Understand
ing The Self
Subject Teacher: Ma’am Dacula
Presented by: Arnan [Link]
The meaning of understanding the
self is having insight into one's
own behavior, attitudes,
strengths, and weakness. It is the
individual's ability to say and
know what he or she is good at or
needs improvement. Self
understanding is one of the
highest goals in psychology.
Unit 1:
The Self from various perspective
1. The Philosophical Self.
2. The Self from a Sociological
perspective.
3. The Self from an
Anthropological perspective.
4. The self from a Psychological
perspective.
Chapter 1
The Philosophical Self
The word Philosophy comes from the
Greek philo (love) and sophia
(wisdom) and so is literally defined as
“the love of wisdom”. Moreover It is
the study of the most basic and
profound matters of human existence,
reality and the fundamental nature of
knowledge.
Lesson 1:
The Self according to Ancient Philosophers
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. At the end of the lesson, the learner
should be able to: discuss the essence
of "self" according to three ancient
Greek philosophers and
2. relate these concepts of "self" to
his/her personal life.
Lesson 1:
The Self according to Ancient Philosophers
Socrates ( 496-399 B.C. )
- was a Greek philosopher
from Athens who is
credited as the founder of
Western philosophy and
among the first moral
philosophers of the ethical
tradition of thought.
Socrates ( 496-399 B.C. )
Socrates believed that the
self exists in two parts.
One part is the physical,
tangible and mortal aspect
of us that can be/is constantly
changing. The second part is the
soul, which he believed to be
immortal.
Socrates ( 496-399 B.C. )
Socrates believed that when
we are alive our body and
soul are attached, therefore
making both parts of our
"self" present in the physical
realm. When we die however, our
body stay sin the physical realm
while our soul travels to the ideal
realm,
Socrates ( 496-399 B.C. )
thus making our soul
immortal. The true self is
not to be identified with
what we own, with our
social status, with our
reputation, or even with our body.
Instead, Socrates maintained that
our true self is our soul.
Socrates ( 496-399 B.C. )
Its accepting our ignorance.
that prods us to know
ourselves, our power and
limitations. To know,
ourselves means to acquire
true knowledge of ourselves,
which is practical knowledge. This
not knowledge gained merely for
the sake of knowledge but
Socrates ( 496-399 B.C. )
used to improve ourselves by
capitalizing on our powers
to fight our limitations.
Knowing ourselves does
not only mean that we come
to know that we are men/women.
It is knowing what kind of
men/women we are.
Socrates ( 496-399 B.C. )
In other words, an examining, a
thinking and an investigating self is
what the self essentially is. In fact,
he preferred to continue to seek the
truth to the answer to his question in
the after-life so he preferred death to
exile because for him exile was
tantamount to not being able to
identify the answer to his questions
on life while on exile on earth
Lesson 1:
The Self according to Ancient Philosophers
Plato ( 428-348 B.C. ) - was an
ancient Greek philosopher born
in Athens during the Classical
period. In Athens, Plato founded
the Academy, a philosophical school
where he taught the philosophical
doctrines that would later become
known as Platonism.
Plato ( 428-348 B.C. )
For Plato, the self is an "immortal
soul in a mortal perishable body." The
soul has a tripartite nature. This
tripartite nature consists of a). a
soul or an immortal rational part which
existed before it became part of the
body,
Plato ( 428-348 )
b). a courageous or "spirited" part
and
c). an appetitive part.
These courageous and spirited
parts of the soul are mortal and they
perish when we die. What survives
after we die is our soul, the rational
part of our self.
Lesson 1:
The Self according to Ancient Philosophers
Aristotle ( 384-322 ) - was an
Ancient Greek philosopher
and polymath. His writings
cover a broad range of
subjects spanning the
natural sciences, philosophy,
linguistics, economics, politics,
psychology and the arts.
Aristotle ( 384-322 )
For Aristotle, the self is
composed of body and soul,
mind and matter, sense and
intellect, passion and reason.
Reason is supreme in a human
person and so should govern all of
life's activities. When the senses,
the lower nature of a human
Aristotle ( 384-322 )
person, dominate a human
person's life, he/she tends
to live a chaotic life. When
reason rules over the senses,
mind over matter, the human
person tends to live a happy life.
Aristotle ( 384-322 )
Furthermore, for Aristotle, perfection
and happiness come from
wisdom and virtue, Wisdom is
true knowledge and virtue is
doing what is best for you that which
leads you to the attainment of your
own perfection and happiness.
Aristotle ( 384-322 )
Aristotle, likewise, taught the
theory of the Golden Mean. The
Golden Mean means
moderation; avoid the
extremes; avoid too much and too
little. Living a life of moderation is
doing things in consonance with
reason.
Questions:
1 & 2. What are the two Greek word of
“Philosophy”
3 & 4. Identify the meaning of the two Greek
word “ Philosophy “
5. The study of the most basic and profound
matters of human existence, reality and the
fundamental nature of knowledge.
6. & 8. The three ancient philosophers.
9. This philosopher believed that the self
exists in two parts.
10. This philosopher believed that the self
is composed of body and soul, mind and
matter, sense and intellect, passion and
reason.
11. This philosopher that he self is an
“immortal soul in a mortal perishable
body.” The soul has a tripartite nature.
12. Who was the father of western
philosophy?
13. Who was the student of Socrates?
14. Who was the teacher of Plato?
15. Who was the teacher of Aristotle?
Identification of the famous dictums
and thoughts of ancient philosophers
16. Know thyself.
17. Ignorance is the beginning of knowledge.
18. The Golden Mean.
19. Reason is the supreme in human person.
20. The soul has tripartite nature.
21. Unexamined life is not worth living.
22. Wisdom is true knowledge.
23. According to plato reason is supreme in human person.
24. Socrates thought the theory of Golden mean
25. Aristotle the Self compose of body and soul, mind and matter, sense and
intellect , passion and reason.
Enumeration:
1-3 The Ancient philosophers
4-5 The Medieval philosophers
6-8 Modern Day philosophers
9-11 Contemporary philosophers