fascinated early explorers.
• scholars began the serious study of human culture only late in the 19th century. Early
anthropologists studied customs and beliefs in pre-industrial societies in the hope of
opening windows on to their own pasts.
• in order to explain institutions like religion or the family had come to be.
• in the 20th century anthropology began to be heavily focused on ethnography– the
intensive long term field work that has become its best-known tool
Ryle, gilbert, British philosopher
➢ He authored the concept of the mind. He followed ordinary
language philosophy… arguing that the mind does not exist
and therefore can’t be the seat of self.
➢ Ryle believed that self comes from behavior. We are all just
a bundle of behaviors caused by the physical workings of
the body.
➢ Ryle said: the self is the way people behave. The self is
basically our behavior. This concept provided the
philosophical principle: I act, therefore, I am.
MEAD, GEORGE HERBERT, AMERICAN PHILOSOPHER,
SOCIOLOGIST AND PSYCHOLOGIST
➢ He developed the concept of the self, which explains that
one’s identity emerges out of external social interactions
and internal feelings of one’s self.
➢ Self is not evident at birth, but emerges over through
time through language, play, games. The self consists of
“I” and “me”.

Churchland, Paul m. Modern- day, Canadian philosopher

➢ He is best known for championing the thesis that our
everyday, common sense, ‘folk’ or local psychology,
which seeks to explain human behavior in terms of the
beliefs and desires of the agents (the person or the
self), is actually a deeply rooted flawed theory that must
be eliminated in favor of a mature cognitive
neuroscience.
➢He holds to materialism, the belief that nothing but
matter exists…adding to this the physical brain is where
we get the sense of self.

MERLEAU PONTY, MAURICE JEAN, FRENCH

PHENOMENOLOGICAL (ANALYSIS OR STUDY OF
PHENOMENA OR APPEARANCE OF THINGS) FRENCH
PHILOSOPHER
Believed that the physical body to be an important part of
what makes the subjective self…the work asserts that self
and perception are encompassed in a physical body. The
physical body is part of the self. The perception of the mind
and the actions of the body are interconnected. ‘mind-body
connection’
WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?
• Humans like us have always been curious about themselves what’s going in our
minds. The mind is very mysterious and elusive. It is much more complicated than the
brain.
• the word psychology comes from the Greek word, “the study of the soul”. (16th
century) “psyche” = “soul, spirit, breath”; “logia” = “the study of something”
• psychology is defined as the science of behavior and mental processes. (mid -1800’s)
• some of big questions that psychology asks are: what is mental illness and what can
we do about it? Do we have free will or are we simply driven by our environment or
biology? Why do we behave the way we do, even if we don’t want and what it means to
be thinking and feeling and alive?
• the roots of psychology date back to the philosophers of ancient Greece (i.e., Aristotle,
Plato, Socrates)
• 1879- German psychologist Wilhelm Wundt created the first psychology laboratory
devoted to the study of psychology. Since then, it has expanded with other scientific
studies such as medicine, sociology, anthropology, linguistics, biology and even to
subject like sports, history and love.
• psychology uses both 1. Descriptive/qualitative data (behavioral narratives and or
checklists, self-reports, case studies, observations, correlations) and 2. Quantitative
data (statistics-based surveys-questionnaires, psychometric tests, medical tests, brain-
activity measures and causal studies).
• some famous psychologists are: Sigmund Freud (psychoanalysis); Ivan Pavlov
(classical conditioning); b.f. skinner (operant conditioning), albert bandura (social
learning theory), William James (father of American psychology, also a philosopher) and
Confucius (eastern philosophy- golden rule: “do not do unto others what you don’t want
others to do unto you”). Speaking of China where Confucius came from: chine was one
of the countries who pioneered the first psychological tests. Trivia: in the Philippines,
one of the pioneers of psychology is fr. Jaime bullata, s.j. –he is an excellent
psychologist (hypnosis and statistics).
FREUD, SIGMUND (1856-1939) (PSYCHONALYSIS)
His view of humans and the self:
➢ He chose neurology, a field in medicine. Originally, he used hypnosis on his
neurosis and hysteria patients but he soon realized that he would get more out of
patients by having them sit in a relaxed position (like on a couch) and by
 encouraging them to say whatever what was on their mind-
known as “free association”.
➢ Freud believed that he would be able to analyze what was
said and determine what traumatic event in the past was
responsible for the patient’s current/present suffering. He
then became the creator of “psychoanalysis”.
➢ He became so famous and he wrote 3 books in a span of 5
years: “the interpretation of dreams”- about the
unconscious mind; “the psychopathology of everyday life” –
theorized the slips of the tongue or “Freudian slips” as we
know it today, and “the three essays on the theory of
sexuality” where he spoke mainly of the “Oedipus complex”
– where the son has sexual desires for his mother and is
envious or in competition with his father for his mother’s
attention and affection.
FREUD, SIGMUND (1856-1939) (PSYCHONALYSIS)
HIS VIEW OF HUMANS AND THE SELF:
He is famous for The Psychosexual Stages of Development:
1. Oral Stage (birth- 18 months)
2. Anal Stage (18 months- 3 years)
3. Phallic Stage (3 years- 6 years)
4. Latency Stage (6 years- puberty)
5. Genital Stage (puberty-adulthood)- reawakening of sexual urges and a sexual
interest in the opposite sex. If there is a sexual fixation at this stage, the self may have
sexual perversions.
He is also famous for the Structural Models of Personality:
1. Id- pleasure principle;
2.Ego- reality principle and
3. Super-ego-morality principle.
How does he view the human psyche: He uses the “ICEBERG METAPHOR”
The Self has the:
1. CONSCIOUS – (SEEN) THOUGHTS AND PERCEPTIONS TIP OF THE ICEBERG;
2. PRE-CONSCIOUS- (UNSEEN) MEMORIES AND STORED KNOWLEDGE)
3. UNCONSCIOUS- (MOST UNSEEN)- FEARS, IMMORAL URGES, SHAMEFUL
EXPERIENCES, SELFISH NEEDS, IRRATIONAL WISHES & UNACCEPTABLE
SEXUAL DESIRES.
James, William (father of American psychology)
➢ His view of humans--the self:
➢ James (1890) chose the word “me” referring to self- as –
object – or bodily physical self and self as a cultural artifact
(material self)- someone that can be experienced by the 5
human senses, (sense of touch, smell, sight, taste, hearing).
➢ Human beings as social self, interacting with other selves
and with the world,
➢ Human beings as spiritual self, with mental processes and
content, thinking and beings capable of deciding,
remembering. Etc.
➢ Two aspects of the self-according to William James:
➢ The “me” is a separate individual a person refers to when
talking about their personal experiences. The material self
consists of what belongs to a person- or what the person
owns- such as body, family, clothes or money.
➢ The “I” reflects what people see or perceive themselves doing in the physical
world. (Example: recognizing that one is talking, walking and eating).
Confucius (eastern philosophy), Chinese philosopher
His view of humans-- the self: born 551 B.Sc. died 479 B.Sc.
Famous for the golden rule: “never do unto others what you
would not like them to do to you.”
He also said: “our greatest glory is not in never falling, but
in rising every time we fall.”
He said this too: “everything has its beauty, but not
everyone sees it.”
Confucius sees the self is a deeply relational self that
responds to inner reflection with outer virtue. The reflective
self must correspond to the self-doing good acts, in other
words.
Confucius wishes to cultivate in his own person and in his
disciples or followers, is the one or the self that looks within
and compares itself with the aesthetic, moral, and social
canons of tradition.
He sees humans as fundamentally good and teachable, improvable and
perfectible, how? Through personal and communal endeavor, especially self-
cultivation and self-creation. “By being the best versions of ourselves.” Who is
open to learning from the self and others. By “reinventing” or “leveling up one’s
self to the best of his or her abilities.