GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

PHILOSOPHY very important concerns because

only by knowing yourself can
- From the Greek words “PHILO”
you hope to improve your life.
and “SOPHIA”
- One should consciously
PHILO contemplate, turn your gaze
inward, and analyse the true
- Means “LOVING” nature and values that are
SOPHIA guiding in life.
- Self-knowledge would open your
- Means “KNOWLEDGE, eyes to your true nature.
WISDOM” - Your real self is not even your
body.
I. SOCRATES - The state of your inner being
- Greek philosopher determines the quality of your
- One of the very few individuals life.
who shaped the western thought. C. Socrates said existence is of two kinds:
- Most information from him is
second hand from the writings of i. Visible – it changes; this is the state of
his student Plato. human being; seen by the naked eye like
- Known for his “SOCRATIC the body
METHOD” ii. Invisible – constant; the mind; the soul
SOCRATIC METHOD D.
- An idea is tested by asking series - The goal of life is to be happy
of questions to determine - How does one become happy?
underlying beliefs and the extent - A virtuous man is a happy man
of knowledge to guide the person
toward better understanding. VIRTUE

A. SOCRATIC IDEA’S - Defined as moral excellence, and

an individual is considered
i. The soul is immortal virtuous if his/her character is
ii. The care of the soul is the task of made up of the moral qualities
philosophy that are accepted as virtues, i.e
iii. Virtue is necessary to attain happiness courage, temperance, prudence,
and justice
B.
E. DEATH
- He believed that philosophy has
a very important role to play in - For Socrates it is a trivial matter
the lives of the people for the truly virtuous has realized
- His most quoted phrase is “ the that the most important thing in
unexamined life is not worth life is the state of his/her soul and
living.” the acts taken from taking care
- He said that: self knowledge or od the soul through sself
the examination of one’s self, as knowledge.
well as the question about how
one ought to live one’s life, are II. PLATO
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- A student of Socrates perfect and eternal God where

- His philosophical approach is the soul belonged
what they call “ collection and - The soul held the truth and was
division” acceptable of scientific thinking.
- Best known for his “theory of - His concept of the “self” was an
Forms” which asserted that the inner, immaterial “I” that had
physical world is not really the self-knowledge and self-
“real” world because the ultimate awareness
exists beyond it - The human being is both a soul
and body, and the body
COLLECTION AND DIVISION
possessed senses, such as
- In this method, the philosopher imagination, memory, reason,
“collects” all the common ideas and mind through which the soul
with common characteristics and experienced the world
then divides them into various
a. the aspects of the self/soul according to St.
genres until a subset of ideas are
Augustine are”
specified
i. It is able to be aware of itself
a.
ii. It recognizes itself as a holistic one
- The “soul” according to him is iii. It is are of its unity
the most divine aspect of the
b. St. Augustine espoused the following
human being
contentions:
- His concept of divine is not a
spiritual being but rather one that i. Human beings through the senses could
has an intellectual connotation sense the material, temporal objects as
we interacted with the material world;
b. the three parts of the soul:
ii. The immaterial but intelligible god
i. The appetitive (sensual) – enjoys sexual would only be clear or obvious to the
experiences like food, drinks, and sex mind if one tune into his/her immaterial
ii. The rational (reasoning) – use of reason self/soul;
iii. The spirited (feeling) – understands the iii. Human beings who is both should and
demands of passion; loves honor and body is meant to tend to higher, divine
victory and heavenly matters;
iv. A person is similar to god as regards to
III. St. AUGUSTINE the mind and its ability
- Also known as St. Augustine of IV. RENE DESCARTES
Hippo
- One of the latin Fathers of the - A French philosopher,
church, one of the doctors of the mathematician and scientist.
church, and one of the most - He is considered as the father of
significant thinkers. modern Western Philosophy
- He was most influenced by - He is often regarded as the first
Plato’s Theory of Forms thinker to emphasize the use of
- He asserted that they were reason to describe, predict and
concepts existing within the understand natural phenomena
based on observational and
empirical evidence.
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

a. Rene Descartes made these significant

contributions:
i.
- Doubt is a principal tool for
disciplined inquiry; this method
is called
hyperbolical/metaphysical doubt
or methodological scepticism. V. JOHN LOCKE

ii. - A philosopher and a physician

and one of the most influential
- Known for his famous line of enlightenment thinkers.
“cogito ergo sum” which - Also known as the age of reason.
translates to “I think therefore, I
am.” AGE OF REASON
- He asserted that everything
- this intellectual movement
perceived by the senses could be
dominated the ideas in Europe
fooled.
during the 18th century.
- Doubting once existence can be
done so that a thinking entity is a.
there and doing the act of
doubting. - locke expanded the definition of
the “self” to include the
iii. memories of that thinking thing.
- He believed that the “self” is
- His claims about the self are-
identified with consciousness and
constant, not prone to changer
this “self” consists of sameness
and not affected by time; only the
and consciousness.
immaterial soul is the source of
our identity. b. his contentions are:
HYPERBOLICAL/METAPHYSICAL DOUBT i. The self consists of memory.
or METHODOLOGICAL SCEPTICISM ii. The person existing now is the same
person yesterday for he/she remember
- Is a systematic process of being
the thoughts, experiences or actions of
sceptical about the truth of one’s
the earlier self.
belief in order to determine
iii. A persons memories provide a
which beliefs could be
continuity of experience that allows
ascertained as true.
him/her to identify the same person over
time.
iv. The person can be held accountable for
Table 1. past behaviors for as long as he/she can
Some distinctions between the soul and the body remember.
as described by Descartes. v. Punishing behaviors one had no
recollection of doing is equivalent to
punishing the person for actions that
was never performed.
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

vi. A person who cannot remember as the - It is vivid because they are
same as that of a person who never products of our direct experience
committed the act which means the with the world.
person is ignorant.
IDEAS
VI. DAVID HUME
- are copies of impressions
- A Scottish philosopher,
b. SELF per Hume
economist and historian in the
age of enlightenment; - simply “ a bundle of collection of
- He is one of the three different perceptions, which
figureheads who influenced the succeed each other with an
British empiricism movement. inconceivable rapidity, and are in
a perpetual flux and movement”
AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
VII. IMMANUEL KANT
- A fierce opponent of Descartes
Rationalism - believes that the things that men
perceive around them are not just
RATIONALISM
randomly infused into the human
- Is a theory that reason, rather person without an organizing
than experience, is the principle that regulates the
foundation of all knowledge. relationship of these impressions.
- There is necessarily a mind that
THREE FIGUREHEADS
organizes the impressions that
- John Locke, George Berkeley, men get from the external world.
and David Hume - Without the self, one cannot
organize the different
EMPIRICISM impressions that one gets in
- Is the idea that the origin of all relation to his own existence.
knowledge is a sense of - He therefore suggests that it is an
experience. actively engaged intelligence in
- It emphasized the role of man that synthesizes all
experience and evidence in knowledge and experience.
forming concept. a. Two kinds of consciousness of self
a. (rationality):

- To David Hume, the self is i. Consciousness of oneself and one’s

nothing else but a bundle of psychological states in inner send, and;
impressions. ii. Consciousness of oneself and one’s
- He categorizes it into two- states by performing acts of
impressions and ideas. apperception

IMPRESSIONS APPERCEPTION

- Are the basic objects of our - Is the mental process by which a

experience or sensation. person makes sense of an idea by
- They form the core of our assimilating it to the body of
thoughts. ideas one already possesses.
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b. two components of the “self”: iii. Unconscious which refers to data

retained but not easily available to the
i. Inner self- the “self” by which you are
individual’s conscious awareness or
aware of alternations in your own state,
scrutiny
ii. Outer self- it includes your senses and
the physical world. b. he also proposed existence of
unconsciousness;
c. He also proposed that the “self” organizes
information in three ways: i. A repository for traumatic represses
memories; and
i. Raw perceptual input,
ii. The source of anxiety-provoking drives
ii. Recognizing the concept, and
that is socially or ethically unacceptable
iii. Reproducing in the imagination.
to the individual.
VIII. SIGMUND FREUD
c. he also structured the mind/psyche intro 3
- A philosopher, physiologist, parts:
psychologist
i. ID- operating on pleasure principle; if
- One of the most influential
unpleasurable, there is tension
thinker in the 20th century.
ii. EGO- operating on reality principle; if it
- Most important contribution is
fails, anxiety is experienced
psychoanalysis.
iii. SUPEREGO- it incorporates the values
- He did not accept the existence
and morals of society; controls the id
of any single entity that could be
impulses; persuades the ego to choose
put forward as the notion of the
moralistic goals and strive for perfection
“self”.
rather than simply realistic ones.
- His groundbreaking work in the
field of psychoanalysis answered d. two systems of the superego:
about the psyche.
i. CONSCIENCE- If the ego gives in to
PSYCHOANALYSIS the Id’s demands, the superego may
make the person feel bad through guilt.
- A practiced devised to treat those
ii. IDEAL SELF- an imaginary picture of
who are mentally ill through
how you ought to be.
dialogue.
- It represents career aspirations;
PSYCHE how to treat other people; and
how to behave as a member of
- In psychology, it is the totality of society.
the human mind, both conscious
and unconscious.
a. three levels of consciousness: e.

i. Conscious which deals with awareness - These are all products of the
of present perceptions, feelings, Psychoanalytic Theory of Fraud.
thoughts, memories, and fantasies at any
PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY of Fraud
particular moment;
ii. Pre-conscious/ subconscious which - Where a personality theory is
related to data that can readily be based on the notion that an
brought to consciousness, and; individual gets motivated by
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unseen forces, controlled by the perspectives, feelings, beliefs,

conscious and rational thought. and desires.
- A subject acts upon or affects
IX. GILBERT RYLE
some other entity, called the
- According to him what truly object.
matters is the behavior that a - A subject therefore, is something
person manifests in his day-to- that exist, can take action, and
day life. can cause real effects (object).
- Suggest that the “self” is not an
a. - the body and mind are so entertwined that
entity one can locate and analyse
they cannot be separated from one another.
but simply the convenient name
that people use to refer to all the b. – he dismissed the Cartesian Dualism
behaviors that people make. that has spelled so much devastation in the
- Your actions define your own history of man.
concept of “self”.
- to him the Cartesian problem is
X. PAUL CHURCHLAND nothing else but plain misunderstanding.
- Known for his studies in - the living body, his thoughts, emotions,
neurophilosophy and the and experiences are all one.
philosophy of the mind.
- His philosophy stands on a
materialistic view or the belief
that nothing but matter exists.
- If something can be seen, felt,
heard, touched, or tasted, then it
exists.
a. his idea is called eliminative materialism or
the claim that people’s common sense
understanding of the mind is false, and that
certain classes of mental states which most
people believe in do not exist.
XI. MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY
- emphasizes that the body is the
primary site of knowing the
world.
- His idea of the “self” is an
embodied subjectivity- a verb
that means to body.

SUBJECTIVITY
- Is a state of being a subject Who Believed?
- An entity that possesses
conscious experiences such as
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

1. He believed that the most important thing in

life is the state of an individual’s soul.
LESSON 2:
SOCRATES
THE SELF AS THE PRODUCT OF MODERN
2. He believed that human being is both a soul SOCIETY AMONG OTHER
and body. ST. AUGUSTINE CONSTRUCTION
3. He asserted that “self” does not exist; instead,
he stressed that perceptions are only active for as
long as an individual is conscious. DAVID INTRODUCTION
HUME - Time and again and across ages,
4. He proposed for the existence of the the self has been debated,
unconscious. SIGMUND FREUD discussed and conceptualized.
- Affirming and negating views
5. He believed that there are parts of the soul, were presented so as to
namely, appetitive, rational, and spirited. substantially present vivid
PLATO descriptions of the “self.”
- As time passes by, these settled
6. He claimed that human knowledge is derived
into the idea between the body
from experience. JOHN LOCKE
and the soul.
7. He believed that self is not in the body, and he - Now, a new locus of discussion
stressed that the body and its qualities are rooted is in the pipeline due to the
to the self. IMMANUEL KANT advent of social sciences.
- For an accepted fact is, no matter
8. He viewed that the immaterial soul does not how a gifted person is if
exist because it cannot be experienced by the interaction to the external reality
senses. MICHAEL CHURCHLAND is void, one ceases to exist in
9. He believed that an individuals’ actions define empty space. Thus, a solitude
his/her own concept of the self. GILBERT life.
RYLE - But how one’s existence is
influenced towards the
10.He asserted that the soul is distinct from the development of the self?
body. RENE DESCARTES
ABSTRACTION
- How is one influenced by the
society he/she lives? Who are the
person that influences him/her?
Were the influences positive or
negative?

------------------------------------------------------

- Social constructivists argue that

the self should not be seen as a
static entity that stays constant
through and through.
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

- It has to be seen as something A. SOCIAL GROUP

that is unceasing flux, in a
- are described as having two or
constant struggle with external
more people interacting with one
reality and is malleable in its
another, sharing similar
dealings with society.
characteristics, and whose
- The self is multi-faceted.
members identify themselves as
I. THE MODERNIZED SOCIETY part of the group.
- They can be organic or rational
- Modernization has significantly
groups.
changed society, and this has
- The former is highly influenced
affected how an individual builds
by family.
and develops his or her self-
- Organic motivation is runs deep
identity.
giving the person a sense of
- Pre-modern society was centered
belongingness.
on survival.
- The downside implies less
- People behaved according to
freedom and greater social
social rules and traditions while
conformity.
the family and immediate
- The latter occurs in modern
environment provided
societies.
supervision on how to get
- They are formed as a matter of
through life.
shared self-interests.
A. key characteristics of modernity (Giddens, - They join based on free will.
1991) They are called rational
motivation.
i. INDUSTRIALISM
- extensive use of material power B. SOCIAL NETWORK
and machinery in all processes of
- refers to the ties or connections
production.
that link you to your social
ii. CAPITALISM
group.
- involving competitive product
- Examples of these are: what links
markets and the commodification
you to family is blood relation; to
of labor power.
barkada is friendship; classmates
iii. INSTITUITION OF
common interest to learn.
SURVEILLANCE
- massive increase of power and Other self-influences to external adaptation:
reach by institutions, especially
i. CULTURE
in government, and.
- adopting to social situation and
iv. DYNAMISM
social norms- being a father,
- having vigorous activity and
husband, worker, friend, OFW,
progress.
and among others
II. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOCIAL ii. LANGUAGE
GROUPS AND SOCIAL NETWORKS - regional dialects; pop culture
dialects; for Mead and Vygotsky
SOCIAL GROUPS AND SOCIAL
persons develop these and it
NETWORKS according to GEORGE SIMMEL
affects interaction
(sociologist)
iii. GENDER
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- is the role we portray and adapt C. GAME

or adopt; sex is the physiological
- Individual not only internalizes
makeup of the person.
the other people’s perspectives
Social group is either organic or rational - Is also able to take into account
societal rules and adheres to it.

TWO SIDES OF SELF. “I” AND “ME”

ORGANIC GROUP
ME
- highly influenced by family;
- formed in traditional societies - Is the product of what the person
has learned while interacting
RATIONAL GROUP
with others and with the
- Occur in modern societies; environment
- Formed as a matter of shared - Exercises social control over the
self-interests. self
- Sees to it that rules are not
MEAD AND THE SOCIAL SELF broken
GEORGE HERBERT MEAD - Learned behaviors, attitudes and
even expectations comprise the
- His theory of the social self, is a “me”
product of social interactions and
internalizing the external views “I”
along with one’s personal view - Part of the self that is
about oneself unsocialized and spontaneous
DIFFERENT STAGE S OF SELF - - The individual’s response to the
DEVELOPMENT community’s attitude toward the
person; presents impulses and
A. LANGUAGE drives
- Through shared understanding of THE SELF AND THE PERSON IN
symbols, gestures, and sound; CONTEMPORARY ANTHROPOLOGY “ ME
- Gives the individual the capacity AND MY CULTURE”
to express himself/herself while
at the same time comprehending ANTHROPOLOGY
what the other people are - Is the study of people, past and
conveying. present
B. PLAY - Focus on understanding the
human condition in its cultural
- Assume the perspective of thers aspect
- It enables the person to - Concerned with understanding
internalize some of the people’s how humans evolved and how
perspectives they differ from one another
- Hence develops an understanding
of how the other people feel A UNIT BUT UNITARY
about themselves in a variety of - Katherine Ewing
situations
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

- Portrays the “self” as implicitly - Is characteristic of the

and explicitly existing in the individualistic culture, such as in
mind comprised of North America and Europe
psychological, biological and - Represents the self as separate,
cultural processes distinct, with emphasis on
internal attributes or traits, skills,
JOSEPH LEDOUX (2002)
and values.
- Neuroscientist
INTERDEPENDENT CONSTRUCT
- Conceptualized the implicit and
explicit aspects of the self - Is typical of the collectivist
culture in east asia stressing the
EXPLICIT SELF
essential connection between the
- The aspect of the self that you individual to other people.
are consciously aware of
CATHERINE RAEFF
IMPLICIT SELF
- Developmental psychologist
- The one that is not immediately - Believed that culture can
available to the consciousness influence how you view
relationships, personality traits,
LeDOUX view on how the “self” developed achievement, and expressing
asserted that is is framed, maintained, and emotions.
affected biologically, mentally, and socially

SELF AS REPRESENTATION (Katherine

Ewing)
- Meant culturally shaped “self”
concepts that one applies to
oneself
LESSON 3
THE SELF EMBEDDED IN CULTURE
I AM WHO I AM
- Cultural traditions and social
practices regulate, express, and The perennial question is: Who I am? Or who
transform the human psyche, am I?
resulting less in psychic unity for
humankind than in ethnic William James (1890)
divergencies in mind, self, and - one of the earliest psychologist to
emotion study the self
 Two ways on how the self is - conceptualized the self as having
constructed; the independent and two aspects- the “I” and “me”
interdependent constructs - father of American psychology
INDEPENDENT CONSTRUCT the I
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

- is the thinking, acting, and personalities, social role, or

feeling self. relationship, thoughts, feelings.
- The empirical self
The me
- Based on observation or
- is the physical characteristics as experience rather than theory or
well as psychological capabilities pure logic
that makes who you are.
Dimensions of me-self:
Other concept similar to the self are identify the
a) Material
self-concept
b) Social
Identity c) spiritual

- is composed of personal Carl Rogers

characteristics, social roles, and
- captured a self-schema or our
responsibilities as well as
organized system or collection of
affiliations that define who one
knowledge about who we are
is.
- these are not limited to: hobbies,
Self-concept family, religion, nationality,
interest, work, course, age, name,
- is what basically comes to your physical characteristics among
mind when you are asked about others.
who you are
Jean Piaget
BOTH ARE NOT FIXED. THEY KEEP ON
CHANGING AT EVERY MOMENT - swiss clinical psychologist
- known for his pioneering work in
According to him, “self” has two elements: the child development known as
I-self and Me-self “theory of cognitive
I-self development”
- did a comprehensive theory
- pure ego about the development of human
- objective self intelligence
- it is the “self” that is aware of its -
actions.
Human Intelligence
I-self characteristics
- deals with the nature of
a) the sense of being the agent or initiator knowledge itself; and how
of behavior. humans gradually come to
b) A sense of being unique acquire , construct and use it.
c) A sense of continuity
d) A sense of awareness of being aware Cognitive Development

Me-self - a progressive reorganization of

mental processes resulting from
- Self that is the object. biological maturation and
- The self you can describe like environmental experience.
your personal characteristics, - Is at the center of human
organism.
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

The three basic components of Piaget’s Sensorimotor 0-2  Child learns by

cognitive development: looking; touching;
sucking
1. Schema/ Schemes  The child also has
- building blocks of knowledge; primitive
understanding of
2. Adaptation cause-and-effect
relationships
- involves child learning processes to  Object permanence
meet situational demands; appears around 9
months
3. stages of cognitive development
Preoperation 2-7  Child uses language
- reflect the increasing sophistication of al and symbols,
the child’s thought process. including letters and
numbers
Piaget further describes two processes used by  Egocentrism is also
the individual in his/her attempt to adapt- evident
assimilation and accommodation.  Conservation marks
the end of the
Assimilation preoperational stage
- Is the application of the previous and the beginning of
concepts to the new concepts. concrete operations
Concrete 7-11  The child
Accommodation Operations demonstrate
conversation,
- Happens when people encounter reversibility, serial
completely new information or ordering, and a
when existing ideas are mature
challenged. understanding of
cause-and-effect
relationship.
 Thinking at this
stage is still concrete.
Formal 12+  The individual
Operations demonstrates
abstract thinking at
this stage is still
concrete.
Dr. Susan Harter (1999)
- Detailed the mergence of self-
concept and asserted that the
In the stages of cognitive development , Piaget
broad development changes
theorized that children progress through 4
observed across early childhood,
stages;
later childhood and adolescence
could be interpreted within a
Piagetian framework
Stages of cognitive development
These developments are as follows:
Stage Age Characteristics of stage
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

1. Early childhood rogers saw as important to

healthy personality growth
- the child describes the “self” in terms
of concrete, observable characteristics, Humanistic psychology
such as physical attributes, material
- An approach that highlighted the
possessions, behaviors and preference.
individuals innate drive toward
2. Middle or Later Childhood self actualization and the process
of realizing and expressing one’s
- self is described in terms of trait like
own capabilities and creativity.
constructs that would require the type of
- Emphasized the active role of the
hierarchical organizational skills
individual in shaping their
characteristic of logical thought
internal and external worlds
development.
- Stressed that a person is an
3. Adolescence active, creative in experiencing
being who lives in the present
- emergence of more abstract self- and who thinks, feels, and
definitions, such as inner thoughts, responds to his/her environment
emotions, attitudes, and motives.
Actualizing tendency
4. Emerging Adults
- Which refers to a person’s basic
- a vision of possible self. instinct to succeed at his/her
- The age of possibilities. highest possible capacity

- Time of grand dreams. Ideal self vs. real self

- More realistic. Ideal self

TERMS - Is the person that you would like

yourself to be;
PSYCHOLOGY - Concept of the “best me”,
develop based on what you have
- Is the scientific study of how
has learned and experienced
people behave, think and feel
(everything that concerns the Real self
human being)
- Is the person you actually are
COGNITIVE - How you behave right at the
moment of a situation
- Relating to, being, or involving
- Who you are in reality
conscious intellectual activity,
- How you think, feel, act at
such as thinking, reasoning, or
present
remembering.
Importance of alignment
Real and Ideal Self concept
- Need to achieve consistency
Self assessment test for congruence between the ideal self and real
- Procedure for measuring a state (congruence)
of internal consistency, with carl High congruence
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

- Leads to a greater sense of self- - proposed his “personality trait”

worth and a healthy productive theory asserting that every
life person possesses “traits”
trait
Incongruence (great consistency) - is your essential characteristics
that never, ever changes and
- Lead to maladjustment
sticks with you all your life,
- Inability to react successfully and
shape who you are ( how you
satisfactorily to the demand of
think, feel or behave.etc.)
one’s environment
THE EGO STATES
Multiple vs. unified selves
Eric Berne (1960)
William James (1890)
- a psychiatrist
- A man has many social selves
- develop his transactional analysis
Roy Baumeister (2010) model as basis for understanding
behavior
- Integration of diverse
experiences into a unity transactional analysis anchored on two notions;

The unity of consciousness 1. every person has 3 parts called “ego states” in
his or her personality
- Pushed by Descartes, Kant, and
James 2. people communicate with one another
assuming roles of any of these ego states
Descartes
Berne presented the ego states as; PARENT-
- the mind (that is the thinking, ADULT-CHILD
experiencing being) is not made
up of parts: thus, it cannot be a Parent ego state
physical substance because
- the voice of authority
anything material has parts; that
- could be comforting “nurturing
this “being” is of unified
parent” voice or a “controlling/
consciousness and not composed
critical parent” voice that tells
of merged fragments
what you should or not should
Kant’s “unity of consciousness” do.

- described as “I am conscious not Adult ego state

only of single experiences but of
- is the rational person
a great many experiences at the
- voice that speaks reasonably and
same time; same is true with
know how to assert
actions
himself/herself
one self or many selves?
three child ego states:
Psychologist Gordon Allport (1961)
natural child
- who loves to play but Is sensitive
and vulnerable
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

little professor D. MATERIALISTIC/ RATIONALISTIC

- the curious child who wants to - tends to discredit explanations
try everything that do not use analytic-
deductive modes of thinking
adaptive child
THE ORIENTAL/ESTEARN thoughts
- the one who reacts to the world
- could be trying to fit in or is Presents the following;
rebelling against authority
CONFUCIANISM
- code of ethical conduct
- main idea is the importance of
having a good moral character,
LESSON 4
which can then affect the world
THE SELF IN WESTERN AND EASTERN around that person through the
ORIENTAL THOUGHT idea of “cosmic harmony”
- how one should act properly
 there are a lot of sources in which we according to their relationship
can analyse the perspective of eastern with other people;
ans western thought - focused on having a harmonious
 the western tradition is generallu social life;
acknowledged to be “imbued with a - a cultivated self in Confucianism
style of thinking based on dichotomy is what some scholars call as
and binary opposition” “subdued self”.
o SUBDUED SELF
FRANK (1985)
 Personal needs are
- outlined 4 categories on how the repressed for the good
term “self” is used in of the many
contemporary western  It is hierarchical for the
discussions; purpose of maintaining
order and balance in
A. ANALYTICAL
society.
- tendency to see reality as an - The quest for the “self” in terms
aggregate of parts; of substance, of spirit, of body, or
of essence does not exist; his
B. MONOTHEISTIC concept of “self” is that of
- involved the tendency to unitary personality which is an achieved
explanations of phenomena and a state of moral excellence
closed system view of the “self” EVERY PERSON IS BORN WITH 4
C. INDIVIDUALISTIC BEGGININGS

- where self-expression and self-  Hear of compassions that leads to Jen

actualization are important ways  Heart of righteousness that leads to Yi
of establishing who one is, as  Heart of propriety that leads to Li; and
well as in finding satisfaction in  Heart of wisdom that leads to Chih
the world
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

- Jen, Yi, Li, and Chih are the interdependent and ever
perfection of virtues that are the changing
start were mere potentials - Buddha taught a doctrine called
ANATTA
TAOISM
ANATTA
- Is living the way of the Tao or
the universe - Defined as “ no self or no-soul”
- It rejects having one definition of - That there is no eternal,
what Tao is, and one can only unchanging “self/soul”
state clues of what it is as they inhabiting our bodies or living
adopt a free-flowing, relative, our lives.
unitary as well as paradoxical
ISLAM
view of almost everything
- Rejects hierarchy and strictness - The Arabic word for the “self” is
- Would prefer a simple lifestyle Nafs written in the Holy Qur-an
and its teachings thus aim to o NAFS
describe how to attain that life. o It pertains to the psyche or the
- Rejects a hierarchical view of the soul
self, society, or cosmos o Totality of the conscious and
 Main idea is the belief in balancing unconscious human mind
forces, or yin and yang o To the nafs/self; instead its
 These ideas represent matching pairs, something that has to be
such as light and dark, hot and cold, nurtured and self-regulated, so
action and inaction, which work that it can progress into
together a universal whole becoming “good” ( or
BUDDHISM conversely, “evil”) through its
thoughts and actions
- The self is seen as an illusion o The self in Islamic tradition is
- Born out of ignorance, of trying used both in the
to hold and control things, or “individualistic” and “collective
human-centered needs sense”
- Thus, the self is also a source of - The Quran does not ascribe any
all these sufferings property of goodness or evil to
- Forget the self the self
- Forget the cravings of the self - The Nafs in something which has
- Break the attachments in the to be nurtured and self-regulated
world so it can progress into becoming
- Renounce the self which is the good through its thoughts and
cause of all the suffering and I so actions.
doing, attain the state of Nirvana - Muslims are monotheistic and
- Believe that the human life is one worship one, all knowing god,
of suffering and that meditation, who in Arabic is known as
spiritual, and physical labor, and ALLAH
good behavior are the ways to - Islam followers aim to live a life
achieve enlightenment or nirvana of complete submission to allah,
- Buddhist traditions, the “self” is believe that nothing can happen
a dynamic process,
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

without Allah’s permission, but - The continuous cycle of life,

humans have free will death and reincarnation.
KARMA

WESTERN CONCEPT OF SELF - Universal law of cause and effect

- Ancient Greek philosophers see KEY BELIEFS SHARED AMONG HINDUS

humans as the bearer of
 Truth is eternal…
irreplaceable values
 Brahman is the truth and reality…
SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS  The Vedas are the ultimate reality…
- Medieval times philosopher  Everyone should strive to achieve
- Believed that the body dharma…
constitutes individuality  Individuals souls are immortal…
 Reinaissance thoughts, individual was  The goal of the individual soul is
the focus with Rene Descartes’ famous “ moksha…
I think, therefore I am” as the epitome of
WHO IS GOD IN HINDUISM?
the western idea of self
 Western tradition is “imbued with a - Recognize one god, Brahman
style of thinking based on dichotomy - The eternal origin who is the
and binary opposition” cause and foundation of all
 There is an essential distinction between existence
the notion of the thinking subject (an - Represent different expressions
observer) that stands in natural of Brahman
opposition to observable reality.

EASTERN CONCEPT OF SELF BRAHMAN

VEDAS - The true nature of humans which

is divine universal consciousness
- Earliest religious writings encompassing the universe
- Formed the hindu philosophy - The self that is all within us
and Dharma, chants and hymns - One of the main point is “change
illustrate the mindset of a your perception of the world to
nondual universe; perceive the Brahman in oneself
- A creation that is completely and in others”
unified with the creator.
EAST VS. WEST
DHARMA
PHILOSOPHY, CULTURAL VALUES, AND
- The principle of cosmic order
MINDSET
HINDUS
 Eastern society accepts the truth as
- Believe in the doctrines of given and is more interested in finding
SAMSARA and KARMA the balance
 Emphasis in social responsibly
SAMSARA
 The “me” concept, eternal reality of the
universal truth; self- liberation through
GE 113: UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1

getting rid of the false “me” and

discovering the true “me”
 Western society strives to find and prove
“the truth”
 Put more stock in individual rights
 “me” is here and now; the true “me” in
every human being is a part of the
divine that need to become apparent;
true “me” is given and doesn’t have to
be cognizable.
 Relationship with religion is integration.
 Search for absolute truth- through
systemic approach (all events in the
universe are interconnected, searching
inside yourself (meditation and right
living)
 Opposition to the religion
 Truth more focused on individual events
and the role of the person
 Searching outside yourself- through
research and analysis