Chapter I: The Self From Various Perspective Philosophy Socrates
Chapter I: The Self From Various Perspective Philosophy Socrates
Chapter I: The Self From Various Perspective Philosophy Socrates
A. PHILOSOPHY
SOCRATES
FATHER OF WESTERN PHILOSOPHY
SOCRATIC METHOD
Ask question and discuss possible answers.
He believed that man is composed of body and soul
SOUL
Is the person’s core identity, his/her unique spirit that makes one distinct
He also believe on the dualism of reality that the nature of man is comprising with the a
Body which is imperfect and changeable and Soul that is perfect and unchanging.
Our body can change and have imperfections but our soul is perfect and
unchanging or not going to change.
“Know thyself”
Inscribed on the frontispiece of the Temple of Delphi. This assertion, imperative
in the form, indicates that man must stand and live according his nature.
PLATO
GREEK PHILOSOPHER
2. APPETITE (desire) – our basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst, and
sexual desire
SAINT AUGUSTINE
Christian Theologian
RENE DESCARTES
Founder of Modern Philosophy.
JOHN LOCKE
British philosopher and physician
“ We are like chameleons, we take our hue and the color of our moral character
from those who are around us.”
RATIONALIST
The view that reason is the primary source of all knowledge and that only our
reasoning abilities can enable us to understand sense experience and reach
accurate conclusion.
EMPIRICIST
The view that sense experience is the primary source of all knowledge and
that only a careful attention to sense experience can enable uus to understand
the world and achieve accurate conclusion.
RATIONALISM EMPIRICISM
Rationalism is a theory based on Empiricism is a theory based on
the claim that reason is the the claim that experience is the
source of knowledge. Source of knowledge.
Rationalists believe in intuition. Empiricists do not believe in
intuition.
Claims that individuals have Claim that individuals have no
innate knowledge or concepts. innate knowledge
SIGMUND FREUD
Austrian neurologist/psychologist
UNCONSCIOUS
Defined as reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that outside of
conscious awareness.
Freud believed that the unconscious continues to influence behavior even
though people are unaware of there underlying influences.
“Pleasure Principle”
CONSCIOUS
The conscious mind involves all of the things that you are currently aware of the
thinking about. It is somewhat akin to short-term memory and is limited in terms
of capacity. Your awareness of yourself and the world around you are part of
you consciousness.
“Reality Principle”
DAVID HUME
Scottish philosopher and historian.
He claimed that there cannot be a persisiting idea of the self.
As long as we only derive our knowledge from sense impressions, there will never be
the “self”
IMMANUEL KANT
Prussian metaphysicist
“The busier we are, the more acutely we feel that we live, the more conscious
we are of life.”
Ex. You’re sleeping for 15 hours then you don’t know that there is pulis or you
don’t know about your homework. Unlike when you’re awake early you know
all the happenings and you’re updated.
GILBERT RYLE
British philosopher
The self is basically our behavior. This concept provided the philosophical
principle, “I act therefore I am” or “You are what you do.”
Stated that the self and brain I one. Basically if there is no brain, there would
be no self.
The physical brain and not the imaginary mind, gives people the sense of self. The
mind does not really exist because it can not be experienced by the senses.
MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY
French philosopher.
This concept explained that all the knowledge of ourselves and our world is
based on subjective experiences. It is more on how we view and give pereptions.
The self can never be truly objectified.
Objective based on facts.
Subjective is based on personal opinion.
Ex. On test
Multiple choice is objective
Essay(personal opinion essays) is Subjective
In the sociological views of understanding the self, social situations become a great
deal in defining the individual’s self-concept and self-esteem as well.
so·cial·i·za·tion
noun
1. the activity of mixing socially with others.
"socialization with students has helped her communication skills"
Socialization
The interactive process through which people learn
Basic skills
Values
Beliefs
Behavior patterns of a society
Within socialization, a person develops a sense of self
Conscious awareness of possessing a distinct identity that separates
you from other members of society.
Theories of Socialization
John Locke
English philosopher from the 1600’s.
TABULA RASA
Means empty slate
From Latin 1525 – 35
Add info: Starting from scratch with no preconceptions, it can suggest open-
ended or open-minded,
Example: “If we can start from a tabula rasa, then anything is possible.”
Part of speech : noun.
Tabula rasa definition is - the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state
before receiving outside impressions.
Example:
Use the noun tabula rasa to describe the chance to start fresh, like when a student's
family moves and she gets to begin the year at a brand new school with a completely
blank slate. An opportunity to begin again with no record, history, or preconceived ideas
is one kind of tabula rasa.
Dahil sa mga tao sa paligid natin kaya tayo nakakakuha ng knowledge
Charles H. Cooley
Developed idea of looking glass self
The interactive process by which we develop an image of ourselves based
on how we imagine we appear to others.
Ex: Other people act as a mirror reflecting back the image we see with their
reactions.
Fear = ugliness
3 Steps
Kung ano yong pinapakita mo sa tao ganun din yong magiging tingin nila sayo.
Believed that we not only see ourselves as others see us, but actually take
on the roles of others.
Called role-taking
1. Socialization process that allows a person to anticipate what others expect of us.
2. Mead believed that social experience depends on our seeing ourselves as others
do, or, as he coined it, “taking the role of the other.” (puting oneself in someone
else shoes)
Three Stages
Children develop skills that are necessary in order to role-take through social
interaction
2. PLAY (2 -6 years )
Children learn to play and act out roles
Can play “house” or role play
“I”
The unsocialized, spontaneous, self-interested component of personality.
Very large role in children
“Me”
The part of our self that is aware of the expectations and attitudes of
society.
Very large role in adults
Madami na tayong view point from different people, hindi lang sa pamilya natin.
I – medyo ego centered, gusto natin tayo lang ang masusunod wala tayong pakialam sa
ibang tao.
ANTHROPOLOGY
Greek word anthrōpos, meaning “human being” and logia, "study"
For example, everyone needs to eat, but people eat different foods and get food
in different ways. So anthropologists look at how different groups of people get
food, prepare it, and share it.
Like in PH, adobo. Kimchi in Korea. Sashimi in Japan.
BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
also known as physical anthropology, is a scientific discipline concerned
with the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings, their extinct
hominin ancestors, and related non-human primates, particularly from an
evolutionary perspective.
LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY
study the many ways people communicate across the globe. They are
interested in how language is linked to how we see the world and how we
relate to each other
CULTURAL ANTHRPOLOGY
how people in different places live and understand the world around them.
They want to know what people think is important and the rules they make
about how they should interact with one another
.
THE SELF AND THE PERSON IN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Identity
Identity refers to “who the person is,” or the qualities and traits of an individual that
make him/her different from others. There are many ways to distinguish people.
An example Is identifying them in a geographical context or based on where they come
from. People from the West are different from the people of the East because
they are located in opposite sides of the world. Identity also refers to how a person sees
and expresses oneself.
1. Egocentric View
2. Sociocentric View
1. EGOCENRIC VIEW
2. SOCIOCENTRIC VIEW
The self is contingent on a situation or social setting. This is a view of the self
that is context-dependent which emphasizes that there is no intrinsic self that
can possess enduring qualities.
Examples is in a wedding where the bride walking down the aisle to be “given away” by
the parents to the groom implies the separation from one’s family to become part of a
new one.
Liminality phase.
Incorporation phase.
2. Modes of Expression
The cultural identity changes due to several factors which are social,
political, economic and contextual.
4. SALIENCE OR PROMINENCE.
BEHAVIORIST PERSPECTIVE
They view people (and animals) as controlled by their environment and specifically
that we are the result of what we have learned from our environment. The behaviorist
perspective is concerned with how environmental factors (called stimuli) affect
observable behavior (called the response).
PSYCHOANALYSIS PERSPECTIVE
Focuses on the importance of the unconscious mind. It dictates that behaviour is
determined by your past experiences that are left in the unconscious mind (people are
unaware of them.
BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
states that all thoughts, feeling & behavior ultimately have a biological cause. It is
one of the major perspectives in psychology and involves such things as studying
the brain, genetics, hormones, and the immune and nervous systems
WILLIAM JAMES
He was an American philosopher and psychologist, and the first educator to offer
a psychology course in the United States. James is considered to be a
leading thinker of the late nineteenth century, one of the most influential
philosophers of the United States, and the "Father of American psychology".
I SELF
ME SELF
MATERIAL SELF
is the component of “Me” that we tend to be most affected with, as we
invest our selves within these things such as clothes, family, and home.
SOCIAL SELF
on our interactions with the society and the reactions of others that are analyzed
in order to contribute to our idea of a social self
SPIRTUAL SELF
most intimate self, it is who we are at our core and something that is
permanent: personality, core values, conscience.
Concerned about the experience of the self.
SELF- CONCEPT
REAL & IDEAL SELF
People tend to create an idealized self - an imaginary picture of self having an
unlimited power or qualities which the actual self - who we actually are, has
failed to fulfill. Underlying both the idealized and actual self is the real self, which
is revealed only when a person starts to find ways to deal and resolve anxiety
and conflicts.
CARL ROGERS
“As no one else can know how we perceive, we are the best experts on ourselves.“
– Carl Rogers
KAREN HORNEY
Karen Horney was a German psychoanalyst who practiced in the United States
during her later career. Her theories questioned some traditional Freudian
views. This was particularly true of her theories of sexuality and of the instinct
orientation of psychoanalysis.
Karen Horney believed that people experiences anxiety, and by such experience
that they develop strategies to be able to reduce and cope with the anxiety. Thus,
people tend to create an idealized self - an imaginary picture of self having an
unlimited power or qualities which the actual self - who we actually are, has
failed to fulfill. Underlying both the idealized and actual self is the real self, which
is revealed only when a person starts to find ways to deal and resolve anxiety
and conflicts.
Idealized self –imaginary self
Actual self –who we actually are
Real self –underlies both idealized and actual selves; revealed when anxiety
is resolved
Donald W. Winnaicott
TRUE VERSUS FALSE SELVES
The “True Self” is a sense of being alive and real in one's mind and body,
having feelings that are spontaneous and unforced. This experience of aliveness
is what allows people to be genuinely close to others, and to be creative
True self –unshaped self
Agent self
resides over everything that involves decision making, self-control, taking
charge in situations and actively responding.
Power to choose
Self-efficacy
capacity to distinguish which we are capable of doing
CHAPTER I: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVE
E. THE SELF IN WESTERN AND ORIENTAL / EASTERN THOUGHTS
I. Individualistic vs. Collective Self
In ancient times, Plato notion of reality is dual, soul leaves the body and the body
may be thrown on oblivion. Descartes on the other hand is on the same stand with
Aristotle’s Hylemorphic Theory believing that man comprises matter (body) and form
(soul) which are equally important and that the two must exist and dependent with each
other. The difference comes with the discussion of Descartes that the body gathers
information through our senses and one’s reason processes all the information, making
sense with the experiences of the body.
To solve the issue of the duality of the self, Descartes fused the body and soul as
residing in a person’s pineal gland. Although western thought stands to make the
psyche collective, its nature is still dual. Such duality becomes the reason why one
strives for the perfection of self. Such that, when we study and achieved a good future
and eventually achieved this, then we can say that perfection of the soul is achieved.
But if one fails to attain what the soul strives to become, then the self is wasted, as the
ideals of the soul is to achieve the ultimate goodness (arete)
The eastern thoughts also wants to attain perfection of the self through
meditation and enlightenment, hence, the “dualism” matters is not an issue. For the
eastern, people only possess a “One Self” and has no separation of the body and soul.
The self in the oriental thought is collective, while on the other hand, the self for the
western people is individualistic.
Buddhism philosophy believes that the religion is a way of life and to live a
moral life, to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and to develop
wisdom and understanding is its main teaching.
The Four Noble Truth and Eight Fold Paths as thought by the religion reminds
people that life should not focused on pleasure, instead should be lived in
contemplation. In addition, the nature and purpose of man is described through the
major teaching:
1. Life is suffering.
Life does not solely offer the kind of living a person sees it to be. Attached with the
pleasures is the reality that sufferings are included in life and can not be avoided.
3. Suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained. When one learns
to live each day at a time and is able to give up unnecessary cravings, then man
can possibly attain happiness and freedom.
4. Eight Fold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering. Being moral,
being fully aware of thoughts and action, developing wisdom by understanding the 4
Noble Truth , and developing compassion for other will lead to the end of suffering.
End the suffering to reach happiness.
Confucius philosophy of life stand with the idea that life is a living reality, a
blessing, a natural priceless right and opportunity to be with others to work together for
common good to attain happiness. Thus, the threat for social order is selfishness. In the
Confucian philosophy, the principle of ren characterized the self possessing
compassion for others. The self for Confucius is the person within the society who
exhibit refinement and compassion (Junzi). Such principle connotes that this new self or
MyJunzi is formed through education under the virtuous teacher as the role model
ideology
I was a "not gonna do it because I dont want to and im not good at it" person in my past
butMay focus
now, sa compassion
I believe towards
that trying the common
something good forIm
even though everyone to achieve
not good happiness.
at it is better than not
doing anything to step forward to new learnings or experiences at all. I believe that failure
is always making me weak, disappointed, and scared so I always trying to face the big
waves of the ocean and try to swim because for me, If I will not try to experience, learn,
and know something I will be a failure for not doing or at least trying it.
Why do you think people would want to spend a great sum of money, go to a
great length and endure physical pain just to change a part of their physical self?
Obviously, these people would want to look better, so they adhere to what they believe
is the standard of what is beautiful or handsome. Through the efforts that they take, they
believe that this will boost their self-esteem and increase acceptance by other people.
Physical Self refers to the body, this marvelous container and complex, finely tuned,
machine with which we interface with our environment and fellow beings. The Physical
Self is the concrete dimension, the tangible aspect of the person that can be directly
observed and examined.
The physical self is defined by the physical characteristics that are visible. These
characteristics are the defining traits and features of the body. Sex, height, weight,
complexion, hair and facial features
are among the common, physical features identified when one is asked to describe
another person. One’s gender is first mentioned, whether one is a male or female, then
he or she is described to be either tall, short, or average in terms of height. A person
can either be thin, fat or average and light, dark, fair or anything in between in terms of
complexion. One can have a brown, black or blonde hair which can either be long, short
, straight, curly, frizzy or he or she may even be bald. One’s nose can either be flat or
pointed; one’s eyes can be almond-shaped, hooded, deep-set, round, downturned or
chinky.
The physical aspect of the self does not include characteristics that are internal to the
self-such as kindness, generosity, loyalty, obedience and other similar qualities.
The cultural implications of beauty are prominent in every culture and have a
strong influence on the way men and women are perceived. Across the world, different
cultural perceptions uphold an ideal of beauty that is linked to sexual appeal and social
status. The purpose of beauty is the feeling and consequences from being beautiful. In
ancient cultures, according to Julian Robinson, "the enhancement and beautifying of the
human form by various means appeared to be an inborn human trait-an essential part
of our genetic makeup and an expression of our psyche."
Both genders are aware of the societal need to embellish them, in order achieve
something that is closer to the ideal. People have endured some sort of process to
beautify ourselves, and in each culture the process varies. Robinson makes a valid
point, that "human beauty is an expression of this inventive and aesthetic nature, a
reflection of our inner sprit, a biological imperative sculpted into our soul by some
seemingly godlike life force, about which we can do little except accept its reality and
validity."
1. Face Tattoos
2. Decorated Skin
3. Long Earlobes
4. Long Necks
1. Pale Skin
Women in many Asian countries avoid the sun at all costs
simply because pale skin is the ultimate sign of beauty and
desirability. Contrary to Western culture, where ladies are keen
to get a tan during the summer, tan is the least popular color –
especially in Korea. This is why a lot of women can be spotted
wearing hats with abnormally large visors that can protect their
entire faces from the sun. Apart from covering their faces,
Korean women cover their bodies from head to toe, too – even
in the hottest months, in order to keep their skin from tanning.
Skin-whitening creams are also a major hit in this country, and
women tend to spend a great deal of money on such skincare
products that can result in an even paler complexion.
2. Full Figures
3. Body Scars
4. Lip Plates
6. Monobrows
The more we look at perfect images of others and then look to find those same
idealized characteristics in ourselves and don’t find them, the worse we feel about
ourselves. It’s a cycle that breeds discontent. With such strong societal scrutiny, it’s
easy to see how the focus on how we look can slide into the dark side – negative body
image. Body image is a multidimensional construct that refers to one’s perception of
and attitudes about the size and shape of one’s body. It has both a perceptual
component that refers to how we see our body size, shape, weight, physical
characteristics, performance, and movement, and an evaluative component, which
refers to how we feel about these attributes and how those feelings influence our
behaviors. Body dissatisfaction is experienced when one perceives that their body falls
short of the societal ideal in terms of size and/or shape, regardless of a person’s
objective size or shape. In other words, body dissatisfaction is influenced not only by
how we interpret societal ideals, but by how we perceive ourselves. Therefore, body
dissatisfaction and perceptions of beauty are inextricably linked. Body dissatisfaction is
the number one risk factor for a number of unhealthy behaviors, including eating
disorders and chronic dieting.
Self-esteem is all about how much you feel you are worth — and how much you feel
other people value you. It is how you value and respect yourself as a person. Self-
esteem affects how you take care of yourself, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Body image is how you view your physical self — including whether you feel you are
attractive and whether others like your looks.
Body image and self-esteem directly influence one another. When you have healthy
body image, you feel comfortable about your body and know how to care for it.
Body image is an increasingly important topic in this day and age. Today’s society
displays immense pressures to be thin, fit, and beautiful. Images of waif-like models are
splashed across television and theater screens and in magazines, sending a message
that success, happiness, and belonging only come with unattainable beauty. The
constant measures of thinness and beauty lead people to scrutinize their own
appearance as well as those around them, usually resulting in viewing their own bodies
harsher than reality.
How people view themselves, or their body image, can vastly affect their self-esteem, or
overall feeling of worth. According to Jung and Lee (2006), the lower or more negative
one’s body image, the lower his or her self-esteem. In addition, the more optimistically
one feels about his or her appearance, the more optimistically he or she will feel about
him or herself overall.
An interesting component of body image is that studies show peoples’ image of their
body is not a reflection of their actual weight, but instead how they perceive their body
as a whole It is this perception of appearance that leads to their body image, and
subsequently, their self-esteem. In addition, there is often incongruence between one’s
perceptions of his or her body and his or her ideal figure. The greater the incongruence,
the more likely a person is to have lower self-esteem.
It’s important to remember that each body is unique. Everyone’s family background and environment influence their size
and weight differently. There’s no such thing as a “one size fits all” body type that’s right for everyone.
When you feel good about yourself and who you are, you stand tall and naturally carry yourself with a sense
of confidence and self-acceptance that makes you beautiful and attractive regardless of your weight, size, or
shape.
Here are a few other things that you can try to increase your self-esteem:
Make a list of the stuff you’re good at. It can be anything from drawing or
singing to playing a sport or telling a good joke. If you’re having trouble with your
list, ask your mom or dad to help you with it. Then add a few things to the list that
you’d like to be good at. Your mom or dad can help you plan a way to work on
those skills or talents.
Give yourself three compliments every day. Don’t just say, “I’m so great.”
Be specific about something good about yourself, like, “I was a good friend to Jill
today” or “I did better on that test than I thought I would.” While you’re at it, before
you go to bed every night, list three things in your day that really made you happy
or that you feel thankful for.
Remember that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size, or
color it is. If you are worried about your weight or size, you can check with your
doctor to make sure you’re healthy. Remind yourself of things about your body that
are cool, like, “My legs are strong and I can skate really well.”
Remember that there are things about yourself you can’t change. You
should accept and love these things — such as skin color and shoe size —
because they are part of you.
By focusing on the good things, you do and all your great qualities, you learn to love
and accept yourself — the main ingredients for strong self-esteem! Even if you’ve got
room for improvement (and who doesn’t?), knowing what you’re good at and that
you’re valuable and special to the people that care about you can really help you deal
with growing up.