THE SELF IN THE

WESTERN AND
ORIENTAL/EASTER
N THOUGHT
Western and Oriental/Eastern Thought
Cultural differences and environment creates different perceptions of the
self. The most common distinction between people and cultures is the
Eastern-Western distinction. Eastern are known as the Asian countries,
and Western represents the Europe and Northen America. It must be noted
that countries who are geographically closer to each other my share
commonalities, but factors that may create differences must be considered.
Individualistic versus Collective Self

Individualism is not the idea that individuals should live like isolated
entity, nor the idea that they should never get or give help from others,
nor the idea that an individual never owes anything to other people.

Individualism is the idea that the fundamental unit of the human species
that thinks, lives, and acts toward goals is the individual. This means that
we can form our own independent judgments, act on our own thoughts,
and disagree with others.
Collective Self
Collectivism is the idea that the fundamental unit of the human
species that thinks, lives, and acts toward goals is not the individual,
but some group. In different variants, this group may be the family,
the city, the economic class, the society, the nation, the race, or the
whole human species. The group exists as a super-organism separate
from individuals: A group may make its own decisions, acts apart
from the actions of individuals, and has its own interests apart from
those of the individuals that compose it.
Under collectivism, individuals are analogous to ants in the
protection of their queen ant. The individual ant doesn’t have
minds of their own, and generally cannot disagree with the hive.
Any ant that acts in a way contrary to the interests of the group is
a malfunctioning ant. If an ant does not follow the certain pattern
of how they protect their queen, it will be entirely unable to
support itself, find other ants that support other queen ant and will
surely die in short order. If the malfunctioning ant stays within the
group, it will be a threat to the line appropriate to protecting the
queen ant.
The Social Construction of the Self in Western Thought
Here are some qualities imparted to the Western subjective self. It sketches some
features on subjectivity and ways of thinking of western persons. This provides
an impressionistic profile through the use of a few strokes characterizing some
ways of being and thinking of many western persons.

Western self as analytic

Western self as monotheistic

Western self as individualistic

Western Self as materialistic and rationalistic

The Self as Embedded in Relationships and through Spiritual Development in
Confucian Thought

Confucius philosophy is known as humanistic social philosophy

which focusses on human beings and the society in general.
• Confucianism is centered on ren which can be manifested through
the li (propriety), xiao (filiality), and yi (rightness). For Confucius,
ren reflects the person’s own understanding of humanity. It is
found within each person and can be realized in one’s personal life
and relationship. Ren guides human actions that makes life worth
living which can be realized through li, xiaso, and yi: