1 | Understanding the Self 1

UNIT 1:
THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES

1.0 Intended Learning Outcomes

a. Demonstrate understanding of the range of representations and
conceptualizations and conceptualizations of the self from various
perspectives;
b. Compare how the concept of self has been represented across disciplines
and perspectives.
c. Examine the different influences, factors, and forces that contribute to
the development of self; and
d. Analyse the development of one’s self and identity by creating a point
of view of the self across various perspective.

1.1. Introduction
This chapter explores key concepts, issues, and concerns regarding the self
and identity to arrive at a better understanding of one’s self. It strives to meet
this goal by looking at a variety of explanations from different disciplinal
perspectives such as philosophy, sociology and psychology concepts of self.

WHO AM I?

SELF
WHAT AM I?

PHILOSOPHICAL
PERSPECTIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVE
SOCIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVE

THE MANY VIEWS OF SELF

A search for answers to the nature of the self and the qualities that define it can be
traced back to great philosophers during the ancient times. Over time, various
disciplines offered their own explanations. Each views in the figure above offers
understanding and insights into the nature of the self, and each can be helpful to
 1 | Understanding the Self 2

young people to develop answers to the difficult but essential questions: “Who am
I”? and “What am I?”.

1.2 Topics/Discussion (with Assessment/Activities)

1.2.1 What is Self in the perspective of Philosophy?

The dictum “Know Thyself” as we hear today is an ancient greeting of the

highly civilized Greeks. It was believed that the temple gods greet the
people with this salutation as they enter the holy sanctuary. The ancient
Greek philosophers manifested to the people their various interpretations
of the greeting.
In the onset, the greeting may seem to be only epistemological. Knowing
oneself is only about measurable facts that pertain to the self-such as age,
height, color, blood type or cholesterol level. But the philosophers insisted
that knowing oneself is more than just the basic facts. To know thyself is
first an imperative and then a requirement. It is imperative to know the
limits of the self so that one knows what is capable of doing and what one
is not. The real meaning of knowing thyself, then, is a requirement for self-
moderation, prudence, good judgement, and excellence of the soul. (Ortiz
de Landazur i, 2014)
For the ancient Greeks, the soul is the essence of the person. Like any other
loving relationships, one must be able to bring about the excellence of the
soul of the other as a result of such relationship. To know thyself, therefor
is to examine whether we have achieved moderation, have prudently
chosen what is good, and have brought about excellence of soul.

A. Socrates

He believed that “The unexamined life is not

worth living”. An examined life is a life that is
duty bound to develop self-knowledge and a self
that dignified with values and integrity. Not only
that: living a good life means having the wisdom
to distinguish what is right from wrong. Socrates
further argued that the unexamined life is no better off than animal life.
 1 | Understanding the Self 3

When we become readily contented with the information we receive from

the social media, for example, and submit to how virtual reality defines life,
develop needs and wants, classify morality, delineate universal values, and
mystify human reason, we are not better off than the dogs who become
contented with the crumbs provided by their “masters.”
Socrates believed that every person is dualistic: the body (which is
imperfect and impermanent) and the soul (perfect and permanent).

B. Plato

Plato, elaborates on Socrates concept of the soul.

Like Socrates, Plato believes that the self is
synonymous with the soul. His philosophy can be
explained as a process of self-knowledge and
purification of the soul. Specifically, he introduces
the idea of a three-part soul/self: Mind, physical
appetite, and spirit or passion.
Figure 1: Plato
For Plato, the psyche is composed of three elements: https://www.britannica.com
/biography/Plato
1. Appetitive- it includes one’s desires, pleasures,
physical satisfactions, comforts, etc.
2. Spirited- it is the part of the psyche that is excited when given challenges,
or fights back when agitated, or fights for justice when unjust practices are
evident. In a way, this is the hot-blooded part of the psyche.
3. Mind- it is considered as the most superior among the 3 elements. Plato
refers this as the nous which means the conscious awareness of the self.
The nous is the superpower that controls the affairs of the self. It decides
analyses, thinks ahead, proposes what is best, and rationally controls both
appetitive and spirited elements of the psyche.

These three elements of our selves are in a dynamic relationship with one
another, sometimes in conflict. When in conflict occurs, Plato believes it is
the responsibility of the Reason to sort things out and exert control,
restoring a harmonious relationship among the three elements of our
selves.
Having described his vision of the soul/self, Plato goes on to elaborate his
ideas about soul. In his theory of forms, he introduces the concepts of the
two worlds: the world of forms (non-physical ideas) and the world of sense
(reality). While the world of forms is real and permanent, the world of sense
is temporary and only a replica of the ideal world. Plato claims that the
 1 | Understanding the Self 4

sensible world is dependent on the ideal world where the concept of the
soul belongs. Since the soul is regarded as something permanent, man
should give more importance to it than the physical body which resides in
world of sense.

Example:
– College life- to illustrate Plato’s psyche. College students want to hang out with their friends, spend time
on computer games, eat the favourite food, and do thrilling activities that will excite the whole gang. These
satisfy the appetitive element of the psyche. However, when professors throw challenging projects and
assignments that would require tremendous amount of time and effort, the spirited psyche kicks in to face the
challenges head on. All these are going on because the mind or the nous is orchestrating these pursuits
according to the quality of the nous a person has. In other words, in order to have a good life, one must develop
the nous and fill it with the understanding of the limits of the self, and the correct ethical standards.

C. ARISTOTLE

Aristotle believes that the soul is merely a

set of defining features and does not
consider the body and soul as separate
entities. He suggests that anything with
life has a soul. Aristotle holds that the soul
is the essence of all living things. Thus, the
soul is the essence of the self.

However, humans differ from other living

things because of their capacity for
rational thinking.

His discussion about the self centers on

the kinds soul possessed by man. He
introduces the three kinds of soul:
Figure 2: Aristotle
vegetative, sentient, and rational. https://www.toolshero.com/toolsheroes/aristotle

• The vegetative soul includes the physical body that can grow.
• Sentient soul includes sensual desires, feelings and emotions.
• Rational soul is what makes man human. It includes the intellect
that allows man to know and understand things.

Aristotle suggests that the rational nature of the self is to lead a good,
flourishing, and fulfilling life (self-actualization). The pursuit of happiness
is a search for a good life that includes doing virtuous actions.
 1 | Understanding the Self 5

D. St. Augustine

Essence of the self is his relation to God, both

in his recognition of God's love and his
response to it—achieved through self-
presentation, then self-realization. Augustine
believed one could not achieve inner peace
without finding God's love. To St. Augustine,
man’s end goal is happiness. Only in God can
man attain true and eternal happiness, made
possible of in his contemplation of the Truth
and the Divine wisdom, i.e., God Himself.
Christianity is the full and true philosophy. It
is the full revelation of the true God. Human Figure 3: St. Augustine
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.p
beings alone, without God, are bound to fail. hp?saint_id=418

E. Rene Descartes

The father of modern philosophy, deviated from theocentric philosophies

on the years before him. He was in fact able to readdress the question
concerning the self in a very different rational method. Descartes claimed that
we cannot really rely on our senses because our sense
perceptions can often deceive us. There are times when
we hear something when in fact there nothing is,
and that we are only deceived by our sense of
hearing. This will be true to our sense of sight,
smell, touch and so on. Therefore, Descartes
refused to believe in the certainty of his sense
perceptions and started to doubt everything.
Figure 4: Rene Descartes Everything must be subjected to doubt. “Cogito, ergo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re
n%C3%A9_Descartes sum”, this is translated as “I think therefore I am” or “I
doubt therefore I exist”, coined by Descartes. He
emphasizes that only after the certitude of the “doubting I” can all the other
existence (e.g. God, the universe, things, events, etc.) become certain.
 1 | Understanding the Self 6

The primary conditions, therefore, of the existence of the self, at least

according to Descartes, is human rationality. Simply put, we need reason in
order to evaluate our thoughts and actions. We need reasons to live fully
the demands, challenges and call of our religion. We need reason in order
to establish firm foundations for universal truth and morals. We need
reason in order to exist and continue to survive generations to come by
protecting our environment. We need reason in order to protect ourselves
from our being savage to one another. We need reason in order to build and
live out our peace. Descartes also believes in the dual self; cogito (the thing
that thinks) and extenza (extension of mind/body)

F. John Locke
A British philosopher and politician. In
contrary to the primary reason as proposed
by Descartes, he suggested another way of
looking at the self. His proposition is that
the self is comparable to an empty space
where every day experiences contribute to
the pile of knowledge that is put forth on
that empty space. Experience, therefore, is
an important requirement in order to have
sense data which, through the process of
Figure 5: John Locke
reflection and analysis, eventually becomes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Locke
sense perception.
These sense data are further categorized by Locke according to primary
qualities such as numbers, solidity, figure, motion, among others, and
secondary qualities such as color, odor, temperature and all other elements
that are distinguishable by the subjective individual. Sense perception
becomes possible when all these qualities are put together in the faculty of
the mind.
It must be noted here that the validity of sense perception is very subjective.
Perception is changing from one individual to another. For example, when
one reads a text message: “Congratulations! You won 1M pesos in an online
lottery.” From an unknown number, one text receiver may hastily reply in
excitement and elation while the other text receiver may just totally ignore
 1 | Understanding the Self 7

it as a hoax or even treat it as a virus. Perception, therefore, is very

subjective to Locke.

G. David Hume
Scottish philosopher and historian, put
forward his sceptical take on the ideas
forming the identity of the self. To Hume, the
self is “that to which our several impressions
and ideas are supposed to have a reference. If
any impression gives rise to the idea of self,
that impression must continue invariably the
same through the whole course of our lives,
since self is supposed to exist after that
manner. He claimed that there cannot be a
persisting idea of the self. While Hume Figure 6: David Hume
agreed that all ideas are derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_H
ume
impressions, problematically, it follows that
the idea of the self is also derived from
impressions.
In as much as we wanted to be persistent, constant and stable with our
knowledge about ourselves, Hume asserted that this is just impossible. As
long as we only derive our knowledge from sense impressions, there will
never be the “self.” This means that for Hume, all we know about ourselves
are just bundles of temporary impressions. Perhaps, this support the
difficulty of answering the question “Who am I?” because what we can
readily answer are impressions such as name, height, color of hair,
affiliations, skills, achievements, and the like. All these are temporary and
non-persisting. In fact, Hume harshly claimed that there IS no self.

H. Immanuel Kant,
A Prussian metaphysicist who synthesized the rationalist view of Descartes
and the empiricist view of Locke and Hume. His new proposition
maintained that the self is always transcendental. In fact, he calls his
philosophy the Transcendental Unity of Appreciation.
 1 | Understanding the Self 8

He explains that being or the self is not in the

body, it is outside the body and even outside
the qualities of the body- meaning
transcendent. For Kant, ideas are perceived
by the self, and they are connecting the self
and the world. The similarity of ideas between
individuals is made possible because we all
have the sensory apparatus by which we
Figure 7. Immanuel Kant
derive our ideas. https://www.ethicssage.com/2017/06/w
hat-does-it-mean-to-be-a-person-of-
Kant further argues that even if we eliminate good-will.html

everything, or in the case of Descartes, doubt

everything, there will still be space and time that will remain in us. The
space and time belong to us. These are categories that cannot be outside of
the self, and they help provide the perception of the self. Perception here
does not belong to the world; it belongs to the self through its temporal-
spatial faculty. Rightly, Kant is able to claim that all things in the world are
in themselves and part of it belongs to the self.
In short, Kant is only saying that our rationality unifies and makes sense the
perceptions we have in our experiences and make sensible ideas about ourselves
and the world.

I. Sigmund Freud
A psychologist, lamented the victory and
insisted on the complexity of the self. Freud,
refusing to take the self or subject as technical
terms, regarded the self as the “I” that
ordinarily constitute both the mental and
physical actions. So, we say “I run”, “I eat”, “I
decide”, “I feel the tingling sensation”, or “I
refuse to cheat because it is wrong”.
Admittedly, the question “Who Am I” will not
provide a victorious unified answer but a
complicated diverse feature of moral Figure 8. Sigmund Freud
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmu
judgments, inner sensations, bodily nd_Freud
movements and perceptions. He sees the “I” as
 1 | Understanding the Self 9

a product of multiple interacting processes, systems and schemes. To

demonstrate this, Freud proposed two models: The Topographical and
Structural Models (Watson, 2014).
Topographical Model of the Mind (The Iceberg Metaphor). According to
Freud’s concept of hysteria, the
individual person may both
know and do not know certain
things at the same time. We may
say, for example, that we know
the disadvantage and perils of
missing classes without any
reason, but we are not sure why
we still do it anyway. We are
certain about that may be
brought about premarital sex i.e.
early pregnancy, sexually
transmitted infections, ruined
relationships and depression,
but we never understand why Figure 9. The Iceberg Metaphor
https://www.pinterest.ph/afmadk/personal-iceberg-metaphor/
there is this something
somewhere inside us that makes many of us to do what we know is wrong.
Freud’s solution to this predicament is to divide the “I” into conscious and
unconscious. The unconscious keeps what it knows by what Freud calls
“censorship” so that the conscious will be left on its own. Clearly, the self
for Freud will never be arbitrarily taken as unified whole. There will always
fragments and discontinuity and struggle inside the same “I”.
Structural Model. Freud also represents the self in three different agencies.
This is popularly known as;
1. Id – known as the pleasure principle of the self. According to Freud
it is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that contains
sexual and aggressive drives and hidden memories.
2. Ego- is the reality principle. It is the realistic part that mediates
between the desires of the id and the super-ego.
3. Superego- it serves as the moral principle of the self. It operates as a
moral conscience.
 1 | Understanding the Self 10

J. Gilbert Ryle
A British philosopher, proposed his positive view in his
“Concept of the Mind”. It started as a stern critique of
Descartes’ dualism of the mind and body. He said that the
”thinking I” will never be found because it is just a “ghost in
the machine”. The mind is never separate from the body. He
proposed that physical actions or behaviours are dispositions
of the self. These dispositions are derived from our inner
private experiences. In other words, we will only be able to
understand the self-based from the external Figure 10. Gilbert Ryle
manifestation- behaviours, expressions, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilber
t_Ryle
language, desires, and the like. The mind,
therefore, is nothing but a disposition of the self.
Ryle, believed that “what truly matters is the behaviour that a person
manifests in his day to day life.

K. Maurice Merleau-Ponty
A French phenomenological philosopher.
He believed the physical body to be an
important part of what makes up the
subjective self. This concept stands in
contradiction to rationalism and empiricism.
This work asserts that self and perception
are encompassed in a physical body. The
physical body is part of self.
His philosophy, the Phenomenology of
Figure 11. Maurice Merleau-
Perception draws heavily from the Ponty
https://literariness.org/2017/05/28/key-
contemporary research Gestalt psychology theories-of-maurice-merleau-ponty/
and neurology. He developed a
phenomenological rhythm that will explain the perception of the self. The
rhythm involves three dimensions. First is the empiricist take on
perception, followed by the idealist-intellectual alternative, and lastly, the
synthesis of both positions.
On the onset, Merleau-Ponty rejected classical empiricism because it
eliminates the indeterminate complexities of experience that may influence
 1 | Understanding the Self 11

perception. In the same way, he also rejected the idealist-intellectual

position because it will only falsify perception based from one’s biases and
prejudices. What Merleau-Ponty proposes is treating perception as casual
process. It simply means that our perceptions are caused by the intricate
experiences of the self and processed intellectually while distinguishing
truthful perceptions from illusory. Therefore, the self is taken as a
phenomenon of the whole- a Gestalt understanding of perceptual synthesis.

Assessment:
Based on the discussion above, summarize based on your understanding the
philosophical point of view of the following Philosophers. Lastly, make your
own philosophical definition of the self by anchoring it or by getting the
commonality of the different philosophical views we discussed.

YOU
ST. (what is YOUR
PLATO ARISTOTLE DESCARTES HUME KANT
AUGUSTINE philosophical
view of the Self)

Philosophical
Perspective

Rubrics
3 2 1
All statements are Some statements are Most statements cited
Accuracy accurate and verified. accurate and verified outside information or
opinion
No more than words in Two sentences contain More than 3 sentences
a row are taken directly more than 4 words in a contain more than 4
Paraphrasing from the material row are taken directly words in a row are
given. from the material taken directly from the
given. material given.
 1 | Understanding the Self 12

The summary consists Summary contains Main idea of the

Focus of main idea and main idea and only philosopher is not
important details only. minor details. discussed.

1.2.2. Sociological Perspective

• Sociological perspective of the self is based on the assumption that human

behavior is influenced by group life. A particular view of oneself is formed
through interactions with other people, groups, and social institutions. This
topic draws on the principles and concept of well-known sociologists to
foster student understanding of sociology impacts students’ everyday lives,
and provide a pathway of self-understanding of “who you are” and “what
you are” in contemporary society.
• Sociology as a scientific study of social groups and human relationships
generates new insights into the interconnectedness between the self and other people.
Hence, sociologist offers theories to explain how the self emerges as a
product of social experience and it is helpful in understanding how a person
views himself as he or she interacts with the social environment that
includes family, school, peer groups, and mass media.

A. Looking-Glass Self – Charles

Horton Cooley 1902

It highlight that the people

whom a person interacts with
become a mirror in which he or
she views himself or herself. Self-
identity or self-image is achieved Figure 12. Looking Glass-Self
through a threefold event which https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looking-glass_self

begins by conceiving an idea of how a person presents himself or herself to

others, how he or she analyzes how others perceive him or her, and how he or
she creates an image of himself and herself. Since these perceptions are
subjective, a person might have wrong interpretations of how other people
evaluate him or her. It would be critical if he or she thinks that others judge
him or her unfavorably because he could develop a negative self-image.
 1 | Understanding the Self 13

B. The Theory Of The Social Self –

George Herbert Mead

MEAD, supports the view that a

person develops a sense of self
through social interaction and not
the biological preconditions of that
interaction. The theory explained
that the self has two division: the
“I” and the “ME”. The “I” is
subjective element and the active Figure 13. First Person view of the first
Person Holon
side of the self. It represent the https://www.pinterest.ph/FootballSteve/mead-george-
spontaneous and unique traits of herbert/?autologin=true
the individual. The “ME”, on the other hand, is the objective element of the self
that represents the internalized attitudes and demands of other people and the
individual’s awareness of those demands. The full development of the self is
attained when the “I” and the “ME” are united

According to MEAD, the self is not present at birth. It develops only with social
experience in which language, gestures, and objects are used to communicate
meaningfully. Since there is meaning in human actions, a person infers
people’s intention or direction of action, which may lead him or her to
understand the world from others’ point of view- a process that MEAD labels
a role-taking. Then he or she creates his or her own role and anticipates how
others will respond. When he or she performs his or her own particular role,
he or she becomes self-aware. The self continues to change along with his or
her social experience. In other words, no matter how much the world shapes a
person, he or she will always remain creative being, and be able to react to the
world around him or her.

Development of the self in three-stage process according to MEAD:

1. Preparatory Stage (0-3 years old) children imitate people around them,
especially family members with whom they have daily interaction. But
they copy behavior without understanding underlying intentions, and
so at this stage, they have no sense of self. During tis stage, children are
just preparing for the role-taking.
 1 | Understanding the Self 14

2. Play Stage (3-5 years old)

children start to view
themselves in relation to others
as they learn to communicate
through language and other
symbols. At this stage, role-
taking is exhibited; however,
children do not perceive role-
taking as something expected Figure 14. Play Stage
to them. The self emerges as https://universitarianweb.com/2016/03/11/child-
development-mead-vs-piaget/
children pretend to take the
roles of specific people or significant others, those individuals who are
important agents of socialization. At this stage, the self is developing.
3. GAME STAGE (begin at early school years; about 8-9 years old)
children understands not only their own social position but also those
of others around them. At this stage, children become concerned about
and take into account in their behavior the generalized others which
refers to the attitudes, demands and expectations of the society which
includes cultural norms and values that serve as reference in evaluating
oneself. This time they can have more sophisticated look of people and
an ability to respond to numerous members of the social environment.
During this stage, the self is now present.

• The Self as the Product of Modern and Postmodern Societies

A. The Constitution Of The Self - Gerry Lanuza
According to him, in modern society the attainment and stability of self-
identity is freely chosen. It is no longer restricted with customs and
traditions. While this new found freedom offers infinite of self-cultivation,
problem such as alienation and dehumanization of the self also appear
which hinder the full development of human potentials. Hence, there is a
need to discover the “authentic-core” of the self for the individual to freely
work toward self-realization.
Whereas the dissolution of the traditional values and communities in
modern society has led the individual to construct a solid and stable self-
identity, the postmodern individual welcomes all possibilities for self-
improvement.
 1 | Understanding the Self 15

In postmodern societies, self-identity continuously changes due to the

demands of multitude of social context, new information technologies and
globalization.

B. The Negative Consequences of Postmodernity to Individuals in the

Society - Jean Baudrillard.
The postmodern individuals
achieve self-identity through
the quality of prestige symbols
that they consume. The
individuals seek for a position
in society through the quality of
prestige symbols that they can
afford to consume. The cultural
practices of advertising and
mass media greatly influence
individuals to consume goods
not for their primary value and Figure 14. Postmodernity in the Society
https://utsged101portfolio.wordpress.com/section-3-the-
utility but for the feeling of material-economic-self/
goodness and power when
compared with others. Hence, the postmodern person has become
insatiable consumer and may never be satisfied in his or her life.
Example: if a person buys an expensive cellular phone not merely as a
useful communication device, but because of its prestige symbol, he or she
will desire to buy a new cell phone when he or she learns that a new and
more prestigious model has come out in the market, or when he or she
discovers that other people are using more expensive mobile phones.
Therefore, the self may be in a never-ending search.
 1 | Understanding the Self 16

Assessment:

Thinking outside the box. Make a “siday” about how your family,
community, and social media influenced the development of your self-
identity. Siday is a waray version of a poem. Your siday should have
all the elements of the poem with the minimum of 5 stanzas. Please
follow the rubrics as your guide.

Rubric

3 2 1

Meaning and Siday is creative and Siday is creative but appear Siday appears to be
Originality original. to be rushed. thoughtless or rushed.

Vivid, detailed images, and Some use of image, idea, or Difficult to visualize image
Sensory Details intensely felt emotion make emotion. or emotion
the poem come alive.

The siday is complete and The poem is somewhat The poem is not written in
Form
follows its intended form. written in its proper form. its proper form.

1.2.3 Psychological Perspective of the Self

• The development of self-understanding in adolescence involves a number
of theories about the self, identity, and personality. Theories about the self-
give way for the identification of which characteristics of the self are
relevant and the understanding of how these characteristics are related to
each other. They foster discourse on the different sociocultural context.
• This topic outlines the psychological theories that influence the way
people understand the self. As the following theories illustrates,
adolescents construct their own understandings of their selves well by
integrating the information into their lives. Understanding of the self is
highest when the different parts of the self become integrative.

A. William James’ Concept Of Self: The Me-self and the I-self

William James suggests that the self is divided into two categories: the I-
Self and the Me-Self. The I-Self refers to the self that knows who he or she
 1 | Understanding the Self 17

is which is also called the thinking self. The I-Self reflects the soul of the
person or the mind which is also called the pure ego.
The Me-Self, on the other hand, is the empirical self which refers to the
person’s personal experiences and is further divided into sub-categories:
the material self, social self, and the spiritual self.
• The material self is attributed to an individual’s physical attributes
and material possessions that contribute to one’s self-image.
• The social self refers to who a person is and how he or she acts in
social situations. James believes that people have different social
selves depending on the context of a social situation.
• The spiritual self refers to the most intimate and important part of
the self that includes the person’s purpose, core values, conscience,
and moral behavior. James believes that the path to understanding
the spiritual self requires introspection.

B. Carl Rogers’ Self Theory: Real and Ideal Self

Another aspect of self-understanding that is important in adolescent years

focuses on self-concept. This refers to the image of oneself. Psychologist
Carl Rogers defines the self as a flexible and changing perception of
personal identity. The self is the center of experience. He suggests that the
self develops from interactions with significant people and awareness of
one’s own characteristics and level of functioning. According to Rogers,
human beings are always striving for self-fulfillment or self-actualization.
When the needs of the self are denied, severe anxiety may arise. Central to
achieving self-actualization is the development of self-concept.

REAL -SELF IDEAL-SELF

• Actualizing • Striving
Tendency • Ambitious
• Positive Regard • Self-Worth
• Self-Regard

Two components of self-concept

 1 | Understanding the Self 18

The Real Self consists of all the ideas, including the awareness of what one
is and what one can do. The Ideal Self is the person’s conception of what
one should be or what one aspires to be which includes one’s goal and
ambitions in life.

In Roger’s view, the closer the ideal self to the real self, the more fulfilled
and happy the individual becomes. When the ideal self is far from the real
self, the person becomes unhappy and dissatisfied.

C. The Self As The Central Archetype – Carl Jung

Central to Jung’s Theory of the self is the concept of archetypes. Basically,

Archetypes are the universal models after which roles are pattered. The
archetype represents the hidden potentialities of the psyche, or total
personality. Jung suggests that the psyche continues to develop throughout
life, but the psyche starts to show a definite form and content during
adolescence. According to Jung, archetypes resides in the personal
unconscious (forgotten
experience) that is common
to all human beings, known
as the collective
unconscious. For Jung,
there are four major
archetypes: persona,
shadow, animus/anima,
and self.

• The persona refers

to the social roles
that individuals Figure 15. Self as the Central Archetype
https://mythology.stackexchange.com/questions/2999/if-the-hero-is-ego-
present to others. driven-but-what-is-the-self-soul

• The shadow refers to

the repressed thoughts that are socially unacceptable. This archetype
is often considered as the dark side of the psyche.
• The anima is the feminine side of the male psyche while the animus
is the masculine side of the female psyche.
• The self is the central archetype that unites all parts of the psyche.
The ego is the individual’s conscious perception of the self.
 1 | Understanding the Self 19

D. Sigmund Freud’s Construction Of Self And Personality

According to Freud, the

dynamic forces within the self
are many and in inevitable
conflict. He argues that the
mind is composed of three
structures through which
personality is formed. The id,
ego, and superego. Figure 16. Freud’s Id, Ego, Superego
https://mythology.stackexchange.com/questions/2999/if-the-
In Freud’s view, the id, ego, and hero-is-ego-driven-but-what-is-the-self-soul
superego develop in a series of
stages. Freud calls these the Psychosexual Stages Of Development that
progress through five stages. Each stage is associated with conflicts that the
individual must resolve so that he or she can successfully move on to the
next stage. He also believes that each stage has needs and that the
dissatisfaction of needs may result in fixation which could have lasting
negative effects on one’s personality.
In Freud’s view, the
id, ego, and
superego develop in
a series of stages.
Freud calls these the
Psychosexual Stages
of Development that
progress through
five stages. Each
stage is associated Figure 17. Freud’s Psychosexual Stages
https://gavsappsychpersonalityhartolliso.weebly.com/psychosexual-stages-of-
with conflicts that development.html
the individual must
resolve so that he or she can successfully move on to the next stage. He also
believes that each stage has needs and that the dissatisfaction of needs may
result in fixation which could have lasting negative effects on one’s
personality.
E. The Role Of Erik Erikson’s Theory In Understanding The Self
In Erikson theory, adolescence is a period of identity development. Identity
formation is usually viewed as a process that requires adolescents to distance
themselves from the strong expectations and definitions imposed by parents and
 1 | Understanding the Self 20

other family members. To achieve an individual identity, one must create a vision
of the self that is authentic which is anchored on the meaning of his or her goals
for the future sense of having hold of one’s destiny in an effort to reach goals that
are personally meaningful.
Some of the ways adolescents try to establish their identity is through status
symbols such as having “state-of-art” mobile phone, designer bags and clothes,
and other material possessions.
Theory proposes that individuals go through eight psychosocial stages of
development. While Erikson believed that each stage is important, he gives
particular emphasis on the development formation and lays the foundation for
certain strengths and virtues in life such as hope, will, purpose, competence,
fidelity, love, care, and wisdom. Each stage consists of developmental task that
one needs to accomplish to develop successfully. During each stage, an individual
also experiences life crises which could

Figure 18. Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/533395149620174654/
 1 | Understanding the Self
21

Assessment:

Self-Analysis: Reflect on your childhood experiences. Understanding who

you are and why you do the things that you do is not always easy. Much of
what drives behavior and self-perception is the result of subconscious
attitudes and beliefs. It’s important to dig deep in order to figure out how
you truly see yourself on a subconscious level. Based on your experience
growing up, answer the following questions below. (Please use the answer
sheet that will be provide to you.)

1. When you were a child, did I feel listened to or was I harshly criticized by your
family? (Explain briefly your answer)
2. Did you get appropriate attention and affection when you did great things or
was neglected? (Explain briefly your answer)
3. Are you always expected to be perfect by your family and relatives? (Explain
briefly your answer)
4. Site the most memorable moment in your childhood (whether pleasant or
unpleasant) which contributed to the person you are right now.

1.3 References

Bandura. A. (2001). Social Cognitive Theory:an agentic perspective. Annual reviews.

Demeterio, F. (2013). Understanding the postmodern culture and Philosophy.

Quezon, Philippines: C&E Publishing,In.

Go-Monilla, M. A., & Ramirez, N. C. (2018). Understanding the Self. Quezon,

Philippines.

Siringan, H. (2011). Philosophy of the human person. Quezon, Philippines: C&E

publising.

1.4 Acknowledgment

The images, tables, figures and information contained in this module were
taken from the references cited above.

C. M. D. Hamo-ay
 1 | Understanding the Self
22

DISCLAIMER:
This module is not for commercial, and this is only for educational purposes. Some
technical terminologies and phrases were not changed, but the author of this module
ensures that all the in-text citations are in the reference section. Even the

C. M. D. Hamo-ay