Central Luzon State University
Science City of Muñoz 3120
Nueva Ecija, Philippines
Instructional Module for the Course
PSYCH 1100 (Understanding the Self)
Module 1: The Self from Various
Perspectives
Topic 4 – The Self in Western and Eastern
Thoughts
Overview
This chapter will discuss the different cultures and varying environment
that tend to create different perceptions of the “self”. Focus is on the
distinctions between cultures and people is the Eastern-vs-Western dichotomy
wherein Eastern represents Asia and Western represents Europe and
Northern America. This chapter will also utilize a critical and reflective thought
in analyzing the development of one’s self and identity by understanding one’s
culture and tradition.
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Differentiate the concept of self according to Western thought against
Eastern/Oriental perspectives;
2. Explain the concept of self as found in Asian thoughts; and
3. Create a representation of the Filipino self.
Eastern thoughts (Qingxue, 2003):
• Sees the other person as part of yourself as well as the things you may create, a
drama in which everyone is interconnected with their specific roles
• Asian culture is called a collectivistic culture as the group and social relations that
is given more importance than individual needs and wants.
Western thoughts (Wolter , 2012; Qingxue, 2003):
• Looks at the world in dualities wherein you are distinct from the other person,
the creator is separate from the object he created, in which the self is
distinguished and acknowledged
• The Western culture is what we would call an individualistic culture since their
focus is on the person.
Confucianism (Ho, 1995):
• A code of ethical conduct, of how one should properly act according to his/her
relationship with other people
• The identity and self-concept of the individual are interwoven with the identity
and status of his/her community or culture, sharing its pride as well as its
failures.
• Self-cultivation is seen as the ultimate purpose of life.
• The cultivated self in Confucianism is what some scholars call a “subdued self”
wherein personal needs are repressed (subdued) for the good of many, making
Confucian society also hierarchal for the purpose of maintaining order and
balance in society.
Taoism (Ho, 1995):
• Living in the way of the Tao or the universe
• Rejects having one definition of what the Tao is
• Rejects the hierarchy and strictness brought by Confucianism and would prefer a
simple lifestyle and its teachings thus aim to describe how to attain that life
• The self is not just an extension of the family or the community; it is part of the
universe.
• The ideal self is selflessness but this is not forgetting about the self; it is living a
balanced life with society and nature, being open and accepting to change,
forgetting about prejudices and egocentric ideas and thinking about equality as
well as complementarity among humans as well as other beings.
Buddhism (Ho, 1995):
The self is seen as an illusion, born out of ignorance, of trying to hold and control
things, or human-centered needs; thus, the self is also the source of all these
sufferings.
• To forget about the self, forget the cravings of the self, break the attachments
you have with the world, and to renounce the self which is the cause of all
suffering and in doing so, attain the state of Nirvana.
References
Alata, E.J., et. Al. (2018) Understanding the Self. Rex Books Store. ISBN.
13:9789712386701
Ho, David. (1995). Selfhood and Identity in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and
Hinduism with the west. Journal for the theory of Social Behavior25: 2 Accessed
October 14, 2017. [Link]
Qingxue, Liu. (2003). Understanding Different Cultural Patterns or Orientations
Between East and West. Investigation Linguisticae. Vol IX. April 2003. Accessed
October 14, 2017. [Link]
invelling/pdf/liu_quingxue_inve9.pdf.
Wolter, Derek C. (2012). In Search of the Self: Eastern versus Western
Perspectives. Oglethorpe journal of undergraduate Reserch Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article
1.
