Module 1

Concept and Nature of Self

This is your first module!

This module is a combination of

synchronous & asynchronous learning
and will last for one week

GINA T. MONTALLA
Instructor

Gina T. Montalla SMMC

ginatmontalla@[Link]

09176147214

September 1, 2020
Date Initiated
September 5, 2020
Date of Completion
 SAN MATEO MUNICIPAL COLLEGE (GE 005) UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
General Luna St., Guitnangbayan I, San Mateo, Rizal Prof. GINA T. MONTALLA
Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

MODULE 1:

OVERVIEW:
Who are you? What makes you “you”?
You might answer with “I’m a mother,” or,
“I’m an artist,” or maybe, “I’m a believer,” “I’m a
good friend,” “I’m a brother.” Maybe you answer
with, “I am excellent at my job,” “I’m an
accomplished writer,” or “I’m a successful athlete.”
Other responses might fall into the category of
traits: “I’m a kind-hearted person,” “I’m intelligent
and hard-working,” or “I’m laid-back and easy-
going.” These responses come from your internal sense of who you are. This sense is developed early in
life, but it goes through constant evaluation and adjustment throughout the lifespan. In psychology, this
sense of self has a specific term: self-concept.
This module introduces you to the concept and nature of ones’ self and its main purpose is for us to
understand the basic nature of self and the principles underlying them. This module also presents three
major lenses of self which are philosophical, psychological and biblical views.

MODULE SCHEDULE:
Synchronous Meeting: schedule per class (once a week)
Asynchronous Meeting: 3hrs. /week

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After completing this module, you should be able to:
1. discuss the different representations and conceptualization of self from various disciplinal
perspective;
2. compare and contrast how the self has been represented across different discipline and
perspective;
3. examine the different influences, factors, and forces that shape the self;
4. demonstrate critical and reflective thought in analyzing the development of one’s self and
identity by developing a theory of the self; and
5. appreciate oneself and share personal experiences aligned to the three principles

INPUT INFORMATION

TOPICS:
Concept and Nature of Self
 Philosophical View of Self
 Psychological View of Self
 The Christian or Biblical View of Self

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General Luna St., Guitnangbayan I, San Mateo, Rizal Prof. GINA T. MONTALLA
Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

Who are you? What makes you “you”? . . .

“WHO AM I”
Questions:
Casting Crowns
1. What is the meaning
of the song?
Who am I, that the LORD of all the earth
2. How will you relate
Would care to know my name
the song to yourself?
Would care to feel my hurt?
3. What are the biggest
Who am I, that the bright and morning star
and most important
Would choose to light the way
things you have learned
For my ever wandering heart?
about yourself so far?
Not because of who I am
But because of what you've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who you are

I am a flower quickly fading

Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still you hear me when I'm calling
LORD, you catch me when I'm falling
And you've told me who I am
I am yours
Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love Let me know your
And watch me rise again? thoughts about this when
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea we meet during our
Would call out through the rain synchronous meeting…
And calm the storm in me?
Not because of who I am
But because of what you've…

How did ancient thinkers view a human being? Who were those curious enough to study how human
beings perceive themselves? One aspect that makes us human different from all other creatures on earth is
our capacity to build on knowledge. We learn, we apply it in our lives, and we use acquired ideas to create.
Let’s find out how philosophers define or describe self during the early and modern times. Naturally,
the need to understand “self” did not escape the philosopher’s curious mind. Hence, here are the most
relevant philosophical views that will give you a historical framework in your quest for understanding
yourself.

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Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

Socrates is principally concerned with man. He

considers man from the point of view of his inner life. The
famous line of Socrates, “Know yourself”, tells each man to
bring his inner self to light. A bad man is not virtuous through
ignorance; the man who does not follow the good fails to do so
because he does not recognize it.
The core of Socratic ethics is the concept of virtue
and knowledge. Virtue is the deepest and most basic Socrates was a Greek philosopher and one of
propensity of man. Virtue is also defined as the moral the very few individual who shaped Western
excellence, and an individual is considered virtuous if his thought. However, unlike the other
philosophers during his time, Socrates never
character is made up of moral qualities that are accepted as wrote anything. Knowledge about Socrates is
virtues, i.e., courage, temperance, prudence, and justice through second-hand information from the
writings of his student, Plato and historian
amongst others. Knowing one’s virtue is necessary and can Xenophon
be learned. Since virtue is innate in the mind, and self-
knowledge is the source of all wisdom, an individual may
gain possession of oneself and be one’s own master through knowledge.
Socrates also believe that the goal of life is to be happy. According to Socrates, the virtuous man
is a happy man, and that virtue alone is the one and only supreme good that will secure his happiness.
 man = body + soul
 individual = imperfect/permanent (body) + perfect & permanent (soul)

According to Plato, man was omniscient or

all-knowing before he came to born in this world.
With his separation from the paradise of truth and
knowledge and his long exile on earth, he forgot most
of the knowledge he had. However, by constant
remembering through contemplation and doing
good, he can regain his former perfection.
Plato is perhaps the single most important Plato was the student of Socrates. He wrote the Socratic
influence of the Western concept of “self”. According to Dialogue where Socrates was the main character and
speaker. Plato’s philosophical method was what he
Plato, the “soul” is indeed the most divine aspect of the identified as “collection and division”. He is best known for
human being. However, his concept of the divine is not his “Theory of Forms”.
a spiritual being but rather one that has an intellectual
connotation. The self/soul/mind according to Plato is
the aspects of the human beings by which the FORMS
(ideas) are known.

 Rational soul (reasoning) – reason & intellect to govern affairs. The element that forbids the
person to enjoy the sensual experiences; the part that loves truth, hence, should rule over the
other parts of the soul through the use of reason.
 Spirited soul (feeling) – emotions should be kept at bay. The element that inclined toward reason
but understands the demand of passion; the part that loves honor and dignity.
 Appetitive soul (sensual) – base desires. The element that enjoys sensual experiences, such as
food, drink, sleep, sexual needs, etc.

“When these are attained, the human person’s soul becomes just & virtuous.”

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Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

Descartes states that the self is a thinking entity

distinct from the body. His first famous principle was
“Cogito, ergo sum,” which means “I think therefore I
am”. Although the mind and body are independent from
each other and serve their own function, man must use his
own mind and thinking abilities to investigate, analyze,
experiment, and develop himself.

 It is constant; it is not prone to change; and it is

not affected by time. Rene Descartes was a French philosopher,
 Only the immaterial soul remains the same mathematician, and scientist. He is considered
throughout time. the father of modern Western philosophy.
Descartes is often regarded as the first thinker to
 The immaterial soul is the source of our identity. emphasize the use of reason to describe, predict,
 The self = cogito (the thing that thinks) + extenza and understand based observational and
(extension of mind/body) empirical evidence

 The body is a machine attached to the mind and it’s

the mind that makes the man
 “I am a thinking thing. . . A thing that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, refuses, imagines,
perceives.”
He further asserted that the thinking entity could exist without the body because it is an
immaterial substance. Nevertheless, the immaterial substance (self) possesses a body and is so
intimately bound/joined by it that the “self” forms a union with its body. Despite the body-soul union,
Descartes reasoned that the soul is still distinct from the body. Some distinction between the soul and
body as pointed out by Descartes are:
THE SOUL THE BODY
It is a conscious thinking substance that is unaffected by It is the material substance that changes
time. through time.
It is known only to itself (only you know your own It can be doubted; the public can correct
mental event and others cannot correct the mental claims about the body
states.
It is not made up of parts. It views the entirely of itself It is made up of physical, quantifiable,
with no hidden or separate compartments. It is both divisible parts.
conscious and aware of itself at the same time.

John Locke holds the personal identity (the self) is

a matter of psychological continuity. For him, personal
identity is founded on consciousness (memory), and not
on the substance not even the soul or the body.
Personal identity is the concept about oneself that
evolves over the course of an individual’s life that man has
no control over, such as where he grew up or the color of
his skin, as well as the choices he makes, life how he spends John Locke was a philosopher, physician, and
his time and what he believes. was one of the most influential Enlightenment
thinker. The Age of Enlightenment or the Age of
Reason was an intellectual and philosophical
movement that dominated the ideas in Europe
during the 18th century.

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Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

Hume is skeptical about the existence of the

self, specifically on whether there is a simple, unified
self that exists over time. For him, man has no “clear
and intelligible” idea of the self. He persists that no
single impression of the self exists; rather, the self is
just the thing to which all perceptions of a man is
ascribed. Moreover, even if there were such an
impression of the self, it would have to remain
constant overtime to constitute identity. However,
man’s impressions vary and always change. Even
attempts to have impressions of the self must fail for
all these attempts are really just occasions for one to
notice perceptions. Put simply, a person can never
observe oneself without some other perceptions.
Thus, Hume asserts that what we call the “self” is David Hume was a Scottish philosopher,
really just “a bundle of collection of different economist, and historian during the age of
perceptions which succeed each other with an Enlightenment (Age of Reason). He was a fierce
inconceivable rapidity.” opponent of Descartes’ Rationalism (A theory
that reason, rather than experience, is the
Hume divided the mind’s perceptions into two foundation of all knowledge). Hume, along with
groups, stating that the difference between the two Locke and Berkeley, was the three main
“consists in the degree of force and liveliness with figureheads of the influential British Empiricism
which they strike upon the mind. movement (Empiricism is the idea that the
1. Impressions – These are the perceptions origin of knowledge is sense experience
that are the most strong. They enter the
senses with most force. These are directly
experienced; they resulted from inward and outward sentiments.
2. Ideas – These are the less forcible and less lively counterparts of impressions. These are
mechanism that copy and reproduce sense data formulated based upon the previously perceived
impressions.

Man is the only creature who governs and directs

himself and his actions, who set up ends for himself and
his purpose, and who freely orders means for the
attainment of his aims. Every man is thus an end in himself
and should never be treated merely as a means - as per
order of the Creator and the natural order of things. This
rule is a plain dictum of reason and justice: Respect others
as you would respect yourself. A person should not be
used as a tool, instrument, or device to accomplish
another’s private ends. Thus, all men are person gifted
with the same basic rights and should treat each other
as equals. Philosopher Immanuel Kant is a central figure in
the modern philosophy. His contribution to
Kant describes the TWO COMPONENT OF “SELF”. metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and
1. Inner self. The ‘self” by which you are aware of aesthetics have had a profound impact in almost
alterations in your own state. This includes your every philosophical movement that follow him.
Among other ideas that Kant proposed was that,
rational intellect and your psychological state, such the human minds creates the structure of human
as moods, feelings and sensation, and pleasure and experience.
pain.
2. Outer self. It includes your senses and the physical world. It is the common boundary between
the external world and the inner self. It gathers information from the external world through the
senses, which the inner self interprets and coherently expresses.
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General Luna St., Guitnangbayan I, San Mateo, Rizal Prof. GINA T. MONTALLA
Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

What is psychology? How can psychology help you understand yourself and know who you really
are? Psychology is the scientific study of how people behave, think, and feel. Everything that concerns the
human being is a concern of psychology. Psychology will scrutinize every factor so that you as a human
being will understand how it is to be “you”.

Freud’s work in the field of psychoanalysis was

groundbreaking because it answered questions about the
human psyche in a way that no one else had before him. In
psychology, the psyche is the totality of human mind, both
the conscious and unconscious.

In his early structural division of psyche, Freud distinguished

three levels of consciousness:

Conscious Philosopher, physiologist, and psychologist Sigmund

Freud was one of the most influential thinkers of the
Pre – conscious/subconscious 20th century. His most important contribution
Unconscious particularly in psychology, was psychoanalysis, a
practice devised to treat those who are mentally ill
through dialogue

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General Luna St., Guitnangbayan I, San Mateo, Rizal Prof. GINA T. MONTALLA
Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

is a personality theory based on the notion that an individual gets motivated

by unseen forces, controlled by the conscious and rational thought. Freud did not exactly create the
notion of the conscious versus unconscious mind, but he certainly was responsible for making it popular,
and this was one of his contributions to psychology.

Parts of Personality (Psyche)

1. Id (Internal desires).
a. Also called internal drives or instinctive drives, it consist of the body’s primitive biological
drives and urges which are concerned only with achieving pleasure and self-satisfaction.
b. Id lives completely in the unconscious.
c. According to Freud, the id is the source of all psychic energy, making it the primary
component of personality.
d. The id is the only component of personality that is present from birth.
e. This aspect of personality is entirely unconscious and includes instinctive and primitive
behaviors.
2. Ego (reality).
a. It is the “I” part of the individual that gives him/her the sense of the personality.
b. According to Freud, The ego develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id
can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world.
c. The ego functions in the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious mind.
d. The ego is the component of personality that is responsible for dealing with reality
3. Superego (conscience).
a. It is the part of the personality concerned with morals, precepts, standards, and ideas.
The superego is also the critical faculty of the personality.
b. According to Freud, the superego begins to emerge at around age five.
c. The superego holds the internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from our
parents and society (our sense of right and wrong).
d. The superego provides guidelines for making judgments.
The superego has two parts:
a. The conscience includes information about things that are viewed as bad by parents and
society. These behaviors are often forbidden and lead to bad consequences, punishments, or
feelings of guilt and remorse.5
b. The ego ideal/Ideal self includes the rules and standards for behaviors that the ego aspires to.

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The superego tries to perfect and civilize our behavior. It works to suppress all unacceptable urges
of the id and struggles to make the ego act upon idealistic standards rather that upon realistic principles.
The superego is present in the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious.

The Interaction of the Id, Ego, and Superego

a. When talking about the id, the ego, and the superego, it is important to remember that
these are not three separate entities with clearly defined boundaries. These aspects are
dynamic and always interacting to influence an individual's overall personality and
behavior.
b. With many competing forces, it is easy to see how conflict might arise between the id, ego,
and superego. Freud used the term ego strength to refer to the ego's ability to function
despite these dueling forces.6
c. A person who has good ego strength can effectively manage these pressures, while a
person with too much or too little ego strength can be unyielding or disruptive.

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Freud argues that development of an individual can be divided into distinct stages characterized by
sexual drives. As a person grows, certain areas become sources of pleasure, frustration or both.

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Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

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General Luna St., Guitnangbayan I, San Mateo, Rizal Prof. GINA T. MONTALLA
Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

The Holy Bible

“God created man in His image; in the divine image He created him; male and female He created them.
God blessed them, saying, “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the
fish of the sea, the birds in the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.”
Genesis 1:24-28
Genesis 1:24-28
New International Version
24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the

creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.
25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the

creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish

in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures
that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he
created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.

Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the
ground.”

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Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

According to the Holy Writ, man following his redemption by the savior from eternal bondage,
now shares in the infinite merits of his redeemer and has become not only the inheritor of the new earth
but also the heir of heavenly kingdom. Thus, it is appropriate to think of the “self” as the multi-bejeweled
crown of creation—the many gems thereof representing and radiating the glorious facets of man’s self
that include the physical, intellectual, moral, religious, social, political economic, emotional, sentient,
aesthetic, sensual and sexual aspect.

CROWN OF CREATION

Man is the Crown of Creation because he is the only created thing made in the “image” and
“likeness” of God and, therefore, uniquely distinct in his existence. No other creature is like man; he is
one of a kind. Only man has been “crowned with glory and honor” (Psalm. 8:5). Out of all creation, man
is most like
God.

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General Luna St., Guitnangbayan I, San Mateo, Rizal Prof. GINA T. MONTALLA
Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

1. Activity 1.1: Philosophical view of self

Directions. Complete the crossword puzzle by filling in words that fits each clue.

1. 6.

7.

9. 8. 3.

4. 10.

5.

2.

CROSS
1. The Latin philosophical proposition which means “I think Therefore I am”.
2. John Locke’s philosophical view of self that evolves over the course of an individual’s life that man
has no control over.
3. A philosopher who believed that man has no “clear and intelligible” idea of self.
4. In the philosophical view about self, his concept is about Personality Identity.
5. This means doing something good to others.

DOWN
6. This means all knowing.
7. His concept is the Perfect self and Ideal Self.
8. He considers man from the point of view about his inner life.
9. He is the father of modern Philosophy.
10. The philosopher who said that “Man is the only creature who governs and directs himself and his
actions, who set up ends for himself and his purpose, and who freely orders means for the
attainment of his aims”.

Activity 1.2: Biblical View of Self

Directions. On a short bond paper, make a poster about God’s creation in relation to the biblical view of
self. The theme is “God is the image of man”.

Activity 1.3: Psychological View of Self

Directions. Analyze and answer the following questions. Write your answers on the space provided with
not less than 3 sentences each item.

1. When Melissa feels sad, she tends to eat a lot, drink alcoholic beverages and smoke cigarette. She tends
to stop maintaining her personal hygiene. She also exhibits trust issues. Which stage of psychosexual and
psychosocial stage development is Melissa exhibiting?

1.1. Psychosexual Development

___________________________________________________________
Explain
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
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Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

1.2 Psychosocial Development

____________________________________________________________
Explain
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

2. Dilan is an MVP basketball player during his Elementary and High School years. He is known to be
friendly and jolly, which made girls in his school admire him. At 19, he already have a girlfriend, but felt
challenged and confused when he developed a certain admiration, which he thinks as ‘love’, to his best
friend, Marcus. Identify which stages of psychosexual and psychosocial stage development Dilan is
manifesting?

2.1. Psychosexual Development

___________________________________________________________
Explain
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

2.2 Psychosocial Development

____________________________________________________________
Explain
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

3. Mr. Fernando P. Montemayor was elected as Mayor of San Mateo, Rizal when he was in his 40s. He is
known to be a compassionate, dedicated and enthusiastic leader of his town. When he retired as a
politician, he looks back and feels a sense of fulfillment. Which stage of psychosocial development Mr.
Montemayor is showing?

2.1 Psychosocial Development

____________________________________________________________
Explain
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

ASSESSMENT/ EVALUATION
 Quiz using Google Doc (link)
 POINTS TO PONDER
o What have you learned from the module?
o What part of the topic captured your attention?
o How will you apply the topic in your daily life

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General Luna St., Guitnangbayan I, San Mateo, Rizal Prof. GINA T. MONTALLA
Tel. No. (02) 997-9070

ASSIGNMENT

1. Directions. Write an essay about anything that you wish to share about yourself. You may use
these suggested topics, anchored thru the three (3) lenses.
 Me as I see me
 How other people see me
 How I would like other people to see me
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Differentiate the 2 factors in the development of physical self.

3. How will you describe the beginning of life from fertilization to maturation?
4. Illustrate and explain the stages in the life span of human.

LEARNING RESOURCES
Textbooks:

Dalisay G. Brawner and Analiza F. Arcega. (2020) Understanding the Self. Quezon City: C &E
Publishing, Inc.
Vergie S. Otig, Wonston B. Gallenero, Noemi U. Bataga, Fritzie B. Salado and Josephine C. Visande.
(2018). A Holistic Approach in Understanding the Self. Malabon City: Mutya Publishing House,
Inc.
Online Resources:
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire

universe, deserve your love and affection.”
— Buddha
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