A101 - Understanding The Self
A101 - Understanding The Self
A101 - Understanding The Self
Jervis Gonzales
Notable Philosophers:
• SOCRATES: AN UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING
• PLATO: THE SOUL IS IMMORTAL
• ARISTOTLE: THE SOUL IS THE ESSENCE OF THE SELF
• ST. AUGUSTINE: I AM DOUBTING, THEREFORE I AM
• RENE DESCARTES: I THINK THEREFORE I AM
• JOHN LOCKE: THE SELF IS CONSCIOUSNESS
• DAVID HUME: THERE IS NO SELF
• IMMANUEL KANT: WE CONSTRUCT THE SELF
• SIGMUND FREUD: THE SELF IS MULTILAYERED
• GILBERT RYLE: THE SELF IS THE WAY PEOPLE BEHAVE
• PAUL CHURCHLAND: THE SELF IS THE BRAIN
• MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY: THE SELF IS EMBODIED SUBJECTIVITY
• In the Anthropological perspective, there are two ways in which the concept of self is
viewed in different societies: egocentric and sociocentric.
• The egocentric concept of the self suggests that each person is defined as a replica of
all humanity but capable of acting independently from others.
• In the sociocentric concept of the self, the self is viewed as dependent on the situation
or social setting.
• For example, the Japanese possess a sociocentric view of the self, wherein the
membership of a person in a particular social group defines the boundaries of the self.
• The Chinese prioritize kin ties and cooperation. They put importance to compliance
and subordination of one’s will to the authority figures in the family
• In egocentric view, the self is viewed as autonomous and distinct individual with
inherent characteristics.
• the Americans are egocentric. They believe that they should be assertive and
independent
• Some characteristics such as kinship, gender, and age are almost universally used to
differentiate people.
• Other characteristics , such as ethnicity, personal appearance, and socioeconomic
status are not always used in every society.
• Family membership could be the most significant feature to determine the person’s
social identity.
• Another important identity determinant that is often viewed as essential for the
maintenance of a group identity is language.
• In other societies, religious affiliation is an important marker of group identity.
• In Mindanao, being a Christian or a Muslim is possibly the most important defining
feature of social identity.
• Changes in one’s status and identity are marked by a three-phased rite of passage:
separation, liminality (transition), and incorporation.
• In the separation phase, people detach from their former identity to another.
• For example, in a wedding, 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.
• In the liminality phase, a person transitions from one identity to another. For example,
the wedding ceremony itself is the process of transition of the bride and groom from
singlehood to married life.
• In the incorporation phase, the change in one’s status is officially incorporated. For
example, the wedding reception and parties that celebrate the wedding serve as the
markers that officially recognize the bride and groom’s change towards being husband
and wife.
Western Thoughts
• The Western thoughts conducted scientific investigations in the effort to understand
the self and have developed theories and concepts to account for the similarities and
differences among them.
• They emphasized the importance of scientific methods of investigation to provide
satisfactory answers to understanding the self.
Eastern Thoughts
• Many movements of Eastern thoughts raise questions about the ultimate meaning of
human life and have developed theories of self insofar as they have investigated what it
means to be a human being.
• Eastern thoughts aim at transformations in consciousness, feelings, emotions, and
one's relation to other people and the world.
• In the Eastern thought, the emphasis is relational rather than individual. The self is
considered not in isolation but in relation to others, society, and the universe.
• Eastern theories are highly practical.
• They offer a variety of techniques for cultivating a deeper understanding of the self.
they do not utilize the scientific techniques of investigation.
Source of Knowledge Has made use of reason Has trusted intuition and is
rather than faith to pursue often associated with
wisdom. religious beliefs.
Modes of Cognition Analytic and Deductive Synthetic and Inductive
Hinduism
• The goal of man is to have a knowledge of the true reality – Brahman.
• Law of karma is the most important doctrine of Hinduism.
• All actions are subject to karma.
• Individual actions will lead to either a good or bad outcomes in one’s life.
• Hindus believe that Atman being an immortal soul continues to be reincarnated from
lifetime to lifetime until it is freed from the cycle of rebirth and reach a state of nirvana
or non-birth.
• Karma does not end with a body’s death, so its influence may extend through
incarnation of the soul.
Confucianism
• The core of Confucian thought is the Golden Rule or the principle of reciprocity: “Do
not do to others what you would not want others to do to you”.
• Another important feature in Confucian thought is the individual’s greatest mission of
attaining self-realization wherein self- cultivation is instrumental.
• Self - cultivation would be accomplished by knowing one’s role in the society and act
accordingly.
• Moral character is perfected through continuously taking every opportunity to improve
oneself in thought and action.
Taoism
• To them, the self is an extension of the cosmos, not of social relationships.
• The self is described as one of the limitless forms of the Tao.
• The Tao is commonly regarded as Nature that is the foundation of all that exists.
• It is not bounded by time and space.
• The ideal is to identify with the Tao.
• The perfect man has no self.
• The selfless person leads to a balanced life, in harmony with both nature and society.
• Taoists believe that simplicity, spontaneity, and harmony with nature should govern
one’s life.
• There should be unity and harmony among opposing elements: the Yin and Yang.
Eastern perspective proposes that the self is part of a bigger something (ex. universe or society)
True
Western concept of the self is highly practical than theoretical.
False
The stages proposed by Erik Erikson overlaps with each other. It means that you can
experience 2 crises at the same time or even 3.
True
For Carl Rogers, he believed that the self is the central Archetype.
False
For William James, I-self is the thinking self.
True
Neurotic people have an incongruent sense of self.
True
Buddha believed that there is no forever.
True
Eastern perspective of the self is better than the Western Perspective in all aspects.
False
The true name of Buddha is Siddharta Taugama.
False
Sigmund Freud developed Psychosocial Stages of Development.
False
This is a view of oneself which suggest that each person can act independently from others
- Egocentric
For Carl Rogers, humans are always striving for
- Self-actualization
Frodo struggles to show his real feelings to other people. He always says that he is okay but in
reality, he is lonely and sad. What can be said to the situation of Frodo?
- His persona is too strong
He theory of the social self, explained that the self has two divisions: the “i” and the “me”
- George herbert mead
It contains the basic instinctual drives that would be considered socially taboo and is governed
by the pleasure principle.
- Unconscious
When Legolas was a baby, he was not given enough attention by his caregiver. When he cried,
no one will give him milk right away. What can happen to Legolas according to Erik Erikson?
- Legolas will not become orally fixated
- Legolas will become untrusting when he grows up
- Legolas will get hungry
According to this sociologist, in postmodern societies, individuals achieve self-identity through
prestige symbols that they consume.
- Jean Baudrillard
Changes in one's identity usually involve ____that prepares the individuals for new roles
- B. Rites Of Passage
For him, “knowledge can only come by seeing the truth that dwells within us.”
- St. Augustine
If you want to be treated with respect, you have to give respect. Whose philosophy/religion is
applicable in this statement?
- Confucianism
His philosophical principle is, “I think therefore I am.”
- Descartes
According to Buddhism, life is suffering because
- We desire for permanence
- There is no good thing in life
Eastern concepts of the self, almost always include _____
- All of the above
Which of the following can be applied to eastern culture?
- It emphasizes the importance of role in society
His philosophical principle is, “I am doubting therefore I am.”
- St. Augustine
It gives the person the ability to reflect upon oneself and the adequacy of one's thoughts and
actions. People are not only agents of action but self-examiners of their own functioning.
- Self-reflectiveness
This eastern philosophy proposes that there should be unity in opposing elements of yin and
yang.
- Taoism
All knowledge of ourselves and our world is based on subjective experience.*
- Merleau-ponty
The self may be a never-ending search for ______ in the postmodern society.*
- Prestige
Gimli is a jolly person. He believes that he is capable of surmounting any problem that he
encounters. What can be said about Gimli?
- Gimli has high self-efficacy
For him, the physical brain and not the imaginary mind, gives us our sense of self.*
- Churchland
This refers to the features of a person's identity that he or she chooses to emphasize in
constructing social self*
- D. Identity Toolbox
This particular eastern philosophy place emphasis on providing honor for the society or family
- Confucianism
Aragorn wants to become a doctor; however, due to financial constraints in their family, he was
forces to take a different path and enrolled information technology instead. Which of the
following can be said with regards to Aragorn’s self?
- It is incongruent
The self consists of three-parts: reason, spirit or passion, and ______________.
- Physical appetite
He suggested that everything that has life has soul.*
- Aristotle
It the unchanging, eternal and immortal realm.*
- Ideal
All of which are example of sociocentric society except
- A. Philippines
- C. Italy
- D. Singapore
An unexamined life is not _______ living.
- Worth
Samwise is now 65 years old. He is often grumpy and always scolds children playing across his
house. He has so many regrets in life and struggles to find meaning in his experience. What can
be said about Samwise?
- He is experiencing intimacy
- He is experiencing despair
- He acquired the value of ego integration
This refers to the principle that if you do good things, good things happen to you and if you do
bad things, bad things happen to you.
- Karma
He introduced the looking-glass self to highlight that the people whom a person interacts
become a mirror in which he views himself.
- Charles Horton Cooley
According to him, it is the self that makes experiencing an intelligible world possible because it
is the self that is actively organizing and synthesizing all of our thoughts and perceptions.
- Kant
According to him, in modern societies the attainment and stability of self-identity is freely
chosen. It is no longer restricted by customs and traditions.
- Gerry Lanuza
He believed that every human possessed an immortal soul.
- Socrates
Is the nonmaterial, immortal, conscious being, and independent of the physical laws of the
universe?
- Thinking entity
The idea of personal identity is a result of imagination.
- Hume
People always have a choice. This statement is closely related to the theory of
- Albert Bandura
Americans have good social services to help people in need. Their view of self is _________.
- C. Egocentric
___ could be the most significant feature to determine the person's social identity*
- B. Family Membership
Philippines is a multicultural country but generally, it's view of self is ______.
- A. Sociocentric
It is a method of carefully examining our thoughts and emotions to gain self-knowledge.
- Introspection
Cherry is about to be married to Tony. She is now being "given away" by her parents. This is an
example of*
- C. Separation Phase
His philosophical principle is, “i act therefore i am.”
- Ryle
Realizing that nothing is permanent is a foundation in what eastern religion/philosophy?
- Buddhism
Nymeria suddenly caught herself immersed in scrolling through her facebook feed. What part of
the self that made it possible for Nymeria to catch herself scrolling mindlessly? According to
William James, it would be the _____.
- I-self
One advantage of western culture is that generally _____.
- Progress is fast
He conceptualized the “tabula rasa”.*
- Locke
Sonya and tony are now married. This is an example of*
- B. Liminality Phase
- C. Separation Phase
The ______ is the subjective element and the active side of the self.
- I
08 THE MATERIAL SELF
According to William James, the material self is the:
“sum total of all that he can call his, not only his body and his psychic powers, but his
clothes and his house, his wife and children, his ancestors and friends, his reputation
and works, his lands, and yacht and bank-account. All these things give him the same
emotions. If they wax and prosper, he feels triumphant; if they dwindle and die away, he
feels cast down - not necessarily in the same degree for each thing, but in much the
same way for all.”
• A person’s possessions like the body, family, clothes, money, house, car, and other
tangible objects make up the material self.
• The basic component of the material self includes the body.
• One of the tasks of adolescents is that of accepting and appreciating the physical
characteristics of their body.
• Few adolescents are able to do this successfully.
• Adolescents tend to worry about their bodies and physical appearance.
• Another component of the material self is the clothes that people wear.
• Clothes represent the self.
• The style and brand of clothes becomes a symbolic significance.
• The material component of the self can include books, bed, money, car, house and
other things that a person can call his own possession.
• The material components of the self also includes people such as immediate and
extended family members (my family) as well as close friends (my friend) that the
person feels psychologically connected
• These people are likely to shape and influence the development of self and identity.
• Pets could also symbolically define a person’s identity.
Spirituality
• The root meaning of spirituality is taken from the Latin word spiritus, meaning breath or life
force.
• Spirituality can be understood as a search for the sacred, a process through which people
seek to discover, hold on to, and, when necessary, transform whatever they hold sacred in their
lives.
• The sacred could refer to God and transcendence.
• The term "spirituality" originally developed in early Christianity.
• Christians use the term "Spirit" to describe the Holy Spirit.
• In Christian Ethics, the experience of the sacred is characterized by reverence, faith, fear,
trust, love and admiration which is intimately connected to God.
• Worship is regarded as an essential act to realize the ultimate meaning of transcendence and
human life.
• Acts of worship may include prayer, reading the bible, attending sacraments, and doing
sacrifices.
• Through acts of faith, hope, and love, man is able to encounter God and understand God’s
words of salvation.
Spiritual Self
• The spiritual aspect of the self is the inner essence, the part of the self that connects the
person to the sacred, the supernatural, and the universe.
• People develop spirituality through interaction, observation, and imitation.
• The family, school, and church play a very important role in the child’s spiritual development.
Belief in Spirits
• Spirituality is also associated with animism.
• As the child embodies spiritual beliefs about God and the sacred; it also includes the primitive
concept about animism.
• Animism or the belief that creatures, objects, and places possess spirits.
• Despite of all the scientific progress and technological advancements, existence of animism
still remains.
• Among the sources of animism is ignorance or lack of education especially in distant and
isolated places.
• The other source of animism is the lack of faith in God.
• However, one must admit that there are forces in this world that are unusual and cannot be
explained by science and modern technology.
10 POLITICAL SELF
Political Self
• As an essential part of the self, the political self organizes self-relevant information about
politics.
• The political self is an essential part of the self because it constitutes knowledge about the
Constitution, government, and governance.
• The political self helps in defining the structure and functions of the government; in telling the
relationship between the State and the citizens; and in describing their rights, freedom, and
obligations as citizens.
• The political self exemplifies the ideals and aspirations of the people; embodies the rules and
principles of the State; and determines the status and power of the people.
• One important component of political self is identity, the person’s understanding of who and
what he is or she is.
• Thus, citizenship becomes a salient basis for political self. The political self is often defined by
citizenship.
• The political self is also in part defined by reference to other members in the political group or
community where one belongs.
• The political self is developed through socialization.
• Social interaction may significantly influence a person’s understanding of politics, and perhaps
a person’s political actions in the future.
• Through social interaction, people learn the status, duties, rights, and power necessary to
interact successfully with other people in the group or community.
11 DIGITAL SELF
Digital Self
• Among Filipino youth, the use of digital technology has now become part of the self – the
digital self.
• The digital self is the aspect of the self that is expressed or shared to others through the use of
digital technology especially the internet and social networking.
• On networking sites, users normally disclose personal information such as name, age,
birthdate, address, and contact number.
• Some users provide very personal information about themselves such as likes and dislikes etc.
• This sharing of personal information on social networking sites may be related to the
adolescents’ strong desire for social approval and acceptance.
Digital Technology
• Digital technology includes all types of electronic equipment and applications that use
information in the form of numeric code.
• Digital technology includes the use of devices that process and use digital information.
• Forms of digital technology include the use of mobile phones. The rise of mobile phones has
resulted in the widespread use of internet and social networking.
• Digital technology allows the users to keep in touch, connect with people, and be updated on
the activities and whereabouts of others.
• However, the use of digital technology limits the face to face interaction with others and drawn
people away from meaningful and intimate communication with families and friends.
• The growing use of the internet and social networking changes the social behaviors of
individuals, families, and societies.
07 SEXUAL SELF
IMPORTANT NOTE
• At the outset, I want to make it clear that when approaching this topic on the sexual self, it
should not just be as a biological process, but as a preparation to entering into and sustain an
intimate, happy, and long-time relationships in the future.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
• Sexual orientation refers to a person’s sexual and romantic interests either people of the
opposite sex or people of the same sex.
• The most common sexual orientation is heterosexual, in which people are sexually attracted to
members of the opposite sex.
• In homosexual orientation, people are attracted to and interested in relationship with people of
the same sex.
• Men with a homosexual orientation are referred to as gay while women with homosexual
orientation are referred to as lesbians.
• Bisexual people are attracted to both men and women.
• Transgender people are those who believe they were born with the body of the opposite sex.
Thus, some seek sex- change operation.
• Transsexual people are those whose genitals are surgically removed and are fashioned as the
genitals of the desired gender.
Learning
• Behaviorists define learning as a relatively permanent change in behavior as a result of
practice or experiences.
• Cognitive psychologists define learning as a process that leads to change as a result of
experience.
• Learning is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes through experience.
• It is a transformational process that leads to personal growth and development.
• Learning helps the individual to adapt in the environment.
• Learning is a constant process.