Module 1: Philosophical Perspective of 8.

Immanuel Kant
the Self 9. Sigmund Freud
10. Gilbert Ryle
The Self can be viewed in 3 ways: 11. Paul Churchland
1. Self is innate.
2. Self is emergent.
3. Self is integrated and Socrates (Greek Philosopher)
developing. - He inspired the youth of Athens to
“know thyself” and discover the
1. Self is innate. importance of their souls by
- The self is an important quality of continuous questioning called as the
humans that is present upon birth and Socratic Method.
that self-awareness is natural. - He equates knowledge with
- This view of self includes the virtue and ignorance with vice.
philosophies of Socrates, Plato, - For him, “an unexamined life is
Augustine, and Rene Descartes. not worth living.”
2. Self is emergent. Plato (Greek Philosopher)
- The self is an outcome of interaction - Student of Socrates
with the physical as well as the social - Theory of Forms:
world. 1. The world of Forms
- The empiricist perspectives of (nonphysical ideas)
Aristotle , John Locke, and 2. The world of Sense
David Hume belong to this view of - 3 Basic Elements of the Soul
self. 1. Reason
2. Spirit (Passion)
3. Self is integrated and 3. Appetite (Desire)
developing.
- The self has various components that Aristotle (Greek Philosopher)
undergoes change through time. - Student of Plato
- Immanuel Kant, Gilbert Ryle, - He suggests that anything with life
and Maurice Merleau- has a soul.
Ponty’s The Phenomenology of - Threefold nature of man:
Perception may fall under this view 1. Vegetative (physical body)
of self. 2. Sentient (sensation & emotion)
3. Rational (intellect)
DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS
OF THE SELF:
1. Socrates Augustine (Early Christian Philosopher)
2. Plato 1. Regarded as a saint in the Catholic
3. Aristotle Church
4. Augustine 2. Integrated the ideas of Plato
5. Rene Descartes and the teachings of the
6. John Locke Catholic Church
7. David Hume 3. Contemplated that the soul is an
essential element which
 governs and defines the
human person. Sigmund Freud (Austrian
- “Knowledge can only come by Psychoanalyst)
seeing the truth that dwells within - The self is multilayered:
us.” 1. Conscious
2. Preconscious
Rene Descartes (French Philosopher) 3. Unconscious
- Father of Modern Philosophy - Contains repressed memories and
- Considered as a Rationalist emotions, and instinctual drives
- Mind-Body Dualism - The goal of psychoanalysis is to
- Mind and body are distinct entities release repressed emotions
and co-existent and experiences to overcome
- Cogito ergo sum (I think, self-defeating behavior.
therefore, I am.)
Gilbert Ryle (British Philosopher)
John Locke (English Philosopher) - The Concept of Mind
- He postulated that the human mind - The mind and body are intrinsically
at birth is a blank slate or tabula linked; mental states and bodily
rasa. actions are one and the same.
- Sensory experience is the source - “I act, therefore, I am.”
of all knowledge. - It is through one’s behavior that the
- Personal identity is made possible self is revealed.”
by being aware of the world that our
senses perceived. Paul Churchland
(Canadian Philosopher)
David Hume (Scottish Philosopher) - Proponent of Eliminative
- Bundle Theory (Lack of Self) Materialism
> The self is nothing but a bundle or - Materialism maintains that the self
collection of interconnected and is inseparable from the brain and the
continually changing sense physiology of the body.
impressions of what a human person - The self is the brain.
is all about. - The physical brain and not the
- Self-knowledge depends on one’s imaginary mind, gives us our sense
conscious experience and perception. of self.
Immanuel Kant (German Philosopher) Maurice Merleau-Ponty
- He harmonized the contradicting (French Phenomenological Philosopher)
ideas of rationalists and - The Phenomenology of
empiricists. Perception
- Knowledge can be drawn from the - The consciousness, the world, and
integration of sensory experience and the human body are intricately
conceptual understanding. intertwined in perceiving the world.
- The human mind is an active - The self is embodied
shaper of experience. subjectivity.
- The self transcends experience.
- Perception is not merely a
consequence of sensory experience;
rather, it is a conscious experience.
Module 2: Sociological Perspective: The taking on the role of significant
self as a product of Society people in their lives.
3. Game Stage – The game stage is
“Understanding the self only arises in the third and final stage of self-
relationship, in watching yourself in development.
relationship to people, ideas and things, to  In this game stage, children
tress, the earth, and the world around you are involved in organized
and within you.” – Jiddu Krishnamurti team activities. Children have
to learn and follow
Sociological Perspective of the Self established game rules, learn
- based on assumption that behavior is about what their roles are in
influence by group of people. the game, and learn what
their teammates’ roles are as
Mead and Cooley well.
- The “self” does not depend on
biological predisposition; rather it is THE SELF AS A PRODUCT OF
a product of interaction. MODERN AND POSTMODERN
SOCIETIES
Jean Baudrillard
- The self is found in the prestige Gerry Lanuza
symbols of goods consumed by - He discussed the relationship
people. between society and individual which
is in the modern societies and the attainment
Charles Horton Cooley and stability of self-identity are freely
- Introduced the “Looking Glass chosen.
Self Theory”

George Herbert Mead

- Theory of Social Self, explained that
the self has two divisions: the “I” and the
“me”
- “I” is the subjective element, while
“me” is the objective element.

Development of the Self in three

process:

1. Preparatory Stage – (0 to 3
years old): Children copy or
imitate, the behaviors of others
around them without sophisticated
understanding of what they are
imitating
2. Play Stage (3 to 5 years old):
Children start role-playing and
 culture which favors a symbolic
Module 3: Anthropology interpretative model of culture.
– He defines culture as “a system of
Anthropology holds a holistic view of inherited conceptions
human nature. expressed in symbolic forms
- It is concerned with how cultural by means of which men
and biological processes interact communicate, perpetuate, and
to shape human experience. develop their knowledge about
and attitudes toward life.”
- Contemporary anthropologists
believe that culture and self are The concept of culture has its impact
complementary concepts that on the concept of man.
are to be understood in relation to
one another. Anthropology compared – Geertz agrees with Max Weber, that
with other disciplines possesses a “man is an animal suspended
holistic and integrated in webs of significance he
approach to examine human himself has spun,” wherein those
nature. webs were taken as symbols of
culture.

According to a distinguished – Man is defined by his genetic

anthropology professor James L. potentials shaped into actual
Peacock accomplishments which is made
“ anthropology encroaches on the possible by culture.
territory of the sciences as well as the
humanities, and transcends the
conventional boundaries of both while Geertz emphasized that human
addressing questions to the distant past nature is interdependent with culture:
and the pressing present – perhaps with - “Without men, no culture,
implications for the future”. certainly; but equally, and more
significantly, without culture, no
- This definition of anthropology men.”
emphasizes that it is an academic
field for understanding the
interconnections and Social Identities
interdependence of biological – People have their own and others’
and cultural aspects of the positions in society.
human experience in all times – Individuals seek confirmation
and places. from others that they occupy the
positions on the social landscape that
The Self as Embedded in Culture they claim to occupy.

– Clifford Geertz (1973), an How do societies distinguish

American anthropologist, offered a individuals from one another?
reformulation of the concept of
 – By using criteria such as age, gender,
kinship, ethnicity, and language.
– Differences and similarities in
characteristics among individuals are
used to construct social landscapes
on which each person’s place or
identity is indicated.

Identity Toolbox
– Features of a person’s identity (such as
gender, age, or personal appearance) that he
or she chooses to emphasize in constructing
a social self.

Identity Struggles
– A termed coined by Anthony F.C.
Wallace and Raymond Fogelson

– Characterized the interaction in which

there is a discrepancy between the identity a
person claims to possess and the identity
attributed to that person by others.

– Individuals must be able to defend their

identities if they are threatened
Module 4: Psychological Perspective of exercised, rather than reside as a discrete
Self entity.
William James (the Me-Self and the I- MAIN FEATURES OF HUMAN
Self) AGENCY
- Suggest that the self is divided into 1. Internationality – refers to act
two categories: the “I-self” and the done internationality
“Me-self”) 2. Forethought – enable the person to
- I-self refers to the self that knows anticipate the likely consequences of
who he or she. It is also called as prospective actions
“the thinking self” 3. Self-Reflectiveness – gives the
- Me-self is the empirical self which person the ability to reflect upon and
refers to the person’s personal the adequacy of his or her though
experiences. and actions
 Sub Category of Me-Self 4. Self-Reactiveness – involves
- Material Self making choices and choosing
- Social Self appropriate course of action as well
- Spiritual Self as motivating and regulating them.
Carl Rogers (Real and Ideal Self) SELF AS THE CENTRAL ARCHETYPE
- Defines that the self as a flexible and - The self is an archetype that represents the
changing perception of personal unified unconsciousness and consciousness
identity of an individual.
- Suggest that the self develops from - The ego makes up the center of
interactions with significant people and consciousness, but it is the self that lies at
awareness of one’s own characteristics and the center of personality.
level functioning. - Personality encompasses not only
- According to him, being are always consciousness but also the ego and the
striving for self-fulfillment or self- unconscious mind.
actualizations
THE FOUR MAJOR JUNGIAN
MULTIPLE VS. UNIFIED SELF; TRUE ARCHETYPES
VS. FALSE SELF 1. The Self
- The construction of multiple selves 2. The Persona
varies across different interpersonal and 3. The Shadow
intrapersonal roles and relationship 4. The Anima / Animus
- The function of the true self and false
self is to hide and protect the true self SIGMUND FREUD’S CONTRUCTION
OF SELF AND PERSONALITY
THE SELF AS PROACTIVE AND - He believed that id, ego, and superego
AGENTIC are in constant conflict and that adult
- Agency embodies the endowments, belief personality and behavior are rooted in the
system, self regularly capabilities, and results of these internal struggles throughout
distributed structures and functions through childhood.
which personal influence is
- According to Freud’s structural model, the 2. Autonomy vs. Shame – This
personality is divided into the id, ego, stage occurs between the age of
and superego. 18 months to approximately 3
years. Children at this age are
PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGE OF focused on developing a sense of
DEVELOPMENT personal control over physical skills
1. Oral Stage – During this stage, the and a sense of independence.
infant’s primary source of 3. Initiative vs. Guilt – The age for
interaction occurs through the mouth, this stage is 3 to 5 years old.
so the rooting and sucking reflex is During this stage, children assert
especially important. themselves more frequently through
2. Anal Stage – Freud believed that directing play and other social
the primary focus of the libido was interaction.
on controlling bladder and bowel 4. Industry vs. Inferiority – It
movement. involves industry (competence) vs.
3. Phallic Stage – The primary focus inferiority which occurs during
of the libido is on the genitals. childhood between the ages of 5
During this stage, children also begin to 12.
to discover the differences between 5. Identity vs. Role Confusion – It
males and females. occurs during adolescence, from
4. Latency Stage – The superego about 12 to 18 years. During this
continues to develop while the id’s stage, adolescents search for a sense
energies are suppressed. of self and personal identity though
5. Genital Stage – The onset of an intense explorations of personal
puberty causes the libido to become values, beliefs, and goals.
active once again. During the final 6. Intimacy vs. Isolation – This
stage of psychosexual development, stage takes place during young
the individual develops a strong adulthood between the ages of
sexual interest in the opposite sex. approximately 18 to 40 years old.
This stage begins during the puberty 7. Generativity vs. Stagnation –
but. Last throughout the rest of a This stage takes place during middle
person’s life. adulthood (ages 40 to 65 years).
8. Ego Integrity vs. Despair – This
stage begins at approximately age
ERIK ERIKSON’S THEORY OF 65 and ends at death. It is during
PYSCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT the time that we contemplate our
1. Trust vs. Mistrust – This stage accomplishments and can develop
begins at birth continues to integrity if we see ourselves as
approximately 18 months of age. leading a successful life.
During this age, the infant is
uncertain about the world in which BASIC VIRTUE OF THE EIGHT
they live, and looks towards their PSYCHOLOGICAL STAGE
primary caregiver for stability and
consistency of care.
1. Hope
2. Will
3. Purpose
4. Competency
5. Fidelity
6. Love
7. Care
8. Wisdom