PHILOSOPHICAL VIEW OF SELF

SOCRATES: An unexamined life is not worth living.

“Know thyself"
- For Socrates the self is synonymous of the soul.
- Socrates was the first to focus on the full power of reason on the human self.

Two dichotomous realm:

Physical realm - changeable, transient and imperfect.
Ideal realm - unchanging, eternal and immortal.

The Socratic method or the introspection

- is a method of carefully examining one's thoughts and emotions to gain self-knowledge.

PLATO: The self is an immortal soul.

The idea of a three-part soul/self:

REASON - the divine essence that enable us to think deeply, make wise choices and achieve a
true understanding of eternal truths
PHYSICAL APPETITE - includes our basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst, and sexual
desire.
SPIRIT OR PASSION - includes basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition, aggressiveness
and empathy.

In his theory of forms, he introduces the concepts of two worlds:

World of forms (non-physical ideas) real and permanent.
World of sense (reality) temporary and only a replica of the ideal world.

ARISTOTLE: The soul is the essence of the self

- He believes that the soul is merely a set of defining of defining features.
- He suggests that anything with life has a sous that anything.
- He holds that the soul is the essence of all living things.

Three kind of souls:

VEGETATIVE SOUL - physical body that can grow.
SENTIENT SOUL - sensual desires, feelings and emotions.
RATIONAL SOUL - what makes man human.

ST. AUGUSTINE: The self has an immortal soul.

- An African philosopher, regarded as a saint. (St. Augustine of Hippo) in the Catholic Church.
- Augustine is convinced that the self is known only through knowing God.
- For him, "knowledge can only come by seeing the truth that dwells within us."

JOHN LOCKE: The self is consciousness

- English philosopher
DAVID HUME: There is no self.
- Scottish philosopher

Distinct entities:
Impression - basic sensation of people's experience such as hate, love, joy, grief, pain, cold and
heat.
Ideas - thoughts and images from impressions so they are less lively and vivid

IMMANUEL KANT: We construct the self

- German philosopher
- According to him, we all have an inner and form our consciousness.

Inner Self - physcological state and rational intellect.

Outer Self - our sense and physical world.

SIGMUND FREUD: The self is multi-layered

- Austrian Psychoanalyst
Freud holds that the self consists of three layered
Conscious - "reality principle". It consists of everything inside of our awareness.
Unconscious - "pleasure principle" It continues to influence behaviour even though people are
unaware of these underlying influences.
Preconscious - The preconscious also acts as something of a guard, controlling the information
that is allowed to enter into conscious awareness.

GILBERT RYLE: The self is the way people behave.

- British philosopher
“I act therefore I am”

PAUL CHURCHLAND: The self is the brain.

- Canadian philosopher
- All a person has is the brain, and so if the brain is gone, there is no self.

MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY: The self is embodied subjectivity

- French philosopher

AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE SELF AS EMBEDDED IN

CULTURE

ANTHROPOLOGY
"ANTROPOS" - man.
"LOGOS" - study.

- concerned with how cultural and biological processes interact to shape human experience.
- the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical
character, environmental and social relations, and culture.

JAMES L. PEACOCK
- Anthropology professor
- Anthropology encroaches on the territory of the sciences as well as the humanities and
transcends.

Nature - referring to genetic inheritance which sets the individual's potentials.

Nurture - referring to the sociocultural environment.

Culture can be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population
that are passed down from generation to generation.
Culture has been called "the way of life for an entire society."

THE CULTURAL CONSTRUCTION OF SELF AND IDENTITY

Self - defined as the total being of a person, awareness of the individual or qualities of the
individual.
Identity - the distinguishing character or personality of an individual

EDWARD TYLOR
- British Anthropologist
- That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other
capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.

MARTIN SOKEFELD
- German Anthropologist
- Believes that the concept of self is necessary supplement to the concept of culture in
anthropology and should be regarded as a human universal.

There are two ways in which the concept of self is viewed in different societies:
EGOCENTRIC - The self is seen as an autonomous and distinct individual
SOCIOCENTRIC - The self contingent on a situation social setting.

CHRISTIE KIEFER
- American Anthropologist
- The Japanese possess a sociocentric view of the self in which the membership of a person in a
particular social group defines the boundaries of the self.

FRANCIS HSU
- Chinese American Anthropologist
- Attributes a sociocentric view of the self to the Chinese.

Social identity - indicates who they are in terms of the groups to which they belong.
Identity toolbox - refers to the features of a person's identity that he or she chooses to emphasize
in constructing a social self.

- Another important identity determinant that is often viewed as essential for the maintenance of a
group identity is language.
- One's identity is not inborn. It is something people continuously develop in life.

ARNOLD VAN GENNEP

- French ethnographer

Separation phase - people detach from their former identity to another.

Liminality phase - a person transitions from one identity to another.
Incorporation phase - the change in one's status is officially incorporated.

ANTHONY WALLACE & RAYMOND FOGELSON

“identity struggle"
the identity a person claims to posses and the identity attributed to that person by others.

KATHERINE EWING
-professor of cultural anthropology and religion

CLIFFORD GEERTZ
- American Anthropologist
- He defines culture as a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means
of which people communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes
toward life.

1. culture should not be perceived only as "complexes of concrete behaviour patterns

2. man is precisely the animal most desperately dependent

ROBBINS - Anthropologist

PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

PSYCHOLOGY
"psyche" - soul
“logos” - study

WILLIAM JAMES
- American Psychologist
- suggests that the self is divided into two categories:
I-self- refers to the self that knows who he or she is which is called the "thinking self"
-reflects the soul of a person or the mind which is also called the "pure ego"
ME-self - empirical self which refers to the person's personal experiences.

Material self - attributed to an individual's physical attributes and material possessions that
contribute to one's self-image.
Social self - refers to who a person is and how he or she acts in social situations.
Spiritual self - refers to the most intimate and important part of the self that includes the person's
purpose, core values, conscience and moral behaviour.
SELF CONCEPT
- refers to the image of oneself.
- how you perceive your behaviour, abilities, and unique characteristics.

CARL ROGERS
- American Psychologist
- he defines the self as a flexible and changing perception of personal identity. The self is the
center of experience

REAL SELF - consists of all ideas, including the awareness of what one is and what one can do.
IDEAL SELF - is the person's conception of what one should be or what one aspires to be which
includes one's goal, ambitions in life.

MULTIPLE VS UNIFIED SELF

The construction of multiple selves varies across different interpersonal and interpersonal roles
and relationships.

TRUE SELF - to describe a sense of self based on spontaneous authentic experience and a
feeling of being alive, having a real self.
FALSE SELF - is to hide and protect the true self.

THE CORE FEATURES OF AGENCY ENABLE PEOPLE TO PLAY A PART IN THEIR:

Self Development
Adaptation
Self-Renewal

ALBERT BANDURA
- Canadian-American Psychologist

Intentionality- refers to the acts done intentionally.

Forethought - enables the person to anticipate the likely consequences of prospective actions.
Self-Reactiveness - involves making choices and choosing appropriate courses of action as well
as motivating and regulating them.
Self-Reflectiveness - gives the person the ability to reflect upon and the adequacy of his or her
thoughts and actions.

CARL JUNG
- Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst.

ARCHETYPES are the universal models are much roles are patterned.

Four major archetypes:

PERSONA - refers to the social roles of that individuals present to others.
SHADOW - refers to the repressed thoughts that are socially unacceptable.
ANIMA - feminine side of the male psyche
ANIMUS - masculine side of the female psyche.
SIGMUND FREUD
- Psychoanalyst
- the mind is composed of three structures through which self and personality is formed:

ID - Characterized by its need to satisfy basic urges and desires.

EGO-Refers to the "I" Operates reality principle and controls the id.
SUPEREGO - Refers to the "conscience" and "moral judge" of one's conduct.

PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT:

ORAL STAGE - During the first year of life, the mouth is site of sexual and aggressive gratification.

ANAL STAGE - During second year of life. The child derives pleasure from elimination of body
waste.
PHALLIC STAGE - Occurs around ages 3 and 6. Children during this stage derive pleasure from
examining, touching, fondling or display their genitals.
LATENCY STAGE - Which lasts from 7 to 12 years of age. Sexual energy is repressed because
children become occupied with school.
GENITAL STAGE- Starts from adolescence to adulthood. During this stage, pleasure is again
derived from the genital area and individuals seek to satisfy their sexual drives from sexual
relationships.

ERIK ERICKSON
- Danish-German-American psychologist and psychoanalyst.
- proposed the eight psychosocial stages of development.

SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE: THE SELF AS A PRODUCT OF SOCIETY

SOCIOLOGY
socius - companion
logos – study
"the study of companionship".

Sociology is concerned with the study of human social behaviour and the influence of society
upon this behaviour.
Society refers to a group of people who live in a definable community and share the same culture.

The self is not present at birth, rather, it develops while growing through social experiences"
George Mead

THE SELF AS A PRODUCT OF SOCIAL INTERACTION

- The self is not present at birth

CHARLES HORTON COOLEY

- American Sociologist
- He introduces the looking-glass self
LOOKING-GLASS SELF
- describes the development of one's self and identity through interactions with others.
- The looking-glass self describes the process wherein individuals base their sense of self on how
they believe others view them.

GEORGE HERBERT MEAD

- American Sociologist
- He introduces the THEORY OF THE SOCIAL SELF
- Theory of the social self, explained that the self has two divisions: the "I" and the "me".

Social self - refers to how we perceive ourselves in relation to others.

ME - is in a sense that phase of the self that represents the past.
I - is a response to the me represents action in a present and implies the restructuring of the me in
a future.

Language develops self by allowing individuals to respond to each other through symbols,
gestures, words, and sounds.
Play develops self by allowing individuals to take on different roles, pretend, and express
expectation of others.
Games develop self by allowing individuals to understand and adhere to the rules of the activity.

THE SELF AS A PRODUCT OF MODERN AND POSTMODERN SOCIETIES

GERRY LANUZA
- According to him, in modern societies the attainment and stability of self identity is freely chosen.

JEAN BAUDRILLARD
- French Sociologist
- According to him, in postmodern societies, individuals achieve self-identity through prestige
symbols that they consume

UNPACKING THE SELF is a gradual unfolding, a growth process in which the aspects that
surround the self and identity develop in an integrated and healthy way.

PHYSICAL SELF
"Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else." Leonardo da Vinci

- Physical self refers to the body.

- It is the individual's perception of themselves in areas of physical ability and appearance.
- The physical self is the concrete dimension, the tangible aspect of the person that can be directly
observed and examined.

TWO FACTORS AFFECTING PHYSICAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

- Physical growth and development is the product of heredity and environment.

Heredity - is the biological process of the inheritance of traits from parents to offspring.
Environment - refers to the factors an individual's is exposed to throughout life which includes
learning and experiences.

THEORIES OF PHYSICAL SELF

THEORY BASED ON THE PROMINENCE OF BODY FLUIDS

- Developed by Hippocrates
- The theory suggests that an excess of or deficiency in any of the four bodily fluids (humors) in a
person influences their personality, temperament and well- being

Sanguine type - has the prominence of red bile. They tend to be impulsive, cheerful, happy and
optimistic
Melancholic type - has the prominence of black bile. They tend to be depressed and pessimistic.
Choleric type - has the prominence of yellow bile. They easily angry, jumpy, and temperamental.
Phlegmatic type - has excess phlegm. They tend to be sluggish, dull and slow.

BODY-TYPE THEORY
- Developed by William Sheldon. Based on physical characteristics

Endomorphic- body type that is soft and plump. People with this body type are perceived to be
easy going and sociable
Mesomorphic - characterized by a strong muscular body. People with this body type are
perceived to be energetic, adventurous, assertive and courageous. They are competitive and tend
to be dominant.
Ectomorphic - body type that is small and thin. People who have this body type tend to
restrained, quiet, introverted and artistic.

BODY IMAGE - refers to how individual perceive, think and feel about their body and physical
appearance.
APPEARANCE- refers to everything about a person that others can observe such as height,
weight, skin, color, clothes, and hairstyle
SELF-ESTEEM- is a person's overall evaluation of his or her own worth.

Body image can affect both adolescent's physical and psychological well-being. Adolescents
worry about different parts of their bodies

EATING DISORDER
ANOREXIA - is an eating disorder in which the person refuses to eat for fear gaining weight which
can result in severe starvation and death.
BULIMIA NERVOSA – in which the person induces purging after binging on large quantities of
food.

SEXUAL SELF
Sex
- It is classified as male, female, or intersex where there are reproductive differences based on
genitalia, chromosomes and hormones
- some individuals are born with intersex variations, which means they may have biological
attributes of both sexes or neither sex in a clear-cut manner

Gender
- refers to the roles, behaviours, expectations, and identities that a society considers appropriate
for individuals based on their perceived sex.
- It is a term that refers to social or cultural distinctions associated with a given sex. It is generally
considered to be a socially constructed concept.

In order to identify what we are, there're perspectives or factors that shape our sexual
development:
Biological perspectives on human sexuality
Psychological perspectives on human sexuality
Sociological perspective on human sexuality

Biological perspectives on human - focuses on the role of biology, including genetics,

hormones, and physiology, in shaping human sexual behaviour, orientation, and development.

Primary sex characteristics

- Sexual organs present at birth and directly involved in human reproduction.
- In women, these characteristics include the vagina, uterus, and ovaries.
- In men, these are the penis, testes or testicles, scrotum, and prostate gland.

Secondary sex characteristics

- Sexual organs and traits that develop at puberty
- For women, are the enlargement of the breasts, menstrual cycle, widening of hips, enlargement
of buttocks, and growth of pubic hair.
- For men, testicular growth, sperm production appearance of facial, pubic, and other body hair,
and deepening of voice.

Female Reproductive System

Male Reproductive System

Phase of sexual response

- William Masters and Virginia Johnson.

EXCITEMENT PHASE - The excitement phase is the beginning of sexual arousal.

PLATEAU PHASE - The changes in the body are continued.
ORGASMIS PHASE - The orgasmic contractions of the muscles in and around the penis stimulate
the release of the semen which contains the sperm cells.
RESOLUTION PHASE - The body returns to its normal state after orgasm.

ATTRACT - refers to the initial emotional or physical pull or interest that one person feels toward
another person.

Types of Attration
Physical attraction - based on a person's physical appearance.
Emotional Attraction - base on emotional, connection, personality, and shared interests
sexual attraction - attraction that involves a desire for sexual intimacy with someone

LOVE - Love complex and multifaceted emotional experience that goes beyond attraction.

TYPES OF LOVE
intimacy - refers to the emotional closeness, connectedness, and depth of a relationship.
Passion - represents the intense physical and emotional attraction and desire one person has for
another.
Commitment - refers to the decision and Intention to maintain a long-term relationship with
someone.

ATTACHMENT - is a deep and enduring emotional bond that forms between individuals, often in
close relationships.

TYPES OF ATTACHMENT
Secure attachment - Tend to have positive self-esteem, trust in others, and the ability to form
healthy, and fulfilling relationships.
Anxious attachment - may have a fear of abandonment and may become overly preoccupied in
their relationships.
Avoidant attachment - tend to value their independence and self suffiency.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI's)

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are diseases that
are contracted primarily through sexual contact (vaginal, oral, or anal sex).

Method of contraception
Contraception refers to methods that are used to prevent pregnancy.

sum total of all he call his, not only his body psychic powers, but his clothes and his house, his
wife and children."

his ancestors and friends, his reputation and works, his land, his yacht and bank account, all these
things give him the same emotions."

If they wax and prosper, he feels triumphant; if they dwindle and die away, he feels cast down - not
necessarily in the same degree for each thing, but in much the same way for all."
- WILLIAM JAMES

We are what we have.

COMPOSITION OF MATERIAL SELF:

BODY
CLOTHES
IMMEDIATE FAMILY
HOME

BODY
- Inner most part of our material self.
- Intentionally, we invest in our body.

CLOTHES
- Clothing is a form of self expression
- We choose and wear clothes that reflect our self

IMMEDIATE FAMILY
These people are likely to shape and influence the development of self identity.
- Our siblings and parents hold a great important part of our self

The Spiritual View of Self

1. RELIGIOUS AND RITUAL (Valerio, n.d.)

SPIRITUALITY - The concept of the "whole person" is usually associated to the idea of human
beings as having physical and psychological aspects.

Puchalski (2014), spirituality is the aspect of the self that is associated to an individual's process
of seeking and expressing meaning and how he or she is connected to the self, to others, to the
moment and to everything else that composes his/her environment, including the sacred and
significant.

Beauregard and O'Leary (2007), spirituality is any experience that is thought to bring the
experiencer in contact with the divine; it is not just any experience that feels meaningful.

Sinnott (2002), spirituality is also posited as the individual's personal relation to the sacred or
transcendent, a relation that then informs other relationships and the meaning of one's own life.

RELIGIOSITY - It is defined as the adherence to a belief system and practices associated with a
tradition in which there is agreement about what is believed and practiced.

DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN RELIGIOSITY AND SPIRITUALITY:

1. If religiosity is communal, then spirituality is individual.
2. In religiosity, beliefs and practices are within religious groups, and religious commitment,
conservatism, and scepticism are manifested.

3. A person can possess spirituality even he/she does not subscribe to any religion. Spiritual
models are present everywhere.

Well-being, being intrinsic in nature, is an inner, personal construct, associated with self-esteem,
and self-understanding. It is how good one feels about himself/herself.

Life satisfaction is also intrinsic but in this case, it is the general attitude towards life. When well-
being and life satisfaction are present, happiness naturally flow.

1. Effective self-perception. Being able to change their attitude about themselves and engage in
self- monitoring to minimize negative attitudes.
2. Realistic self-esteem and self-acceptance. Self- valuation and self-respect.
3. Control of behaviour. Behaviour awareness and regulation.
4. True perception of the world. Harbouring healthy perceptions of their environment and place
within it.
5. Sustaining relationships and affection. Manifesting empathy and sharing of positive
emotions with others.
6. Self-direction and productivity. Making sure their goals and behaviors are aligned to their
core values and conscious beliefs of themselves.