Understanding the Self

MODULE 2: CONCEPT AND NATURE OF SELF

I. The Philosophical View of the self DAVID HUME: THE SELF IS THE BUNCH THEORY
II. The Christian Biblical View of the Self OF MIND
III. The Physchological View of the Self ● No single impression of the self exists rather, the self
IV. Freudian Stage of Physhosexual Development is just the thing to which all the impressions of a man
is ascribed.
i. THE PHILOSOPICAL VIEW OF THE SELF
II. THE CHRISTIAN BIBLICAL VIEW OF THE SELF
SOCRATES: KNOW YOURSELF ● The self is the crown of creation.
● "tells each man to bring his inner self to light". ● Then God said, “Let us make man in our image,
● A bad man is not virtuous through ignorance. according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the
● Self-knowledge is one of the most important sea, the birds of the sky, the whole of earth, and the
virtue a man can have. creatures that crawl on the earth”. So, God created
● The man who does not follow the good fails to man in His own image; He created him in the image
do so because he does not recognize it. of God; He created them male and female.

PLATO: “THE IDEAL SELF, THE PERFECT SELF” BIBLICAL VIEWS:

● Man was omniscient or all-knowing before he came ● Spiritual
to be born into this world. ● Social
● He should live a life of virtue in which true human ● Physical
perfection exists. ● Emotional
● Happiness in the fruit of virtue ● Rational
● Aesthetic
IMMANUEL KANT: RESPECT FOR SELF ● Moral
● Man is the only creature who goerns and directs ● Sentiment
himself and his actions. ● Intellectual
● “respect others as you would respect yourself”. ● Political
● All man are persons gifted with the same basic rights ● Sensual and Sexual
and should treat each other as equals. ● Religious
● Economic
RENE DESCARTES: “I THINK, THEREFORE I AM” ST. AUGUSTINE: LOVE AND JUSTICE AS THE
(COGNITO ERCO SUM”) FOUNDATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SELF
● A virtuous life is a dynamism of love.
● Self is a thinking entity distinct from the body.
Constant following of a turning towards love while a
● Although the mind and body are independent from
wicked life is a constant turning away
each other and serve their own function, man should
from love.
always use his thinking abilities to
● Loving God means loving one’s fellowmen;
● investigate, analyze, and experiment.
and loving one’s fellowmen denotes never
doing any harm to another.
JOHN LOCKE: PERSONAL IDENTITY
● Doing unto others as you would have them do
● Personal identity as a matter of psychosocial unto you.
continuity.
● Being conscious(memory) and not on the substance
of either the soul or the body.
● Evolves over the course of an individual’s life such as
the color of your skin, choices made, how he/she
spends time, and what they believe.

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III. THE PHYSCHOLOGICAL VIEW OF THE SELF ● Failure to complete a stage can result in a reduced
SIGMUND FREUD: THE PHYSCHOANALYTIC ability to complete further stages and, therefore, an
THEORY OF THE SELF unhealthier personality and sense of self.
● The human psyche (personality) is structured into
three parts.
● These three structures are systems and not physical
parts of the brain.
ID (Internal Desires)
● Internal drives or instinctive drives.
● The body’s primitive biological drives and
urges which are concerned only with
achieving pleasure and self-satisfaction.
● In lives completely in the unconscious.
EGO ( Reality)
● It is the “I” part of the individual that gives
him/her the sense of his/her own identity.
● The rational part of the personality.
SUPEREGO ( CONSCIENCE)
● Criticisms, prohibitions, and inhibitions form a
person’s conscience, its positive aspirations, and
ideals that represent one’s idealized self-image or
“ego-ideal”.

FREUDIAN STAGES OF PHYSCHOSEXUAL

DEVELOPMENT

ERIK ERIKSON: THE PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGES OF

SELF- DEVELOPMENT
● According to the theory, successful completion of
each stage results in a healthy personality and the
acquisition of basic virtues.
● Basic virtues are characteristic strengths that the ego
can use to resolve subsequent crises.
● These crises are psychosocial because they involve
the psychological needs of the individual conflicting
with the needs of society.