Reviewer

Understanding the self in Philosophical Perspective

What is Philosophy?
"philo" - loving
"sophia" - knowledge/wisdom

Philosophy is about finding answers to serious questions about ourselves and about
the world we live in.

What is Philosophical perspective?

Worldview that define the nature of the world, the individual's place in it, and the
possible relationship to that world and it's parts.

The 7 Philosophical perspective

• Objectivism
• Realism
• Empiricism
• Rationalism
• Idealism
• Relativism
• Pragmatism

Objectivism
an ontological and epistemological perspective that maintains that knowledge is a
reflection of the universe and that reality (the world) is made up of distinct entities
and exists outside of the individual.

Realism
Form of objectivism that holds that knowledge is the result of a connection between
the mind and the word (epistemology); it implies that reality exists in some sense
apart from the mind(ontology.

Empiricism
epistemology that holds that knowledge is acquired via sense perception and
experience

Rationalism
essentially an epistemological perspective that holds that knowledge primarily comes
from reason

Idealism
defines reality as mental, implying that there is no separation between the mind and
the universe (ontology)

Relativism
A broad rule that bases the significance of experience and physical events on the
connections between them
Pragmatism
knowledge is obtained by interactions between groups of people and the objects in
their surroundings, both of which contribute to the creation of reality; it is neither an
epistemology nor an ontology.

Socrates
-An ancient Greek philosopher
-Famously stated "know thyself.
-He believed in the dualistic nature of
the self. The physical body and soul (mind)

Physical Body
It is a tangible, material aspect of a human being that experiences physical needs,
desires, and limitations

Soul (mind)
Socrates believed that every human possessed an immortal soul.

Plato
-A student of Socrates
- He believed that the self is divided into three parts: reason, spirit, and physical
apettite

Reason
-Divine essence that allows us to think deeply, make wise choices, and achieve a true
understanding of eternal truths
Spirit
-Basic emotion such as love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness, and empathy
Physical appetite
-Basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desire

Aristotle (A greek philosopher)

-Aristotle is the student of plato and a teacher of alexander the great
-For Aristotle, the soul has three parts and this parts are vegetative soul, sentient soul
and rational soul.

Vegetative soul
-the most basic level and is responsible for growth, nutrition, and reproduction
Sentient soul
-responsible for sensation, desire, and movement
Rational soul
-is unique to humans and is responsible for intellect, reasoning, and decision-making

St. Augustine
-He combined Christian theology with philosophical inquiry
-He believed that the self is known through the knowledge of God
-For him, the soul is the true essence of the of the self and is created in the image of
God
Reńe Descartes
-A French philosopher mathematician, and scientists.
- He is often referred to as the "father of modern philosophy
-Descartes is famous for his statement, "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am)
-For Descartes, self is also a combination of two distinct entities: cogito and the
extenza

Cogito
-The thing that thinks
Extenza
-The extension of the body

David Hume
-Known for his philosophical empiricism and skepticism.
-Hume argued that the self is a bundle of perceptions.
-For him, what we consider the self is merely a collection of sensory experiences and
memories

• Impression:
-The basic objects of our experience or sensation; products of our direct experience
with the world
• Ideas: -copies of impressions; they are not as lively and and vivid as our
impressions

Immanuel Kant
-A German philosopher who is considered a central figure in modern philosophy.
- The mind has innate faculties that structure our perceptions and experiences. He
labeled these the "apparatus of the mind"

• Understanding
- provides concepts.
• Intuition
- provides the forms of space and time.
• Reason
- synthesizes and integrates knowledge.

Gilbert Ryle (A British philosopher)

-Known for his critique of Cartesian dualism and development of the philosophy of
mind
-Ryle argued that the self is not an inner entity but rather a collection of behaviors
-According to Ryle, the self is known through actions and behavior

Maurice Merleau-Ponty (French phenomenological

philosopher)
-Known for his work on perception and embodiment
-He argued that our experiences and perceptions are shaped by our embodied
existence.
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES OF THE SELF
WHAT IS SOCIOLOGY?
SOCIOLOGY ~ is a social science that studies human societies, their interactions,
and the processes that preserve and change

“SELF IS A PRODUCT OF SOCIAL INTERACTIONS”

-The self is not present at birth.
-Develops only with social experience wherein language, gestures, and objects are
used to communicate meaningfully.
-Human behavior is influenced by group of people.
-Oneself formed through interactions with other people, groups or social

SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF THE SELF

Charles Cooley- Looking Glass Self
-American Social Pyschologist
-Sociologist

Looking Glass Self

-The process by which people evaluate themselves based on how others see them.
-Other people act as a mirror, reflecting the image we project through their reactions
to our behavior.

Steps in Looking Glass Self

-You imagine how you appear to the other person.
-You imagine the judgement of the other person.
-You feel some sense of pride, happiness, guilt and shame.

Our Sense of Self is Influenced by Others’ Views of Us.

The labeling bias occurs when we are labeled, and others’ views and expectations of
us are affected by that labeling.

SOCIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF THE SELF

George Herbert Mead- Social self
-American Sociologist
-Philosopher
-Psychologist
-Founder of Social Psychology
-Identity as a social process.
-Individual forms his identity (self) through processes of interaction and
communication.
-For Mead, the self is not there from birth, but it is developed over time from social
experiences and activities.

Mead’s ideas…
-The self develops solely through social experience.
- Social experience consists of the exchange of symbols.
-Knowing others’ intentions requires imagining the situation from their perspectives.
-Understanding the role of the other results in self- awareness.

Three Stages of Development of Self

Imitation
Children copy behavior of adults without understanding it.

Play stage
Play develops self by allowing individuals to take on different roles, pretend, and
express expectation of others.

Game stage
Learn to understand complex interactions involving different people with variety of
purpose

The “I” and the “ME’ Self

I
-My subjective sense of self.
-Realty as I experience it from the inside.
-My own deepest feelings about who I am.

ME
-My social self.
-How others in society see me.
-Involves reflecting on social roles.

SOCIALIZATION
“a complex processes of interaction through which the individual learns the habits,
skills, beliefs and standard of judgement that are necessary for his effective
participation in social groups and communities”.

Agencies of Socialization
1. Family
2. School
3. Peer Group
4. Mass Media
5. Workplace
6. Religion

Karl Marx's theory, known as Marxism, centers around the analysis of class
struggle and the critique of capitalism.

Conflict theory, largely derived from the works of Karl Marx, focuses on the role of
power and inequality in shaping society. It views society as a continuous struggle for
resources and power among different social groups. Here's an overview of conflict
theory:

Power and Inequality: Conflict theory asserts that society is divided into
groups that have unequal resources and power. The dominant group (or class)
controls the resources, institutions, and decision-making processes,
maintaining power over other groups.

Class Struggle: Like Marxism, conflict theory sees class struggle as the
engine of social change. The ruling class (bourgeoisie) exploits the working
class (proletariat) in capitalist systems, causing tension and conflict over
resources.

Social Institutions as Instruments of Power: Institutions like the

government, legal systems, and education are viewed as tools that reinforce
and maintain the power of the dominant group, often marginalizing others.
These institutions may create laws, policies, and cultural norms that benefit
those in power.

Change through Conflict: Conflict theorists believe that significant social

change happens through conflict, not consensus. Social change often comes
from oppressed groups challenging the status quo, as opposed to gradual
improvements. Revolutions, strikes, and protests are examples of how the
oppressed seek to change power structures.

Beyond Class Struggle: While Marx focused on class, modern conflict theory
extends to other forms of inequality, such as race, gender, ethnicity, and
religion. These theories explore how different groups experience and resist
oppression based on these social divisions.

· Proletariat: The working class who do not own the means of production and must
sell their labor to survive.

· Bourgeoisie: The capitalist class who own the means of production and derive their
wealth from the labor of the proletariat.

Erving Goffman's theories revolve around the concept of social interaction and
how individuals navigate their identities in everyday life.

Dramaturgical Approach: Goffman likens social interactions to a theatrical

performance. In his book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, he introduces the
idea that people present themselves in ways that will be accepted by others, much like
actors on a stage.

Front Stage: This is the public persona individuals present to others. It

involves the behaviors, appearances, and communication styles used to create
a desired impression.

Back Stage: In contrast, this is where individuals can drop their societal roles
and be themselves, away from the scrutiny of others.