LA CARLOTA CITY COLLEGE

City of La Carlota
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Module in GE 1
(Understanding the Self)
First Semester, AY 2021-2022

MODULE 2 The Self from Various Perspective

 A number of philosophers through age have posited ideas about the nature of the self.
These philosophers includes David Hume, Rene Descartes, Socrates, Plato and even Saint Agustine
of Hippo among others who remarkably have provided unique views about the real nature of the
concept we call ‘self”

SOCRATES

Socrates (470-399 BC) was a classical Greek philosopher and a pioneer in Western moral
philosophy. As a contribution to the field of philosophy, Socrates introduces the Socratic problem
also known Socratic question. The goal of which was to “Know Thyself.” Accordingly, there should
be a dialogue between the self and the soul. One should accept that he knows nothing and he
knows and accept that he knows nothing as this leads to learning and discovering the truth.
Socrates who was greatly known for his Socratic method stated that “An unexamined life is not
worth living.” One has to self -examine and discuss about the self as this is a duty to achieved
what is the greatest good to a life. It is the goal of Socratic perspective to better the quality of
human life through consistent self examination.

PLATO

Plato (424-347 BC) was a classical Greek philosophers and the founder of Academy in
Athens the first Institution of higher learning in western world. An influential figure in western
philosophy and the founder of western spirituality. Plato stated that the ‘psyche’ or the ‘mind’ is
comprise of three elements.

1. The appetites which involve our pleasurable desire such as those which provide us
physical pleasure and physiological comfort.
2. The spirited which denotes the part within us that agitated most of the time. I s highly
spirited and motivated to surpass and conquer life challenges. It is the area with in us
that enjoys triumph, honor, greatness and affirmation.
3. The mind is the conscious awareness which think, mediates, weigh choices and assesses
situations in our lies. This side is rational and logical as it chooses only the best for us.

SAINT AUGUSTINE
 Saint Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430) was a Christian theologian and philosopher to have
greatly contributed to the progress of Western Christianity through his writings specifically The City
of God , on Christian Doctrine and Confessions. Saint Augustine pointed onto sin as the source of
human unhappiness as sin impairs human free will. Saint Augustine discovered and developed the
concept of individual identity. He conceptualized an idea of the self and eventually achieving an
identity.

Saint Augustine identified the two-fold process comprised of self-presentation leading to

seal-realization. He reiterated that one transforms as he struggles in both body and soul to
ultimately achieve happiness specifically found God’s love. Augustine explored on the relationship
between the mind and the body which are all essential in the formation of a person. However he
stressed on the superiority of the mind over that of the body. Understanding of the self and the
formation of identity is achieved through the process of ‘Introspection’ or ‘self-analysis.’

RENE DESCARTES

Rene Descartes (1596-1650) is believe to be the father of modern western philosophy. He

was a French scientific thinker, mathematician and philosopher. Descartes developed the
Cartesian philosophy which holds that mental acts determine physical acts. Moreover he
reiterated on the role of cognition as the active acquisition of knowledge involving the individual’s
imagination, intellect, perception as well as memory. He described the mind as the ‘intellectual
substance’ which possesses a will.

Descartes pointed onto the relationship between the mind and the body. And from such
insight begun his quest for true knowledge and stated his very brilliant principle which state that
“Cogito, ergo sum” which is ”I think, therefore I am.” This is a method to assess one’s self. This is
Descartes first theory of knowledge which lead the foundation in his concept of self. He asserted
that the idea of being human brings about an awareness of the self which may lead to the
development of unique identity. For Descartes being self-conscious is necessary to develop a
personal identity. The essence of your self makes you a “thinking thing,” engaged in all forms of
mental operations determinant of being a human with a distinct persona.

JOHN LOCKE

John Locke (1632-1704) was a prominent thinker during the “Age of Reason.” He is an
English philosopher and physician. Remarkably Locke is considered the “Father of Liberalism” as
he had posited the ‘theory of mind’ which is a breakthrough in the origin of modern understanding
of the concept of identity and the self. It was Locke who develop the concept of “ Tabula Rasa.”
He pointed onto the theory that at birth, the mind is a blank slate without innate ideas, and it is
experience that provides us knowledge provided by sensory experiences and reflections.
 John Locke stated that personal identity or the self is found in the consciousness. He
identified the brain as comprising the consciousness which has one’s identity. It is alleged that life
is a quest for the understanding of what is after death and immortality. He argued as well that
person may only be judged for the acts of his body but the truth according to him is that one is
liable only for the acts of which he is conscious.

DAVID HUME

David Hume (1711-1776) a prime mover in western philosophy is a Scottish philosopher

from Edinburgh, known for his insights on the psychological basis of human nature where he
posited the passion rather than reason governs human behavior. Hume argued against the
existence of innate ideas, positing that all human knowledge is ultimately founded solely in
experience. He reiterated that reason is only the slave of passion which implies that logic and
intellect is basically superseded by an individual’s passion, drive and motivation. Hume also
perceived that experiences are derived from internal and external stimulus and they create
impressions on the individual. According to Hume the self and one’s mind is like a machine that
can be turned on and off as they are only active when one is conscious.

IMMANUEL KANT

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) who was born in Prussia was a great contributor in modern
western philosophy. He asserted that it is the human mind which creates experiences. These
experiences are similar among human on the level of abstraction as we share important
characteristics that resemble in specific points of interests. Human experiences make up our
persona according to logical effects provided by certain causes. Evidently, the development of the
individuality of the self is a unique human experience as t forges significant learning with in the
person.

More so, Kant said that every person has an inner and outer self which comprises the
consciousness. According to Kant, the intellect as well as the psychological state of being is what
we call as the inner self while the outer self is made of senses and the physical self. Largely, the
object of the inner self is the ‘soul’ while the outer elf is directed to the ‘body.’

SIMEUND FREUD

Sigismund Schlomo Freud also known as Sigmeud Freud (1856-1930) was a neurologist
from Austria. He established psychoanalysis. This a school of thought revolving around the role of
psychological conflicts with in the unconscious which is relevant in the development of human
behavior as well as personality. It was Freud who stated that there are three components in the
mind that interact to produce the individual persona. This concept in the structural theory of
personality involves the id, ego, and superego which are largely found with in the unconscious.
The conflict between these three components give rise to human persona.

The id and the superego are in constant conflict brought about by differences in their
desire. As the id demands pleasure and gratification of urges, the superego requires compliance to
societal norms. The conflict is revolved by the ego which is the self by maintaining the balance
between these two structures of the mind. Freud considered the ego as the realistic area of ones
persona that maintains the balance and harmony within the individual.

GILBER RYLE

Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976) was born in Brighton, England. He was a British philosopher, a
behaviorist who coined the phrases “ the ghost I the machine.’ Ryle believed that mental
phenomena are explained by observing public behavior. Ryle, In his book ‘The Concept of Mind’
(1949) explained how the mental states are inseparable from the physical states. Ryle focused on
observable behavior in defining the self. He stated that every human being has both a physical
body and a non-physical mind which are ordinarily “harnessed together” while we are alive.

According to Ryle, thought the physical body is subject to the mechanical laws; the mind, on the
other hand, is not accessible to the public and definitely never subjected to mechanical laws. He
stated that “A person therefore lives through two collateral histories, one consisting of what
happens in and to his body, and other consisting of what happens in and to his mind. The first is
public, the second private.” This simply how the mind is operating within the person himself while
the body is subjected to the observation and criticisms of the public.

PAUL MONTGOMERY CHURCHLAND

Paul Montgomery Churchland (1942) was from ancouver, Canada. He is a modern-day

philosopher whose studies greatly focuses on the workings of the brain.

He argued that ‘nothing but matter exists’ which is also known as materialism.

Paul hypothesized that the human consciousness can be explained through the natural
networks communicating through its hub in the brain which is the thalamus.

As we begin to use empirical evidence to describe how our brains and bodies function we
learn to determine how we feel and how certain situation affects us. Churchland believes that
many are unaware of the appropriate terms do determine the exact emotions and sentiment that
they are undertaking. Hence, this leads to confusions as to how we understand ourselves.

MAURICE MERLEAU PONTY

 Merleau-Ponty, a French philosopher, wrote the book Phenomenologie de la Perception in
1945. In this book, he expounded his thesis on ’The Primacy of Perception’ where he revealed how
the body is central to one’s perception. As an existentialist, Merleau-Ponty argued that perception
is the determinant of one’s consciousness. It is our prejudice that creates the perception that we
have in our mind. This is the “primacy of perception” where Merleau-Ponty said that “ there is
harmony between intention and performance.” The same provides an explanation as to Merleau-
Ponty’s claim that “consciousness is primarily not a matter of “I think that” but of “I can.” Hence
in this argument, it shoes how action is required in the formation of self-perception as well as self-
concept.
 Sociology
THE SOCIOLOGY IN RELATION TO SELF

Societies can shape the development of their members in very different ways. Each society teaches
its concepts, values, and accepted behaviors to its children. This instruction is largely accomplished by social
institutions such as the home, school, and church.

MEAD AND THE SOCIAL SELF

Social Self

George Herbert Mead, a sociologist from the late 1800s, is well known for his theory of the social
self, which includes the concepts of 'self‘, 'me‘, and 'I' . Mead’s work focuses on the way in which the self is
developed. Mead's theory of the social self is based on the perspective that the self emerges from social
interactions, such as:

 observing and interacting with others

 responding to others' opinions about oneself
 and internalizing external opinions and internal feelings about oneself

The social aspect of self is an important distinction because other sociologists and psychologists felt that
the self was based on biological factors and inherited traits.

According to Mead, the self is not there from birth, but it is developed over time from social experiences
and activities.

Development of Self

According to Mead, three activities develop the self:

1. Language develops self by allowing individuals to respond to each other through symbols, gestures,
words, and sounds.
2. Play develops self by allowing individuals to take on different roles, pretend, and express
expectation of others. Play develops one's self-consciousness through role-playing.
3. Games develop self by allowing individuals to understand and adhere to the rules of the activity. Self
is developed by understanding that there are rules in which one must abide by in order to win the
game or be successful at an activity.
Two Sides of Self: Me & I

According to Mead's theory, the self has two sides or phases: 'me' and 'I.' The 'me' is considered the
socialized aspect of the individual. The 'me' represents learned behaviors, attitudes, and expectations of
others and of society. A phase of the self that is in the past.The 'I', therefore, can be considered the present
and future phase of the self. The 'I' represents the individual's identity based on response to the 'me‘, or the
person’s individuality. The 'me' and the 'I' have a didactic relationship.
SOCIALIZATION

The Socialization Process

Humans learn the expectations of society through socialization. Socialization is different based on
race, gender and class.

Socialization as Social Control

Agents of Socialization

1. The Family. Families introduce children to the expectations of society. Socialization is different
based on race, gender and class.
2. The Media. The average young person (age 8–19) spends 6 3/4 hours per day immersed in media in
various forms, often using multiple media forms simultaneously. Television is the dominant
medium, although half of all youth use a computer daily.
3. Peers. For children, peer culture is an important source of identity. Through interaction with
peers, children learn concepts of self, gain social skills, and form values and attitudes.
4. Religion. Children tend to develop the same religious beliefs as their parents. Very often those who
disavow religion return to their original faith at some point in their life, especially if they have strong
ties to their family of origin and after they form families of their own.
5. Sports. Through sports, men and women learn concepts of self. Men learn that being competitive
in sports is considered a part of “manhood.”
6. Schools. In school, teachers and other students are the source of expectations that encourage
children to think and behave in particular ways. Research finds that teachers respond differently to
boys than to girls, with boys receiving more of their attention.

The Self from the Anthropological Perspective

(The Self Embedded in Culture)
Introduction
Cultural Anthropology is the study of human culture and society. It is the study of people – their
origin, their development, and contemporary variations, wherever and whenever those have been found
(Ferraro2008).
Culture on the other hand refers to the major way in which human beings adapt to their
environments and give meaning to their lives. It includes human behavior and ideas that are learned rather
than genetically transmitted, as well as the material objects produced by a group of people (Nanda and
Warren 2007).

Anthropologist Clifford Geertz in “The Impact of the Concept of Culture on the Concept of Man”
states that “….culture provides the link between what men are intrinsically capable of becoming and what
they actually, one by one, in fact become.” This leads us to the importance of culture in understanding who
we are as human beings.

Man acquires his knowledge, beliefs, morals, customs, and other habits and capacities from his
interactions with others in the society where he belongs. We learn our cultural practices and traditions by
listening, talking, and interacting with other people.
 As a child we learn appropriate behavior by observing and copying behavior of adults. We express
our feelings and make judgements of what is right or what is wrong based on our interpretation of adults
behavior. This serves to guide our own behavior and perception throughout life. Thus, our shared beliefs,
values, memories, and expectations bind us together who grow up in the same culture.

Television influences the language, traditions, beliefs, knowledge and even

personalities. Changes in the various areas of human relations and lifestyles. “Culture is
also not a force or causal agent in the world but a context in which people live out their
lives.”

PERSPECTIVE OF SELF

• It is divided into two main categories

 “ME” Self refers to the aspects of someone that come from that person's experiences or
known as the “empirical self”.
 ‘I’ Self classified as the thinking self.
• James broke the “ME" self down into three sections:
 The Material Self
• The Social Self
• The Spiritual Self

• consists of things that belong to us or that we belong to. Things like family, clothes, our body, and
money are some of what makes up our material selves.
• The material self refers to tangible objects, people, or places that carry the designation my or
mine. Two subclasses of the material self can be distinguished: The bodily self and the
extracorporeal (beyond the body) self. Rosenberg (1979) has referred to the extracorporeal self as

the extended self.

• The bodily component of the material self requires little explanation. A person speaks of my arms
or my legs. These entities are clearly an intimate part of who we are. But our sense of self is not
limited to our bodies. It includes other people (my children), pets (my dog), possessions (my car),
places (my home town), and the products of our labors (my painting).
• It is not the physical entities themselves, however, that comprise the material self. Rather, it is
our psychological ownership of them (Scheibe, 1985). For example, a person may have a favorite
chair she likes to sit in. The chair itself is not part of the self. Instead, it is the sense of
appropriation represented by the phrase “my favorite chair.” This is what we mean when we talk
about the extended self. It includes all of the people, places, and things that we regard as “ours.”
Social self

• refers to how we are regarded and recognized by others

• Our social selves are who we are in a given social situation. For James, people change how they
act depending on the social situation that they are in. James believed that people had as many
social selves as they did social situations they participated in.
Spiritual self

• For James, the spiritual self was who we are at our core. The spiritual self is more concrete or
permanent than the other two selves. The spiritual self is our subjective and most intimate self.
Aspects of an individual's spiritual self include things like their personality, core values, and
conscience that do not typically change throughout their lifetime.
• The spiritual self is our inner self or our psychological self. It is comprised of our self-perceived
abilities, attitudes, emotions, interests, values, motives, opinions, traits, and wishes.
REAL SELF VS. IDEAL SELF
• The real self is who we actually are.
• It is how we think, how we feel, look, and act.
• It can be seen by others, but because we have no way of truly knowing how others view
us, the real self becomes our self-image.
• The ideal self is how we want to be.
It is an idealized image that we have developed over time, based on what we have learned and
experienced.
• May include components of what our parents have taught us, what we admire in others, what our
society promotes, and what we think is in our best interest.

IMPORTANCE OF ALIGNMENT

• If the way that I am (the real self) is aligned with the way that I want to be (the ideal self), then I
will feel a sense of mental well-being or peace of mind.
• If the way that I am is not aligned with how I want to be, the incongruence, or lack of alignment,
will result in mental distress or anxiety.
➤ The greater the level of incongruence between the ideal self and real self, the greater the level
of resulting distress.

The Self in Western and Eastern Thought

Different cultures and varying environment tends to create different perceptions of the “self” and
one of the most common distinctions between cultures and people is the eastern vs. western dichotomy
wherein eastern represents Asia and western represents Europe and Northern America.

Oftentimes we associate western thought with individualism and eastern/oriental with collectivism.

There are actually a lot of sources in which you can analyze the perspective of each culture and
country about the concept of “self.” You can see it in their literature like how one culture depicts a hero or a
villain in their stories. You can see it in their social organization like how they see their boss or their
subordinate. Art works, dances, even clothing may show you clues about the “self.”

For the purposes of this lesson however, we will look at religious beliefs and political philosophies
that greatly influenced the mindset of each nation or culture.

Individualism vs. Collectivism

Individualist culture is a culture in which the goals of the individual take precedence over the goals
of the group.
Collectivist culture is a culture in which the goals of the group take precedence over the goals of the
individual.

In other words…
Individualist culture Collectivist culture
 In an individualist culture, members are  In a collectivist culture, members are
responsible for themselves and, perhaps, responsible for the group as a whole.
their immediate families.  In a collectivist culture, success is
 In an individualist culture, success is measured by one’s contributions to the
measured by how far one stands out from group as a whole.
the crowd. Ex: loyalty to company or country,
Ex: self-made millionaires, employees of specialized skills, fitting in…
the month, standing out…
Also applies on a personal level. That is, one can personally be collectivist while his or her culture is
individualist.

Cooperation versus competition

Importance of in-group and out-group members
Individualistic self Collectivist self
The “I” identity. The “We” identity.
 The individual identifies primarily with self,  Collectivist views the group as the primary
with the needs of the individual being entity, with the individuals lost along the
satisfied before those of the group. way.
 The individual is acts and makes his own  The survival and success of the group
choices, looks after and taking care of ensures the well-being of the individual, so
oneself and being self-sufficient. that by considering the needs and feelings
 Independence and self-reliance are greatly of others, one protects oneself.
stressed and valued.  Harmony and the interdependence of
 In general, they tend to distance group members are stressed and valued.
themselves psychologically and  It sees the group as the important
emotionally from each other. One may element, and individuals are just members
choose to join groups, but group of the group. The group has its own values
membership is not essential to one’s somehow different from those of the
identity or success. individual members.
 Individualistic doers are self-assured and  Each person is encouraged to be an active
 very independent people. They are quiet player in society, to do what is best for
and realistic, very rational, extremely society as a whole rather than themselves.
matter of fact people. They strongly  Rules promote unity, brotherhood, and
cultivate their individualism and enjoy selflessness.
applying their abilities to new tasks. But  Working with others and cooperating is
they are also very spontaneous and the norm; everyone supports each other.
impulsive persons who like to follow their
sudden inspirations.

Both collectivist self and individualistic self may have their downside. Individualistic people are susceptible
to loneliness, and collectivist people can have a strong fear of rejection.

The characteristics of individualism and collectivism can be summarized as follows:

Individualism:

Individual autonomy; self-oriented; personal goals; unique and independent; individual privacy;
nuclear family; individual rewards (equity); competition

Collectivism:

Group unity and harmony; group-oriented; group goals; conforming and interdependent; group
belongingness; extended family; equal distribution of reward (equality); cooperation

The Difference between Western and Eastern

Queue when waiting Actually, queuing cultural was forming in many Eastern countries, especially
in big cities. However in general, it is not engrained in the lifestyle of
people in the East.
Anger The Westerners’ happiness and sadness are expressed quite clearly. The
Eastern can “in fresh outside wilted.”
Contacts The relationships in the Western World are not as complicated as in Eastern
Society.
Definition of beauty Westerners like brown, Easterners prefer wife.
Elderly in day to day life Walking park in the West, you will encounter many elderly pet pimp stroll.
In the East, you will see the old men with his grandson are walking.
Handling of problems Westerners choose to confront the challenge, and the Easterners is avoiding
different issues.
In the restaurant Westerners are afraid to speak loudly in a crowded peace, Eastern are not.
ME The West upholds the individual in some aspects of life. They require those
around him to respect what belongs to personal problems.
In the East, forgoing individual is said to be a virtue.
Moods and Weather Westerners like sunshine, hate rain, Easterners like both rain and sunshine.
Opinion Westerners promote frankness. Easterners promote ingenuity, softening.
 Party At the form parties, the West likes to stand in small groups, whispering
conversation. Easterners are sitting in large groups, talking loudly.
Punctuality Punctuality is highly respected elements if the encounter in the Western
World, The East are different, they can move slightly appointment time and
that doers not become a big.
Shower Timing Westerners like to shower the morning before going to work. Easterners
are evening bath before bedtime.
Stomach ache In the West, if someone is weak abdominal or stomach pain, while dining,
they will drink carbonated salt drinks, whereas Easterners would call tea or
mineral water.
Sunday on the road On week ends the streets are often deserted West. In the East, especially in
big cities, people go to the street, to the amusement parks and shopping
malls for entertainment.
The Boss In the Western world, boss are also worked for a living as employees, In the
East, the boss is considered “giants.”
The Child Children in the West are not taking care of the whole family. In the East
family, children have equal position as the other members of the hose, has
its own rights and obligations.
Three meals a day Westerners often hasty breakfast, dinner through the speakers, often ate
fast food, lunch, so is considered a relaxed meal of the day.
Transportation Before, when Westerners regarded automobile transportation is the most
efficient, Easterners still cycling. Now, the opposite.
Traveling Westerners enhance observation and practical experience during the trip.
Meanwhile, towards the East, the image saved as a souvenir in every
location is very important.
Way of Life Westerners recommended personal capacity, personality. . . . The oriental
always know integrate with the surrounding environment to create
harmony
What’s Trendy Westerners will find next trendy Asian dishes. Easterners “ dissipated” will
seek to European dishes.

SELF FROM THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

(The Self Embedded in Culture)

Cultural Anthropology is the study of human culture and society. It is the study of people - their
origin, their development, and contemporary variations, wherever and whenever those have been found
(Ferraro 2008).
Culture on the other hand refers to the major way in which human beings adapt to their
environments and give meaning to their lives. I includes human behavior and ideas that are learned rather
than genetically transmitted as well as the material objects produced by a group of people (Nanda and
Warren 2007).

Anthropologist CLIFFORD GEERTS in “The Impact of a Man” state that . . . . Culture provides the link
between what men are intrinsically capable of becoming and what they actually, one by one, in fact
become. This leads us to the importance of culture in understanding who we are as human beings.
 Man acquires his knowledge, beliefs, morals, customs, and other habits and capacities from his
interactions with others in the society where he belongs. We learn our cultural practices and traditions by
listening, talking, and interacting with other people.

As a child we learn appropriate behavior by observing and copying the behavior of adults. We
express our feelings and make judgments of what is right or what is wrong based on our interpretation of
adults behavior. This serve to guide our own behavior and perceptions throughout life. Thus, our shared
beliefs, values, memories, and expectations bind us together who grown up in the same culture.

“Culture is also not a force or causal agent in the world, but a context in which people live out their
lines.”

Assessment: Make your realization about the content of the module.

Instructions:

1. Isulat sa notebook and tanan nga answer sa activity (including your prelim test).

2. And notebook e pass kun mag hambal nako sang deadline. (Kada activity obrahon dayon sa notebook kay
anytime e gather ko ang notebook.

Answer the activity using the second module…

1. What is the Perspective of the following Philosophers in terms of understanding your own self?

a. Socrates

b. Plato

c. Saint Agustine

d. Rene Descartes

e. John Locke

f. David Hume

g. Immanuel Kant

h. Sigmund Freud

i. Gilber Ryle
j. Paul Montgomery Churchland

k. Maurice Merleau Pontry