Republic of the Philippines

State Universities and Colleges

GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

Unit 1: Concept and Nature of Self: Who Am I?

Unit Objectives:
The students will be able to:
1. Explain the nature, concept, and meaning of the self;
2. Describe the nature of the self from your own point of view;
3. Discuss the conceptualization and presentation of the self from various disciplines and
perspectives and;
4. Develop a pleasant and wholesome attitude towards oneself.

Lesson 1
Philosophical Perspective of Self

Lesson Objectives:
The students will be able to:
1. Know the definition of the “self” in philosophical perspective;
2. Differentiate concepts of self from different philosophers;
3. Create their perspective of the self from their own experiences.

ACTIVATE:

1. What is your philosophy in life? Explain your answer.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the memorable experience in your life that you will never forget? How did you
learn from that experience?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3. What is your definition of the “self”? Justify.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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 Republic of the Philippines
State Universities and Colleges
GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

ACQUIRE:

What are the definitions of the self?

There are many definitions of the “self”. Different perspectives can help define the
nature, concept and meaning of the self. In a philosophical perspective, the “self” is also referred
to as self-knowledge. It is referring to some knowledge of one’s beliefs, thoughts, sensations and
other mental conditions (Gertler, 2020). Acquisition of knowledge and rational thinking in
regards with the human existence are center to the study of philosophy. Thus, it is important to
look at the different perspective and explanations from various philosophers on their view of the
“self”. People can develop new behaviors when they learn from experiences and be able to
understand who we are and how we came to be.

Retrieved from:
https://www.natureponics.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/identity-795295_1280-300x232.jpg

Who are the philosophers that define the “self”?

Philosophy came from the Greek words “philos” and “sophia” which
means “love for wisdom”. This discipline involves in the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge
through rational thinking. Most themes studied in philosophy are how we live and our existence
in the world. Therefore, it is important to the different wisdom and experiences from other
philosophers and to look at their concept about the “self”. First, we have:

1. Socrates (c. 470 – 399 BC)

He is the most famous philosopher of all time is Socrates. For him, it is important to
know oneself and expose the self to the light. Socratic ethics is focused on the concept of virtue
and knowledge. Virtue is innate in the man’s inner mind and self-knowledge is the source of
wisdom and we can only master ourselves through knowledge (Arciega, 2018).
For him, knowing oneself is the key to happiness. Through a series of introspection about
our strengths and weakness, our preferences, how do we want to be treated and how we will treat
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State Universities and Colleges
GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

persons can help us attain our “self-knowledge”. For Socrates, “an unexamined life is a life not
worth living” (Hergenhahn, 2002).

Image from Brittanica.com

2. Plato (c. 427 - 347 BC)

Plato is a student of Socrates and he included some knowledge and learnings by his
teacher. He has written several literatures that deal about politics, human nature, intelligence and
virtues.
According to him, man is all – knowing before he came in this world. However, with his
separation from the paradise of truth and knowledge, he forgets the knowledge he had. We can
only regain this truth and knowledge is by constant contemplation and doing good. We should
live a life of virtue and human perfection. Happiness can only be attained by the divine example
of virtues (Arciega, 2018).
Plato proposed three kinds of souls; appetitive soul which is part of the person that drives
to satisfy oneself, spirited soul which represents the courageous aspect of the person in which it
tries to correct the mistakes they observe and lastly the rational soul which thinks and plans for
the future and decides what to do. For Plato, true knowledge of the self can be attained by
suppressing the desires of the body and focus more with introspection. The supreme goal in life
according to him is to free the soul from the adulteration of the flesh. However, not all people are
capable of intense rational thought (Hergenhahn, 2000).
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State Universities and Colleges
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Buenavista, Guimaras

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3. St. Augustine (354 – 430 BC)

He combined the concepts and ideas of stoicism, Neoplatonism and Hebrew religion into
a more religious and Christian perspective that would dominate the Western culture and thinking
until 13th century. He concentrated his study about moral and human spirituality (Hergenhahn,
2000).
The human is constantly in a struggle between the physical world (desires for the flesh)
and awareness of God. However, according to him, if our thoughts are focused with God, there is
a little need to desired for the material world. True knowledge of ourselves requires awareness of
the bodily senses to internal knowledge of ideas and to an awareness of God (Hergenhahn,
2000).
In order to understand ourselves better, we need to establish an awareness and eventually
a stable relationship with God by being virtues and think what is right. By continuously checking
and validating the truth about ourselves, we will be able to find the best answer about who we
are and what is our role in the society.

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4. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274)

Thomas is an Italian Dominican theologian that pioneered medieval scholasticism.
Patterned his conclusions with the Aristotelian premises about metaphysics of personality,
creation and as well Providence (Chenu, 2020).
His theory of self-knowledge claimed that our knowledge of self is dependent on our
experiences with the world. He further explained that our self-awareness is triggered and shaped
by the different objects in our environment. For him, we do not encounter ourselves as isolated
self, but people who interacts with our environment. For example, we label ourselves as “a
gardener”, “a student”, “a lover”, because that is what we think toward others (Cory, 2014).
To understand ourselves better, we should keep answering questions that comes from the
inside of our selves. It helps us to become more aware of understanding ourselves with our
perception of reality, drawing conclusions and to other thinks that define about us.
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State Universities and Colleges
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Buenavista, Guimaras

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5. Rene Descartes (1596-1650)
Descartes is a French philosopher and a mathematician. This major work, Meditations on
First Philosophy (1641), he strenuously analyzed the knowledge of time. He is famous with his
statement, “Cogito Ergo Sum” which is translated to “I think, therefore I am” and this made him
an introspective search for the validity of knowledge and discovered that the mind was
nonmaterial (Hergenhahn, 2000).
He believed that a person is dual interaction between the mind and body. The function of
the body is to perceived experiences from different senses. The function of the mind is to
question what the body experiences from his senses. However, he further claimed that the mind
dominated the entire body but the mind is housed in the body. The sensory experiences embellish
our cognitive experiences. Thus, we can feel different emotions and bodily states (Hergenhahn,
2000).
Descartes also felt dilemma about the interaction about the mind and body. He explained
that we cannot always trust our senses and we tend to perceive the importance of our existence.
For a man to discover and understand his “self”, we should always doubt our senses in knowing
ourselves. Man should always use his own mind and thinking to explore more and discover his
self.

Retrieved from the theelectricagora.com

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State Universities and Colleges
GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

6. David Hume (1711–1776)

He is a Scottish philosopher and focused himself working in the field of empiricism,
skepticism and naturalism. As an empiricist, he believed that observable evidences mold a
person.
For him, there is no clear idea and definition of the self because our impressions usually
based from our daily experiences. These impressions can create different new ideas and
knowledge and may usually change. It may be improved even if the same experiences will
happen again (Arciega, 2018).
In our understanding ourselves, we might encounter different experiences that somehow
change our understanding and impression about ourselves.

Image from Britannica.com

7. Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)

Kant graduated at the University of Königsberg and spent his life there as a teacher until
he was 74 years old. Kant believes that human autonomy / freedom is important. He believed
that the human understanding is the foundation and provides structures for our experiences. The
human reasoning gives the moral law which is our basis for the belief in God, freedom and
immortality (Rohlf, 2020).
He further claimed that people should respect themselves by not using humans as
instrumentals to fulfill one’s need. To treat each other fairly is very important to achieve reason
and justice (Arciega, 2018).
In order to understand our self, we need to experience “freedom” for our different
experiences in life. This freedom could let us discover more about our inner self, as well as our
tendencies, limitations and strengths.
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State Universities and Colleges
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Buenavista, Guimaras

Image retrieved from https://thegreatthinkers.org/kant/introduction/

8. Gilbert Ryle (1900–1976)

Ryle conceptualized that self is presented by a person, in which our behavior, emotions
and actions that we show are merely reflections of our mind and manifestation of who we are. He
does not believe with the dual interaction of the mind and body. For him, these two are separate
entities. We encounter other people and their perceptions of what we are doing, actions and
behaving will result to understanding of other people and establishing who we are (Catamio,
Estoque, Gotinga and Laresma (n.d.).
He is also most for explaining the self as “ghost in the machine” view. This perspective
states that man is a complex machine with different functions, and intelligence and behavior are
represented by ghost in the machine.
To further understand ourselves better, we need to be aware of what our minds thinks
from time to time. It is because the mind is also saying the things that we think, we do and we
behave and it speaks generally to who we are as a person.

Image retrieved from philosophybasics.com/philosophers_ryle.html

 Republic of the Philippines
State Universities and Colleges
GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

9. Maurice Jean Jacques Merleau-Ponty (1908–1961)

He is a French philosopher which is known for the pioneer works in existentialism and
phenomenology. His concept about the self is that the body and mind are one and the same.
There is a unity in the function of the mind and as well as the body which is called a
phenomenology of perception (Catamio, Estoque, Gotinga and Laresma (n.d.).
For him, our perceptions usually guide our actions based on our different experiences.
The body perceives and the mind provides consciousness that gives meaning what we are in the
world. The self can be established on its standing in the world.
To understand ourselves better, we need to be aware of our different interpretations and
meanings we ascribe to our different experiences. Many people create different and negative
meanings from our sensory experience. Thus, we need to clear enough what we perceive and
ascribe accordingly.

Image retrieved from http://all-to-human.blogspot.com/2017/10/maurice-merleau-

ponty.html

SUMMARY

This lesson contains the philosophical perspectives in understanding the self.

Philosophical perspective would describe the self as an abstract, which is considered to be a
construct. They conceptualized the importance of wisdom from their experience in understanding
the self.
Socrates reiterated the importance of continuously examining oneself; Plato teaches us to
be more rational and mature in handling our bodily desires; St. Augustine tells us to keep our
thoughts to God alone so that we could not desire for the material world; Aquinas states that our
self-knowledge is dependent with the world; Descartes explained that we cannot always trust our
senses and we tend to perceive the importance of our existence; Hume states that our knowledge
of our self changes from time to time; Kant encourages everyone to treat each other fair; Ryle
described the human condition by the ghost in the machine, and Merleau-Ponty states that we
need to be aware of our different interpretations and meanings we ascribe to our different
experiences.
 Republic of the Philippines
State Universities and Colleges
GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

After studying the different ideas and experiences of philosophers in understanding the
self, can you relate to their theories? Or can you find any experience that somehow similar to
their conceptualization of theories? I hope some of you can relate.

APPLICATION

1. What particular definition of the self that you find most applicable to your daily life?
Justify.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. Based from the different philosophers understanding of the self, what is your definition
of the “self”?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

ASSESSMENT
Direction: Identify what is being asked in the question. Write your answers in the space
provided.

1. This proponent proposed that everyone should experience both good and bad aspects of
human experiences so that everyone can learn better how to cope up with the negative
experiences and inspire them to do maintain the positive experiences of life.
_________________________

2. Happiness can be found by continuously and understanding oneself. There is a need for
discernment and as well as mediation and analysis about our potentials, limitations and
preferences. _________________________

3. In order to attain good life, we must focus our thinking to a more rational in order spare our
thinking from our desires for sexual needs. _________________________

4. Humans are embedded with a conflict between the material world and as well as awareness of
a Supreme Being. However, if our thoughts are purified and focused alone with God, we can
minimize our desires and persistent with the earthly goods. _________________________

5. There is a confusion between the interaction of our thoughts and bodily senses. However, to
give resolution, he believed that the mind is to question how the body perceived senses.
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State Universities and Colleges
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Buenavista, Guimaras

Moreover, the mind is to process sensory experiences in order to put meaning.

_________________________

6. He conceptualized that the man is a complex mechanism that performs different executive
functions such as analysis, thinking, process appropriate behavior.
_________________________

7. It is important to ascribe our experiences to ourselves. The more we anchor positive aspects to
our experiences, the more contented and happier we are. However, negative experiences help us
to be wiser individuals. _________________________

8. By continuously asking and evaluating who we are we as a person will also be

able to understand our strengths and weaknesses, the things that we like and dislike,
how we want people to treat us and how we want ourselves to be treated, so by
knowing these things we can act in accordance to what we know we are and live our
lives following our knowledge of ourselves. _________________________

9. So people is in need to establish their relationship with god

through being virtuous, but at the same time, to be able to stand by on what we think is
true, who we think we are that are from our own understanding and solely defined by us
alone although people may say differently, by continuously questioning and finding the
truth will we be able to find the best answer to who we are and what our role is in the
world. _________________________

10. For him, perception guides our action

based from what our experiences are, the body perceives while our consciousness
provides the meaning or interprets the various perception we have in the world and the
self could be established by the perceptions we have in the world, whereas one’s
action, behavior and language used could be said to be the reflection of our united
perception of the world. _________________________

References:
1. Alata, E., Caslib B. Jr., Serafica J., & Pilawen R. (2018). Understanding the Self. Rex
Book Store
2. Arciega, A. & Brawner, D. (2018). Understanding the Self. C & E Publishing Inc.
3. Catamio, J.R., Estoque, R., Gotinga, T.J., and Laresma, L. (n.d.). Worktext in
Understanding the Self (Theory, Method and Application). Our Lady of Fatima
University, Inc.
4. Chenu, M.D. (2020, April 27). St. Thomas Aquinas.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Thomas-Aquinas
5. Cory, T.S. (2014, January 24). Thomas Aquinas – Toward a Deeper Sense of Self.
http://www.cambridgeblog.org/2014/01/thomas-aquinas-toward-a-deeper-sense-of-self/
6. Gertler, B. (2020). "Self-Knowledge", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2020/entries/self-knowledge/.
 Republic of the Philippines
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7. Hergenhahn, B.R. (2000). Introduction to the History of Psychology (4th ed.). Wadsworth
Publishing Corporation.
8. Mahlungula, S. N. (1989). "Religious and Secular Views about Self'. A Paper presented
for the course NRSG 500, Andrews University.
9. Rohlf, M. (2020, Fall Edition). "Immanuel Kant", The Stanford Encyclopedia of
Philosophy (Fall 2020 Edition). https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2020/entries/kant/.
10. Sedikides, C. & Spencer, S.J. (Eds.) (2007). The Self. New York: Psychology Press
11. Uzgalis, W. (2020, Spring). "John Locke", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2020/entries/locke/.
 Republic of the Philippines
State Universities and Colleges
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Buenavista, Guimaras

Lesson 2
Biblical / Christian View of the Self

Lesson Objectives:
The students will be able to:
1. Know the definition of the “self” in biblical perspective;
2. Understand the explanation of self-concept;
3. Define the self in relationship with experience with the Lord.

ACTIVATE
Kindly read and understand the lyrics of the song.
Who Am I?
Who am I, that the lord of all the earth Not because of what I've done
Would care to know my name But because of who you are
Would care to feel my hurt?
Who am I, that the bright and morning star I am a flower quickly fading
Would choose to light the way Here today and gone tomorrow
For my ever-wandering heart? A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Not because of who I am Still you hear me when I'm calling
But because of what you've done Lord, you catch me when I'm falling
Not because of what I've done And you've told me who I am
But because of who you are I am yours
I am a flower quickly fading Not because of who I am
Here today and gone tomorrow But because of what you've done
A wave tossed in the ocean Not because of what I've done
A vapor in the wind But because of who you are
Still you hear me when I'm calling
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling I am a flower quickly fading
And you've told me who I am Here today and gone tomorrow
I am yours A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin Still you hear me when I'm calling
Would look on me with love Lord, you catch me when I'm falling
And watch me rise again? And you've told me who I am
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea I am yours
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me? I am yours
I am yours
Not because of who I am Whom shall I fear, whom shall I fear?
But because of what you've done 'Cause I am yours
I am yours
 Republic of the Philippines
State Universities and Colleges
GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

1. What have you realized after reading/singing the song?

______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. What is your unforgettable experience with the Almighty God? Explain your
answer comprehensively.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

ACQUIRE

What is the Christian and Biblical view of the self?

Self is a process, not a structure. "The idea of self can only develop if the individual can
get outside himself in such a way as to become an object to himself." (Mead, 1934 in Gross:
1992:6 10); using the mirror of God's grace.
The development of a Biblical and religious view about the “Self” is very important to
live a Christian life. We are not alone in this process rather we are helped by God himself, the
Son, the Holy Spirit and His Holy Word to inspire us to live a better Christian. An understanding
of the self-concept starts in Genesis 1 and ends in Revelation 22. To quote, "As 'self' reflects
God's own nature, God's image becomes the essence of humanness. But when man draws
himself away from God, a false picture of 'self' is manifest in his selfishness” (Mahlungula,
1989).
In Gaudium et Spes 3, “The human person deserves to be preserved; human society
deserves to be renewed. Hence the focal point of our presentation will be man himself, whole
and entire, body and soul, heart and conscience, mind and will”.
It is stated in the Holy Bible that “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”.
Self, in a biblical view, is defined as a multi-bejeweled crown of God’s creation that
represents other aspects of the self includes physical, intellectual, moral, religious, social,
political, economic, emotional, sentient, aesthetic, sensual and sexual aspects.
To further explain the religious view of the self, St. Augustine encourage us to have a
virtuous life. For him, loving God means loving our neighbors protecting them from wickedness.
For St. Augustine, our perception of ourselves and idea of our existence comes from someone
who is higher than us which bodily senses cannot even perceive.

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Buenavista, Guimaras

For a religious and Christian perspective view of the “self”, it represents the overall
integration aspects of the self to be a creation of God’s image (Arciega, 2018).

Physical Moral
Intellectual
Religious

Social
Sexual

Sensual
SELF Political

Economic
Aesthetic Sentient

According to Ruggiero (2014), self refers to an inner core coming from the individual
that dominates, the one who perceive and sensing things, center of consciousness as well as
perception. The self is equal with human being and person which comprises of two dimensions –
physical and metaphysical (like intelligence, emotional conscience, willpower). These two
dimensions produce behavior and action.
In understanding the self, the word acceptance seems to be unquestionable. But it
connotes approval and when usually put into the case of every individual, they seemed to be
completely acceptable. However, that is a false notion. To be human is to be imperfect and open
to improvement (Ruggiero, 2014). Common traditional Christian thought self-love is already
something within us. Thus, we should not focus to ourselves but focus in loving others.
In the Bible, Jesus used different parables to construct a more positive self-concept. For
example, the parable of the generous employer (Matt 20:1-16); the parable of the talents (Matt
25:14-30); the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37); and the parable of the forgiving
father/prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) (Ryken: 1974:300-311).
These parables provide everyday realism and valuable information to puzzle a fragment
self-concept in a Christian perspective. These implies that Christian should construct a positive
self-image. However, our self-image as Christian must be dynamic. We should not be satisfied or
so to say, as what I discussed above, we should not primarily accept our own self. His self-image
must be toward good of Christian perfection, with the help of God. Christian should always see
as new person renewed by the Holy Spirit (Hoekema, 1986).
Dudley's (1992) in his study, "Valuegenesis: Faith in the Balance" encourages the young
people nowadays to appreciate their self-worth. He further quoted, “The Lord is not happy when
His people place a low estimate upon themselves. He desires His chosen heritage to
value themselves according to the price He has placed upon them. God wanted them else He
would not have sent His Son on such an expensive errand to redeem them."
Lastly, Fowler’s (1981) definition of faith, makes us clear and concise how tangled our
beliefs in God and our self-concepts. To directly quote, “people's evolved and evolving ways of

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experiencing self, others and world (as they construct them) as related to and affected by the
ultimate conditions of existence (as they construct them) and of shaping their lives' purposes and
meanings, trusts and loyalties, in the light of the character of being, value and power determining
the ultimate conditions of existence (as grasped in their operative images - conscious and
unconscious of them)".
The best in modern psychology asserts the simple but yet profound words of Jesus: But
seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.
(Matthew 6:3 3)

SUMMARY

The Christian/Biblical perspective of the self clearly defines that our self is a gift from
God and we are created in His image and perfection. However, we should be in constant process
of making ourself perfect to God’s creation. Humans are born imperfect; however, we can be
perfect if we consistently try our best and learn from our own mistakes. We are guided by the
Holy Spirit in our struggles and challenges in making ourselves better. We should seek first the
kingdom of God and all these things will be given to us.

APPLICATION

1. How can you apply the Biblical/Christian perspective in appreciating yourself? Justify.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. How can you apply the different aspects of the self to be like a creation of God’s image?
Explain your answer.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

ASSESSMENT
Direction. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if otherwise. Write your answer in
the space provided.

______________1. We are created in God’s image and accept the fact that we are perfect already
and avoid correction and learning.
______________2. Dudley noticed that adolescents nowadays lacks self-esteem. Thus, they
don’t accept themselves and wishes to be another person.

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______________3. According to Ruggiero, the self is composed of physical and non-physical

dimensions that usually produces behavior and action.
______________4. The self is structured and a constant process.
______________5. Christians should make a positive image of themselves because it views self
as permanent and stable.

______________6. When a person opens himself to God, he can manifest positive behavior and
an imitation of picture about himself.
______________7. In a Christian perspective, the self is composed of religious, intellectual and
moral aspects of God’s creations.
______________8. For St. Augustine, our existence usually comes from God.
______________9. For a religious and Christian perspective view of the “self”, it represents the
physical, intellectual, moral, religious, social, political, economic, emotional, sentient, aesthetic,
sensual and sexual aspects of the self to be a creation of God’s image.
______________10. The human person should be taken care so that he can be a good servant to
the society. Thus, the focus of changing himself is limited to different aspects of self.

References
1. Alata, E., Caslib B. Jr., Serafica J., & Pilawen R. (2018). Understanding the Self. Rex
Book Store
2. Arciega, A. & Brawner, D. (2018). Understanding the Self. C & E Publishing Inc.
3. Dudley, R L. (1992). Valuegenesis: Faith in The Balance. Riverside: La Sierra University
Press.
4. Fowler, J.W. (1981). Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the
Quest for Meaning. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco
5. The Holy Bible. New International Version.
6. Ruggiero, V.R. (2014, September 18). A Christian View of Self. Retrieved from
https://www.catholicjournal.us/2014/09/18/christian-view-self/

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 Republic of the Philippines
State Universities and Colleges
GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

Lesson 3
Psychological View of the Self
Lesson Objectives:
The students will be able to:
1. Know the definition of the “self” in psychological perspective;
2. Understand the theory of Freud in explaining the self;
3. Explain the interaction of self in Erikson’s perspective.

ACTIVATE
1. What experience during your childhood that you can still remember up to now? Discuss.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. How these past experiences affect you as a person at the present? Discuss.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3. Compare your relationship to your mother, father, siblings, friends and teachers in the
past and in the present.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

ACQUIRE
Psychology is the science of studying human behavior. Psychologists define “self” has an
important role in a person’s motivation, emotions and as well as identity (Sedikides and Spencer,
2007). The self is multi-faceted that composes a person of different integral parts such as self-
awareness, self-esteem, self-knowledge and self-perception. Only the self can be able to control,
modify and change different aspects of the self to fit in the society. Let us explore now the
different theories and how they view the self.
1. Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939)
He is considered to be the father of psychoanalysis. His theories and concepts usually
come from his experiences with his clients because he is a medical doctor. He proposed that the

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mind can be viewed as an energy system which is divided into three levels of awareness; the
conscious, preconscious and unconscious (Feist & Feist, 2008). Conscious are memories that can
be easily recalled in our mind (e.g. birthday of parents). Preconscious are memories that we need
to think first before retrieving it (e.g. graduation during elementary). Unconscious contains
drives, urges and instincts that we are not aware but has an effect to our behavior (e.g. raped
during childhood and has the tendency to dislike men).

Image retrieved from https://www.psychpoint.com/mental-health/articles/unconscious-mind/

Freud proposed the three structures of personality. First is the id. Id is considered to be
the pleasure principle of our personality. There are things in life that needs immediate
gratification, like eating and avoiding pain. The second structure is the superego. It is the
opposite of the id and represents the ideal, moral and perfect principles of our personality. It is
the aspect that we need to be perfect, to be idealistic and to be righteous every now and then. The
last part of the structures is the ego. The ego is the decision-maker between the tension of the id
and superego, it makes an incompatible but equally unrealistic demands of the id and superego
(Feist & Feist, 2008).

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Image
retrieved https://www.psychpoint.com/mental-health/articles/id-ego-and-superego/

In order to understand ourselves better, we need to willingly accept our negative

experiences in the past. We need to sincerely reconcile the people who put us in trouble in order
for us not to revenge with them, as it will store to our unconscious and affects our present
behavior.
As a student of this subject, you need also to know the demands of your id and as well as super
ego. A healthy personality must be dominated by the ego, not the id nor the superego. Healthy
personality must be balanced; taking some parts from our pleasure principle and moralistic
principle.

2. Erik Erikson (1902 – 1994)

Erik Erikson encountered problems with his identity. He does not know the name of his
biological father. He keeps on searching of when he is 58 years old and eventually gave up.
Based from his individual experience, identity crisis is the main foundation of Erik Erikson.
He created the 8 Psychosocial Stages of Development which is built in the epigenetic
principle. This principle states that next stages in the development are affected by the previous or
current stage of development. For him, every psychosocial stage individual need to experience
syntonic or the harmonious element and the dystonic which is disruptive (Feist & Feist, 2008).

Developmental Stage Psychosocial Conflict Basic Strength Core Pathology

1. Infancy Trust Vs. Mistrust Hope Withdrawal

2. Early Childhood Autonomy vs. Shame and Will Compulsion
Doubt
3. Play Age Initiative vs. Guilt Purpose Inhibition

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4. School Age Industry vs. Inferiority Competence Inertia

5. Adolescence Identity vs. Role Fidelity Role Denial
Confusion
6. Young Intimacy vs. Isolation Love Exclusivity
Adulthood
7. Adulthood Generativity vs. Stagnation Care Rejectivity
8. Old Age Integrity vs. Despair Wisdom Disdain

1. Infancy (0 to 1.5 years old)

This time is a time of incorporation, which is putting on their mouth every food and even
toys but as well as taking in other senses as well. As they keep on taking food and sensory
information, they tend to learn to trust or either mistrust the outside world.

The psychosocial significant other is their primary caregiver, or mother. Trust can be
built if they unconsciously realize that their mother will give food consistently and hear pleasant
and rhythmic voice of their mother. In contrast, mistrust will develop mistrust if they are
frustrated with pain, discomfort and not providing their needs (Feist and Feist, 2008).

2. Early Childhood (2 to 3 years old)

This stage comprises of contradiction, stubbornness, rebellion and meek compliance, as

well as a time of impulsive self-expression and compulsive deviance. Autonomy can be gained
by self-expression. However, it is also a time for shame and doubt. Due to culture restrictions,
they inhibit their self-expression. For example, parents may shame their children for soiling their
pants or messing with their food. Parents are also questioning their children’s ability to meet
standards and still the significant others during this stage (Feist and Feist, 2008).

3. Play Age (3 to 5 years old)

Children starts to adopt initiative in choosing and pursuing their goals such as leaving
home, marrying their mother or father and either be repressed or delayed. Repression of such
taboos and inhibited goals can result to guilt. Unrestrained initiative may result a child to chaos
and a lack of moral principles. If guilt will be dominate, children may be compulsively righteous
and overly inhibited. The psychosocial significant others in this age are playmates, teachers,
friends, and parents (Feist and Feist, 2008).

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4. School Age (6 to 13 years old)

Children in this stage is expanding their social world to include friends, teachers and
other adult models. They will strive for competence and industriousness to read and write, to
survive, as suggested by their culture. However, as they learn to do things in a right manner, they
develop a stable sense of industry. But when the outcome of their output is insufficient or not
good, they acquire a sense of inferiority. Parents, friends, classmates and teachers are still the
significant others at this stage (Feist and Feist, 2008).

5. Adolescence (14 to 20 years old)

For Erikson, this is the most crucial developmental stage of a human person because it is
expected that by the end of this period, a person should achieve a stable identity. The search for a
stable identity is at peak during adolescence which they strive who they are and who they are
not. They find someone to help with their social roles and discover their sexual, ideological, and
occupational identities. Too much confusion can lead to pathological adjustment in the form of
regression to earlier stages of development (Feist and Feist, 2008). Friends and peers are the
significant others during this stage.

6. Young Adulthood (21 to 30 years old)

It is a stage in which a person enters intimacy. Intimacy is fusing one’s identity without
fear without losing it. This can only be achieved by a person who formed a stable ego identity.
However, people who are not sure of their identity may feel isolate and desperately seek
intimacy through meaningless sexual encounters. However, some level of isolation is needed
before a person can acquire mature love. The greater danger, of course, is too much isolation, too
little intimacy, and a deficiency in the basic strength of love.

7. Adulthood (31 to 60 years old)

Adulthood is a stage when people starts to take place in society and assume responsibility
for it. Generativity is producing new ideas and forming new beings to become better individuals.
They seek production of work and creation of new things that may contribute to a better society.
The disruptive element for this stage is self-absorption and stagnation. People can also become at
this stage too absorbed in themselves and self-indulgent. However, we need some elements of
stagnation and self-absorption, however, are necessary. Creative people must, at times, remain in
a dormant stage and be absorbed with themselves in order to eventually generate new growth.

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8. Old Age (60 years – end of life)

This is the final stage of life, and most people in this age evaluates his/her entire life. This
is a time of joy, playfulness, and wonder; but it is also a time of senility, depression, and despair.
Despair may prevail but with a strong identity and learned intimacy, integrity will dominate.
However, ego integrity is sometimes difficult to maintain when people see that they are losing
familiar aspects of their existence: for example, spouse, friends, physical health, body strength,
mental alertness, independence, and social usefulness. The significant others during this stage are
the whole humanity.

In general, the application of understanding the self in Erikson’s theory is that the self is
experiencing conflict at a particular stage. Whatever stage we are right now, it is good to be
honest about what we feel and experience. Hence, it is imperative to understand and respect
others how they battle their daily struggles in life.

Summary

This lesson the psychological perspective in understanding the self. In a psychological

perspective, they explained the self with various theories, the interaction of self with the
environment and their past experiences. Freud stresses the importance of negative past
experiences in our present behavior. He also states that a healthy personality must be balanced by
the demands by the id and superego. Erikson states the importance of a healthy personality by
experiencing the different conflicts in a particular stage of life. He claimed that there are people
who are significant during these stages and bears a lot of effect to our present
behavior/personality.

APPLICATION

1. How can you apply the Freud’s three structures of personality in choosing life
decision? Give concrete example and explain.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. How can the theory of Erikson help you to overcome your conflict at your current
psychosocial stage of development? Explain.
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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ASSESSMENT
Direction: Identify what is asked in the question. Write your answers in the space provided.

1. It is the most crucial and critical stage of one’s development in which an individual might be
confused about his sexual preferences, political and religious views and unsure if he/she will get
marry someday. _________________________

2. DJ likes to buy watches, gadgets and jewelries in the shopping mall during pay day. He even
asserts to himself that he does not really need these items because he has already a lot. What
structure of personality DJ has? _________________________

3. This proponent proposed that our early childhood experiences whether it is negative or
positive has an effect to our present behavior. _________________________

4. The concepts of Freudian’s theory id, ego and superego is also parallel to
_________________________.

5. This perspective defined the self as we are created by the Almighty Father that represents the
integral aspects of mankind. The human person has different aspects of his life to fulfill,
however, we are challenged to imitate God’s image and perfection.
_________________________

6. This event and series of the human stages is basically a time of taking in everything to our
senses. People in this stage are very observant to their environment if they can establish sense of
security to the people in their surroundings. _________________________

7. Drew is striving for perfection at his age because he is consistently compared by his parents to
his classmates. He develops a certain sense of responsibility in order to cope up with his
environment. What stage of psychosocial development Drew is? _________________________

8. Nerio is evaluating his entire life. He regrets for being a high school teacher in his career life
because he wanted to become a medical doctor. However, due to financial restrains, he was not
able to get his dream. What psychosocial stage he is in? _________________________

9. At this stage, people are trying to relate with other people in discovering their preferences in
life and choices. _________________________

10. The theory and conceptualization of Freud’s theory is generally focused in

________________level of awareness.

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Buenavista, Guimaras

References

1. Alata, E., Caslib B. Jr., Serafica J., & Pilawen R. (2018). Understanding the Self. Rex
Book Store
2. Arciega, A. & Brawner, D. (2018). Understanding the Self. C & E Publishing Inc.
3. Catamio, J.R., Estoque, R., Gotinga, T.J., and Laresma, L. (n.d.). Worktext in
Understanding the Self (Theory, Method and Application). Our Lady of Fatima
University, Inc.
4. Feist, J. & Feist, G. (2008). Theories of Personality (7th ed.). Mc-Graw Hill Publisher
5. James, W. (1891). The Principles of Psychology, Vol. 1. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press. (Original work published 1890)

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