UNDERSTANDING THE SELF NOTES

 Every man is made up of a body

(imperfect and transient) and a soul
(perfect and permanent). This
simply implies that every human
being is dualistic. He is made up of
Lesson 1 two distinct elements of his
personality.
The Self from Philosophical Perspectives

ABSTRACTION
Plato
Since all areas of study began as
philosophical discourses, philosophy is often Idealism
the basis of all disciplines. Philosophers
 Moral virtue is intellectually
throughout history have attempted to explain
grounded and leads to happiness.
natural and social phenomena by explaining
 Knowledge and wisdom lead to
how the universe works and the elements
virtue, which leads to happiness.
that contribute to such occurrences. As a
result, it was unavoidable that they would  The rational soul (intellect), spirited
develop diverse definitions of what it is to be soul (emotions), and appetitive soul
the Self. The self is a unitary entity related to are the three components of the soul
consciousness, awareness, and agency. (desires).
Different philosophers have proposed  The way to achieve justice in a
increasingly specific features of the Self, and human being is for the three
these definitions have developed through elements of the soul to operate in
time from pure abstractions to scientifically unison. When a person's soul
supported explanations. reaches the ideal state, it becomes
just and virtuous.
The Greeks were the first to
question actively the myths and move away
from them in their effort to comprehend Augustine
reality and answer recurring issues of
inquiry, such as the question of the Self. Platonism

 All knowledge leads to God.

 Those who are pure in their heart can
only see God.
SOCRATES  Love and faith in God and
understanding His Gospel will
Idealism ultimately lead to happiness. ∙ An
aspect of man stays in the world and
 Self-knowledge is the ultimate is imperfect and continuously desires to
virtue; knowledge is the embodiment be with God and others can reach
of good, whereas ignorance is the immortality.
personification of evil. It will lead to
ultimate happiness since it is the
Thomas aquinas
highest virtue. A life that has not
been analyzed isn't worth living. Idealism & Empiricism
 The worst thing that can happen to
anyone is to live but die on the inside  Man is made up of two components:
because knowing oneself is our matter and form. The standard
material that makes up everything in
ultimate mission. the cosmos is the matter or "hyle" in

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Greek. The human body is a

component of this. The essence of
material or entity is referred to as Gilbert ryle
"morphe" in Greek.
 The soul is what gives meaning to the Behaviorism & Empiricism
body and identifies us as human beings.
 I act; therefore, I am.
 The mind is not the seat of self.
 It is not a separate, parallel thing to
Rene descartes
our physical body.
Rationalism  The mind is a category mistake
brought about by chronic use. The
 Cogito ergo sum means “I think only way it can affect the other is
therefore I am.” through the external world
 The mind and soul can exist without
the body.
 The body is not anything else but a
Maurice merleau ponty
machine that is connected to the
mind Phenemology

 We are our bodies.

 Our bodily experiences do not
David hume
detach the subject/object,
Empiricism mind/body, rational/irrational.
 Our living body, thoughts, emotions,
 All knowledge passes through the and experiences are all one.
senses.
 Men can only attain knowledge by APPLICATION
experience.
How Do I See Myself?
 The self is nothing else but a bundle
of impressions. Impressions are the Empiricism and rationalism are two
primary objects of our experience or philosophical perspectives that describe the
sensation. self in philosophy. There is no such thing as
intrinsic knowledge in empiricism; instead,
knowledge is gained from experience.
Immanuel kant Empiricism relies on sensory and physical
reactions to explain the self. We know things
Rationalism & Empiricism because we have had firsthand experience
with them through our five senses. There is
 There is an inner self and an exterior intrinsic knowledge in rationalism; the
self.
difference is that they pick different objects
 The inner self contains rational
of innate ability. Rationalism explains the self
reasoning and a psychological
condition. from the perspective of what is desirable and
proper, rather than what our senses or
 The outward self is composed of the
body and physical mind, where bodies tell us. Logic and reasoning lead us
representation occurs. to our conclusions. Some philosophers have
 The self is more than just a personality reproduced empirical conceptions of the
trait. It is the place where all human Self, while others have explained the self via
beings acquire information. a logical perspective.

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Lesson 2 standards to which we should adapt, our

relationship with our siblings harnesses
The Self, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE our socialization skills, such as playtime
moments, hobbies. Even when we argue
ABSTRACTION with them, we use our experiences in conflict
resolutions throughout our lives. Our
With the advent of the social consistent familial experiences shape our
sciences, new approaches and paradigms social self.
for reexamining the real essence of the self -
became feasible. Thinkers just grew tired of The school, in addition to the family,
debating the long running conflict between a is an essential element of our social identity.
person's body and soul or mind and body As we are exposed to more individuals and
relationship. The conversation eventually a formal set of norms, our global perceptions
moved on to another level of debate. The link broaden. Nonetheless, we are required to
between the self and the outside world is one satisfy a specific accomplishment criterion,
component of self-analysis. Without typically in a collaborative learning
assistance, human beings will not evolve environment. We use the information we've
into human beings. We may be endowed gained from our mentors and the socializing
with intelligence and the ability to reason. skills we've learned from our families to form
Still, our growth and development, and, as a bonds with our classmates. The knowledge
result, our identities, are products of our we get from books, our mentors' lectures,
interactions with the outside world. The self and our classmates' insights is digested and
must be viewed as a fluid entity that is ingested in the deeper depths of our being.
constantly changing, in continual conflict Collaborative learning conditions shape
with external reality, and flexible in its our understanding of the world as we
interactions with society. The self is always exposed ourselves to the perspectives of our
involved in social life, and various factors learning peers. The values of social
influence its identity. After considering these harmony, emotional sensitivity to the needs
points, one should conclude that the self is of others, and behavior concerning others'
genuinely complex. personal spaces in our environment are just
some of the learning insights that become
Membership primarily impacts our embedded in our social self. We spend about
growth into important social groups that form a third of our lives as students in educational
many parts of our self, such as our belief institutions, and our school experiences form
system, values orientation, and outward our social self as we progress through the
conduct. We are, after all, born into a family. phases of development.
We judge ourselves at the end of our life
based on our contribution to society, the Our social selves are shaped
value of our social interactions, and how we significantly by our communities. According
have impacted the lives of those we have to anthropological and sociological research,
personally encountered. Our family our groups and cultures impact our cultural
surrounds us at the start of our lives. It is the idea and behaviors. Values like trust in God,
most pervasive and essential social group respect for the old, task tenacity and
that influences our development. The ideals devotion, and love for our nation are
we adhere to while making choices and frequently the result of our social
decisions and our habits and consistent environments and societal expectations.
conduct have been created in the setting of Religion, politics, the media, education, and
our different families. Our parents are our government are all social institutions that
first instructors; it is from them that we form directly influence our lives since we are
our first perceptions of the world beyond our continuously exposed. As we think, enjoy,
homes and our first barometer in deciding and conduct according to norms set by our
which actions are acceptable and rewarded micro and macro systems, our social self
and which are not and punished. Our siblings inevitably charges as we accept and finally
become our first friends and playmates as integrate views espoused by society.
our family grows; if our parents set the

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The Intersection of Culture and Society Lesson 3

Culture and society may appear to The Self AS COGNITIVE CONSTRUCT
be the same thing as an uninformed person.
Even though they are linked and ABSTRACTION
interconnected, they are not the same thing.
Without the other, neither can exist. They In psychology, the self refers to a
differ considerably because of several person's sense of being a single, unitary,
differences. Culture is regarded as a tradition autonomous entity different from others and
that fosters continuity and cohesiveness experienced consistently throughout time
among individuals who have common and space. The awareness of one's
interests. Throughout history, culture has physique, inner character, and emotional life
been interpreted in various ways, and it is part of one's self experience. People have
continues to do so now. Many sociologists two ways of experiencing themselves. The
and specialists believe that culture is the first is as a conscious agent who influences
characteristics of a population's beliefs, and is affected by the world. This self is
values, and behavior. commonly referred to as the "I," which
focuses on how individuals see doers. The
On the other hand, society may be second is as a subject of contemplation and
seen as a larger social group with structured assessment. People who have this sort of
collaboration and a sense of being linked to self-concentrate on their physical and
one another in a certain way. It is this sense psychological characteristics to consider the
of belonging that gives each member of a constellation of abilities, qualities, attitudes,
society a sense of belonging. If we wish to views, and feelings they may possess. Like
understand society and sociology, we must me is a term used to describe this sort of self.
analyze the total of individuals and their It focuses on how individuals monitor and
relationships. And it is now quite acceptable consider their competence and character
to believe that the link between culture and from the outside looking in, similar to how
society exists. people observe and contemplate the
Every society has a culture.
competence and character of others.

Culture has a direct impact on In the argument over the self,

society because it influences how people William James (1890) proposed the
react to new ideas and changes. It's as if difference between "Me" and "I."
society is what we see from the outside, Comprehending the self as an object of
while culture is what we perceive from within. experience is one thing, but understanding
Many ordinary people now feel that culture the self as a subject of experience is quite
reflects how people live and manage their another. However, its meaning differs in
lives. Arts, social norms and standards, cognitive science, especially what one
social structure, technology, religion, and understands as the self as subject, or “I.” He
education should be included. According to distinguished between two self-
what we know so far, society refers to any understandings: the self as "Me" and "I." This
collection of individuals who share similar difference has lately resurfaced in cognitive
geographic, biological, and cultural traits, as research, particularly in experimental
well as a standard system of conduct and investigations on the phenomenal self's
activity. One civilization must be self- foundations. The goal is to stand back from
sufficient for the culture to continue to exist cognitive science and pinpoint the difference
after the time of sufficiency has expired. As between "Me" and "I" in the perspective of
a result, society cannot be divorced from its consciousness. Initially, this difference was
own culture merely because it creates it. founded on the assumption that the former
Both culture and society are just too vast and (“Me”) corresponded to the self as an
complex to be explained in simple terms. We experienced object (self as object). The latter
have a good sense of who we are and where (“I”) reflects the self as a subject of
we come from – that is what makes us experience (self as subject) (self as subject).
unique.

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The picture we have of ourselves is contributions to our understanding of the self

referred to as self-concept. How does one's and personality. Both Rogers' and Maslow's
self-image develop and develop throughout philosophies emphasize individual choices
time? This image sets in a few ways, but is rather than biological determinism. They
primarily impacted by our encounters with stressed the importance of free will and self-
key individuals in our life. Self-concept is determination, with everybody aspiring to be
considered as our impressions of our the greatest person possible.
conduct, talents, and distinctive
characteristics—a mental image of who we As a social theoretical framework,
are as a person. For example, beliefs like "I symbolic interactionism assumes that our
am a nice friend" or "I am a compassionate social reality is built via the ordinary actions
person" are part of a more significant self- of everyday social interaction. Individuals as
concept. When individuals are younger, and participants in social groupings create
still in the self-discovery and identity symbolic and shared meanings via repeated
development stage, their self-concept is acts of interaction. O the other hand,
more flexible. But as people grow older, their symbolic interactionism does not reject
self-perceptions become more intricate and uniqueness; it concerns how different
structured as they better understand who meanings are adapted and understood via
they are and what matters to them. Self- social practice. Extended encounters are
concept is an overall notion about who we often studied using a variety of qualitative
are on all levels—physically, emotionally, methods, such as ethnography or participant
socially, spiritually, and in other ways (Neill, observation. Geographers' interest in
2005). Based on the knowledge we have symbolic relations grew in tandem with their
about ourselves, we create and manage our rising interest in humanistic philosophies,
self- concept as we mature. It is multifaceted cultural theory, and social theory. Social
and may be divided into these distinct interactionist methods, which examine the
elements. Many ideas exist to explain what intricate interactions between individuals and
self-concept is and how it evolves. societies, peoples, and places, have inspired
post-positivist geographies. The interest in
Carl Rogers, a well-known symbolic interactions in landscape derives
psychologist, thinker, and clinician, proposed from a larger concern with symbolic social
a theory on how one's self-concept impacts activities, especially how the "symbolic"
and serves as the framework for one's influences understandings of and meanings
personality. Our personality is influenced by found in diverse social settings.
the picture we have of ourselves, and our
actions, when paired with our personality,
form a feedback loop into our image of Lesson 4
ourselves. Rogers thought that our quest for
self-actualization drives our personality. This The Self in western and eastern thoughts
is the state in which we have realized our
entire potential, and our self-concept, self- ABSTRACTION
worth, and ideal self - have all merged. Our
personalities and self-concepts evolve in The Confucian Self-cultivation
different ways, resulting in the distinct
persons we are. We all aspire for self- Self-cultivation, also known as
actualization, according to Rogers, with personal cultivation, is the deliberate growth
some of us succeeding better than others. of one's mind or abilities. The development,
What steps do people take to achieve self- integration, and synchronization of mind and
actualization and congruence? With this, it body are known as self-cultivation. It is linked
has to do with how someone "maintains" to endeavors to move beyond normal states
their sense of self. of being and the continuous enhancement
and polishing one's capacities and
Along with Abraham Maslow, potentials. Self-cultivation is a Confucian
Rogers focused on the possibility for healthy philosophy-based psychological process
people to evolve, and he made foremost that refers to the activity and effort of

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maintaining the balance between one's inner so ness.” To borrow a phrase from
and exterior selves and oneself and others. contemporary chaos and complexity theory,
it is self-organization. This self-so-ness is the
Confucianism is a traditional Daoist key to everything.
Chinese religious system that emphasizes
human ethics and morals. It is debatable if it
is simply a philosophy or incorporates
religion. For living a tranquil existence, The Buddhist Teachings of the Self
Confucianism believes in ancestor worship
and human-centered qualities. “Do not do
unto others what you would not want others The Buddha preached a theory
to do unto you,” says Confucianism's golden known as anatta, which is commonly
rule. Confucianism's central premise is the translated as "no self," or the idea that the
necessity of having a solid moral character, sensation of having a permanent,
which may subsequently influence the independent self is a mirage. This is not
surrounding environment through the anything we've seen before. Is it true that I
concept of "cosmic harmony." Confucius felt am not myself? If not, who is currently
that education was critical in developing reading this article? To add to the perplexity,
noble character. He believed that individuals the Buddha forbade his pupils from
are inherently good but that they may have pondering on their selves. If you're still
deviated from acceptable behavior. perplexed, the Buddha isn't arguing whether
Confucianism's rituals fostered this you "have" or "don't have" a "self," but rather
respectful attitude and foster a sense of that such intellectual analysis isn't the route
togetherness among a group. to knowledge. Also, observe how the
statement "I have no self" implies a self that
does not have a self. As a result, the essence
of the no-self cannot be comprehended
The Daoist Tradition of Personhood rationally or articulated with words. You will
misinterpret everything else about Buddhism
Confucius believes that humanity if you do not understand "anatta." Yes, it is
has unique and superior qualities and that that crucial. Let's take a closer look at the no-
moral consciousness and the ability to create self. Essentially, "anatta" teaches that there
civilization make human beings different is no permanent, everlasting, unchanging, or
from other forms of existence. Daoism independent "self" occupying or living "our"
perceives humans as natural beings. Due to bodies or lives. Anatman contrasts the Vedic
their different interpretations of humanity's teachings of the Buddha's time, which taught
role in the universe and the effects of that everyone has an atman, or an
civilization, the Daoist sense of personhood everlasting, unchanging soul or personality.
differs from the Confucian self even though However, it must be emphasized
both perceive the person as the micro-body that these are general commonalities
of the universe. For Laozi, the person is a between Western cultures compared to
natural being, and the highest level of Asian or Oriental cultures. In the case of the
personal achievement is to go back to the Philippines, we can also consider the
source of life and follow nature's way. colonization experience for differences and
Different from the Confucian view of humans’ similarities with our Asian neighbors. We
occupying a superior position in the might also find variation among provinces
universe, Laozi lists humanity along with and regions due to geographical conditions.
three other important aspects: heaven, Various Western and Asian perceptions may
earth, and Dao: “Human follows the way of be blurred or highlighted by social media,
the earth; the earth follows the way of the migration, and intermarriages. Whereas
heaven; the heaven follows Dao; Dao follows conflict is inevitable in diversity, peace is also
the way of nature.” Here, humanity is not possible by understanding each of us.
more valuable than other aspects, but must
be in unity with nature. The literal translation
of the Chinese for nature is “self-so” or “self-
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