Western Concept of Self

Western Concept of Self

 Ancient Greek philosopher see humans as the bearers of

irreplaceable values.
 Thomas Aquinas believes that the body constitutes individuality.
 The individual was focus of Renaissence thought, with Rene
Descartes’ famous “I think therefore I am” as the epitome of the
western idea of self.
 Western Concept of Self

 The western tradition is generally acknowledged to be “imbued with

a style of thinking based on dichotomy and binary opposition”
 There four Styles of thinking.
1. Analytical
2. Monotheistic
3. Individualistic
4. Rationalistic
 Analytical – tendency to see reality as an aggregate of parts.
 Monotheistic – the Belief in a single all-powerful god.
 Individualistic – is a quality of western thinking where self-
expression and self-actualization are important ways to
establish who one is.
 Rationalistic – western thinking tends to discredit
explanations that do not use analytical deductive mode of
thinking.
Eastern Concept of Self
 Eastern Concept of self
 The earliest religious writing in the East are the Vedas. It formed the
Hindu philosophy and dharma(the principle of cosmic order)
 According to Vedas the true nature of human is described as
“Brahman” which is the divine universal consciousness.
 The brahman is the Self that is all within us.
 Eastern Concept of Self
 Buddhism is composed of the Teaching of buddha.
 Buddhist traditions, the “self” is not an entity, a substance, or
essence. Rather, the “self is a dynamic process.
 The buddha taught a doctrine called anatta, which is often defined as
“no-self or no-soul”
 Annata is a concept that the sense of being a permanent, autonomous
“self” in an illusion
 Eastern Concept of Self
 In Confucianism, the quest for “self” in terms of substance, of spirit,
of body, or of essence does not exist.
 The form that Confucius wrote about the concept of “self” is that of
personality.
 The Qualities that form a person’s character are not something that
exist inherently.
 Confucius philosophy presented the idea that every persons born
with four Beginnings.
1. Heart of compassion that leads to Jen
2. Heart of righteousness that leads to Yi
3. Heart of propriety that leads to Le
4. Heart of wisdom that leads to Chih
Thank you