The philosophical perspective - believed that the human person’s soul

become just and virtuous when the

SOCRATES spirited and appetitive parts are kept at
- focused his attention on another subject bay.
(the problem of the self) PLATO’S IDEA OF A THREE-PART SOUL/SELF
- He believed that an unexamined life is
not worth living Reason- Our divine essence that enables us to
- the true task of the philosopher is to think deeply, make wise choices, and achieve a
know oneself “gnōthi seauton” true understanding of eternal truths.
Believed every human person is dualistic Physical Appetite- Our basic biological needs
such as hunger, thirst, and sexual desire.
a) an imperfect and impermanent body
b) a perfect and permanent soul (divine, Spirit or Passion- Our basic emotions such as
immortal, intelligible, uniform, love, anger, ambition. aggressiveness and
indissoluble, and ever self-consistent empathy.
and invariable)
St. Augustine
METAPHYSICAL FRAMEWORK
- Man is rational substance constituted of
Physical Realm soul & body
- Sometimes called “Father of Roman
- Changeable, transient and imperfect Catholicism”
- Physical world - Considered patron saints of theologians
Ideal Realm and those with “sore eyes”
- soul is based on Christian teachings.
- Unchanging, eternal, immortal - believed that it is through memory that
- Intellectual essence of the universe one can think of temporal continuity
(truth, goodness and beauty) (passage of time)
DUALISTIC- a view that material substance Thomas Aquinas
(physical body) and immaterial substance (mind
or soul) are two separate aspects of the self Human person is composed of two parts

Socrates was the first thinker in Western history a) Matter (hyle in Greek)- refers to the
to focus the full power of reason on the HUMAN common stuff that makes up everything
SELF: in the universe.
b) Form (morphe in Greek)- refers to the
• Who we are? essence or substance of a thing.
• Who we should be?
• Who we will become? To Aquinas- the body is akin to the makings of
any other living being in the world. The soul is
Plato what animates the body and makes us humans
- subscribed to idealism which holds that Rene Descartes- held that we should only believe
the empirical reality we experience in those which can pass the test of doubt.
the experiential world is fundamentally
unreal. - believed that the only thing we cannot
- Was one of the first Philosophers to doubt is the existence of the self.
believe in an enduring self that is - argued that only humans the hubris
represented by the soul (excessive pride) and impertinence to be
actually self-aware of their own
 existence and try to figure out the - “self” is not an entity one can locate and
meaning of life analyze; it is simply the name that
people use to refer to all the behaviors
John Locke- The Self Is Consciousness they make
- argued that humans are born blank slate - acknowledges that the self is a
or tabula rasa. The mind acquires combination of the mind and body.
knowledge through experience. Paul Churchland- the self is the brain
- main philosophy about the self is
founded on consciousness or the - “beliefs” are not ontologically real; that
perception of what passes in one’s own is, he maintains that a future, fully
mind. matured neuroscience is likely to have
no need for "beliefs “.
David Hume- There Is No Self
Consciousness might be explained in terms
- espoused the idea that knowledge can
only be possible if it is sensed and - recurrent neural network with its hub in
experienced the intralaminar nucleus of the
- the self is nothing but a bundle of thalamus, and feedback connections to
impressions all parts of the cortex.
All experiences can be categorized into two Maurice Merleau-Ponty
Impressions- the basic objects of our experience - human person is embodied through
or sensation, their being direct products of our lived experiences
direct experiences with the world make them - problematized the mind-body problem
vivid asserting that it is futile and invalid
Ideas- As ideas or mere copies of impressions ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
and as a result they are less “lively” and “vivid.”
- the self-came to be understood as a
Philosophy of the Mind process that orchestrates an individual' s
personal experience following which
Immanuel Kant- We Construct the Self s/he becomes self-aware and self-
- Rejected Hume’s idea of the self as a reflective about her or his place in
mere combination of impressions society.
- Defined the self as the seat of knowledge ANTHROPOLOGY- is the scientific study of
acquisition for all humans humanity. concerned with human behavior,
Sigmund Freud- The Self Is Multilayered human biology, and societies, in both the present
and past, including past human species.
- believes that evidence of a powerful
unconscious self can be found in the “anthropos” (Greek) = “man”
content of our dreams, inadvertent “logos” (Greek) = “study”
“slips of tongue,” and techniques—such
as free association CULTURE- is the set of unwritten norms of
conduct that guide the behavior of a group.
Gilbert Ryle- The Self Is How You Behave
Edward Taylor- defined the culture that it is a
- Resolved the mind-body problem by complex whole which includes knowledge,
blatantly denying the existence of an belief, art, morals, law, customs, and any other
internal, non-physical self capabilities and habits acquired by man.
Material culture- refers to the physical objects, JOSEPH LEDOUX- Neuroscientist who
resources, and spaces that people use to define conceptualized the implicit and explicit aspects
their culture. of the self.
Non-material culture- refers to the nonphysical Explicit self- the self that a person is consciously
ideas that people have about their culture, aware of.
including beliefs, values, rules, norms, morals,
language, organizations, and institutions. Implicit self- Self that is not available in one 's
consciousness.
2 ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES OF THE SELF
CATHERINE RAEFF- A developmental
EGOCENTRIC- A concept of the self where the psychologist who believed that culture can
self is seen as an autonomous and distinct influence how people view.
individual.
Relationship, personality traits, achievement,
SOCIO-CENTRIC- There is no intrinsic self that expressing emotions.
can possess enduring qualities.
Cultural Differences- Exists when groups of
3-PHASED RITE OF PASSAGE BY ARNOLD VAN people assign different meanings to different life
GENNEP events and things
SEPARATION PHASE- people detach from their Key Terms
former identity to another
Social Identities- people construct their self-
LIMINALITY PHASE- a person transitions from identity from the similarities and differences in
one identity to another characteristics among individuals.
INCORPORATION PHASE- the change in one’s Religious affiliation- an important marker for
status is officially incorporated group identity in a given society.
Anthony Wallace and Raymond Fogelson- Family membership- the most significant feature
coined the term “identity and struggles” to determine a person's social identity.
Identity struggles- there is a discrepancy Language- viewed as an essential for the
between the identity a person claims to possess maintenance of group identity.
and the identity attributed to that person by
other. Name- an important device to individualize a
person and legitimize him or her as a member of
Self-identification- In order to attain this, a social group.
individuals have to overcome many obstacles
THE SELF, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE
KATHERINE EWING
“Cultural Acquisition of a specific learned
Illusion of wholeness response among rhesus monkey”- an
experiment conducted by g.r Stephenson in 1967
- Implies that the cohesiveness and
continuity of self are only illusory Self as Sociology- study of social life, social change and
unit but unitary. the social causes and consequences of human
Encompasses the “physical organism behavior.
which possesses psychological
functioning and social attributes George Mead- The social self
Charles Cooley- The looking-glass self
Erving Goffman- Constructing situations and Dual nature of the self- the belief that we
drama experience the self as both subject and object,
the “I” and “Me”
“The self is born of society. The self is inseparable
from society and bound up with communication. CHARLES HORTON COOLEY- american sociologist
It builds on social experience. This is largely a
matter of taking the role of other with increasing “One’s sense of self depends on seeing one’s self
sophistications, broadening out from significant reflected in interactions with others”
others to greater complexity”- GEORGE H. MEAD The looking- glass self- the looking-glass self
refers to the notion that the self develops
The social self
through our perception of others’ evaluation and
- Created through social interaction. appraisal of us.
- Process started in childhood, with
children beginning to develop a sense of ERVING GOFFMAN- constructing situations and
self at about the same time that they drama
began to learn “People routinely behave like actors on a stage.
THE SELF IS HUMAN CAPACITY TO BE REFLECTIVE Everyday social life become theatrical. There are
AND TAKE THE ROLE OF OTHERS. roles. Scripts and actions. Daily life as a series of
stagecraft rules.”
• The self emerges from social
Presentation of the self in everyday life
experience. It is not part of the body and
it does not exist at birth. - believed that meaning is constructed
• Social experience involves through interaction
communication and the exchange of
people symbols. People create meaning. Dramaturgy- focuses on how individuals take on
• To understand intention, you must roles and act them out to present a favorable
imagine the situation from another impression to their “audience”
person’s point of view. By taking the role Impression management- people are concerned
of other: the self is reflective and with controlling how others view them,
reflexive.
STAGES IN MEAD’S THEORY ON THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SELF
Preparatory stage- children mimic or imitate William Shakespeare- all the world is a stage,
others and all the men and women merely players: They
have their exits and their Entrances; and one
Play stage- children pretend to play the role of a man in his time Plays many parts.
particular or a significant other
The self is social construction
Game stage- children play organized games and
take on the perspective of the generalized other Frontstage- People play different roles
throughout their daily lives and display different
Generalized other- The perspectives and kinds of behavior depending on where they are
expectations of a network of others (or a society and the time of day
in general) that a child learns and then takes into
account when shaping his/her own behavior Backstage- When people engage in back stage
behavior, they are free of the expectations and
norms that dictate from stage behavior.
Psychological Perspective of the Self Self-Concept
Concept of the Self- William James - refers to the image of oneself
- flexible and changing perception of
“Me”- empirical self personal identity
- Refers to describing the person’s - develops from interactions with
personal experiences. significant people and self-awareness

divided into categories 3 components of Self-concept

• Material self 1. self-image

• Social self 2. ideal self
• Spiritual self 3. self-esteem

“I”- Refers to the self that knows who he or she Carl Rogers- The curious paradox is that when I
accept myself just as I am, then I can change.
- Thinking, acting and feeling self
- Reflects the soul of a person or what is The Importance of the Unconscious- Sigmund
now thought of as the mind and is called Freud
the pure ego. Three (3) structures of personality
William James- A man’s self is the sum total of all Id- pleasure-seeking, immature, impulsive, child-
that he can call hi, not only his body and his like and cannot delay gratification.
psychic powers, but his clothes and his house.
Ego- "I", works on the reality principle, controls
Multiple versus Unified Self- David Lester the id and can delay pleasure.
- The construction of multiple selves Superego- the "conscience" and 'moral judge"
varies across different roles and 'of conduct
relationships.
- Coping with different selves constitutes Freud’s Psychosexual Stages
a formidable task among adolescents. Oral stage birth- birth to 1 year
erogenous zone: mouth

True versus False Self- Donald Winnicott Anal stage – 1 to 3 year

Erogenous zone: bowel and bladder control
- The function of the false self is to hide
and protect the true self. Phallic stage- 3 to 6 years
- People tend to display a false to impress Erogenous zone: genitals
others.
Latent stage- 6 to puberty
Self-Theory- Carl Rogers
Libido inactive
- Believed in the inherent goodness of
people Genital stage- puberty to death
- emphasized the importance of free will Maturing sexual interests
and psychological growth
- human beings are always striving for self- Psychological Defense Mechanisms
fulfillment or self-actualization
Denial- refusal to recognize a threatening
situation.
Repression- pushing threatening situations out 4. Self-reflectiveness- We can reflect our
of conscious memory. thoughts and behaviors and make
needed modifications
Rationalization- making up acceptable excuses
for unacceptable behavior. Bandura’s 4 elements of social learning theory

Projection- placing one's own unacceptable 1. Attention- Anything that distracts your
thoughts onto others. attention is going to have a negative
effect on observational learning.
Reaction formation- condemns something that 2. Retention- The ability to store
has an unconscious appeal. information is also an important part of
the learning process.
Displacement- transfer of emotions or behaviors 3. Reproduction- it is time to actually
to another less threatening. perform the behavior you observed
4. Motivation- you have to be motivated to
Regression- falling back on childlike patterns as a imitate the behavior that has been
way of coping with stressful situations. modeled.
Identification- trying to become like someone Self as the Central Archetype- Carl Jung
else to deal with one's anxiety.
Archetypes- are universal, inborn models of
Compensation- trying to make up for areas in people, behaviors, or personalities that play a
which a lack is perceived by becoming superior role in influencing human behavior.
in some area
4 Jung’s Personality Archetypes
Sublimation- turning socially unacceptable urges
into socially acceptable Persona- One’s “public personality “or mask;
one's social roles
behavior.
Shadow- One’s dark side, part of ourselves that
Self as Proactive and Agentic- Albert Bandura we dislike.
Albert Bandura- Humans are producers of their Anima- Female archetypes, or “feminine side”
life circumstance not just products of them.
Animus- Male archetypes, or “male side”
- Stanford University Psychologist
- Views people as agents (originators) of Self- Central archetypes of personality,
experience not just reactive. represents wholeness
- Suggests that human have the ability to
act and make things happen. The Self in Western and Eastern Thought

Four (04) Agentic Perspectives Western Thoughts- Conducted scientific

investigations in the effort to understand the self
1. Intentionally- Enables us to behave with and have developed theories and difference
purpose. among them.
2. Forethought- Allows us to anticipate
outcomes Eastern Thoughts- Raise questions about the
3. Self-reactiveness- We can be motivated ultimate meaning of human life.
to regulate our actions.
 - Developed theories of self as they have • Confucianism- System of though and
investigated what it means to be a behavior originating in ancient China
human being.
Eastern thoughts aim at transformations in: Golden Rule- “Do not do others what you would
- Consciousness not want others to do to you.”
- Emotions Self-cultivation- could be accomplished by
- Feelings knowing one’s role in the society and act
- one’s relationship to other people and accordingly
the world
Different Eastern Thoughts Moral character- is perfected through
• Buddhism- comes from the root word continuously taking every opportunity to
“budh” meaning awake improve oneself in thought and action
- Siddhartha Gautama known as
• Taoism- Chinese philosophy attributed
Buddha is the founder of
to Lao Tzu
Buddhism
- The perfect man has no self and
- There is no self (or no soul)
the selfless person leads to a
- There is only one thing and all
balanced life, in harmony with
else is an illusion.
both nature and society.
Five parts that compose the individual
- The self is extension of the
1. Matter
cosmos, not of social
2. Sensation
relationships.
3. Perception
The Tao- is commonly regarded as a nature that
4. Mental constructs
is the foundation of all that exists.
5. Consciousness

Anica- Literally means impermanence.

Nirvana- a state of transcendence devoid of self-

reference.

• Hinduism- The religion of an ancient

people known as the Aryans
- Hindus believe that Atman being
an immortal soul continues to be
reincarnated from lifetime to
lifetime until it is freed from the
cycle of rebirth and reach a state
of nirvana or non-birth.

Brahman- “The goal of man is to have knowledge

of the true reality.”

Law of Karma- is the most important doctrine of

Hinduism

what goes around comes around- a body’s death

its influence may extend through incarnation of
the soul.