Introduction to ▪ Immanuel Kant
▪ Rene Descartes
Understanding the Self
▪ Gilbert Ryle
▪ Paul Churchland
▪ Maurice Merleau-Ponty
A. Nature vs. Nuture
Nature – something that has developed
starting from the birth of the child. Natural Science
Nurture – a person develops his/her • Biological Self – what makes
characteristics through the external each person’s body unique
factor such as the environment, society, • Psychological Self – study of
family and friends. cognitive or affective
representations of one’s
identity
B. Identity vs. Self • Neuro-philosophy –
concerned with the
Identity – “qualities” characteristics, association of the brain and
beliefs, opinions, etc. that make a the mind.
person unique from others. • Psychoneuroimmunology –
Self – what the others didn’t see in used to describe the
you, this is personal characteristics, interactions between the
what makes up a person. (own/personal emotional state, nervous
perception) system function and immune
system.
2 Lens of philosophy of self in Greek
times are: Social Science
Rationalism – based on reason or • Psychology – the study of the
logic. cognitive or affective
representation of one’s
Empiricism – based on experience or
identity.
experimentation.
• Psycho analysis – each person
posses a psychic organization or
structure called “the self”, which
C. Towards modern philosophy
serves as a source of initiative
include:
intention – ality, and unity for the
▪ St. Augustine
personality.
▪ John Locke
• Behaviorism – a theory of learn
▪ David Hume
based on the idea that all
behaviors are acquired through communication between the
conditioning and conditioning members in a group.
occurs through interaction with ❖ Americal Psychologist Joseph
the environment. Luft and Harry Ingram
• Social cognitive theory – developed this model in 1955.
emphasizes the importance of ❖ Used to enhance the individual’s
perceived incentives, self perception on others.
efficacy and personal standards ❖ This model interprets the method
in explaining people’s of conveying and accepting
motivations. feedback.
• Humanistic perspective – a way
of evaluating an individual as a
whole, rather than looking at 1. Open self are or arena
them only through a smaller 2. Blind self or blind spot
aspect of their person. 3. Hidden area or façade
• Sociological perspective – the 4. Unknown area
self is a relatively stable set of
perspections of who we are in
relation to ourselves, others o Open Area – known to self,
and to social systems. known to others.
• Anthropology – is an individual o Blind Spot – not known to
human’s own person. self, known to others.
• Political Science – focus on the o Hidden Area – know to self,
theory and practice of not known to others.
government and politics at the o Unknown Area – Not known
local, state, national and to self, not known to others.
international level.
• Economic identity – reflecting
the psychological attitudes of The Philosopher Self
the individual to himself, as a
❖ Socrates – “An unexaminated
subject of economic activity.
life is not worth living”
• Each one of us should be
conscious of what is good to be
Johari’s Window able to have a good life.
❖ The Johari Window model is a • Don’t let Ignorance overcome
convenient method used to you if you don’t know such a
achieve this task of thing, never hesitate to ask for
understanding and enhancing the help of others, for you to learn
something new.
• Our soul strives for wisdom and - The soul is the essence of
perfection to achieve this exatted the self.
state.
❖ Plato – “The self is an immortal
soul” • He define man as a rational
• there is the three(3) parts of soul animal for we have free will and
which is the following: intellect.
o Reason - The rational part of • 3 parts of soul according to
the soul that seeks truth and Aristotle:
logical thinking. Reason o Nutritive Soul - This is
motivates people to act in the soul of plants, which
accordance with what they is responsible for growth
discover. and nutrition.
o Physical Appetite - The part o Sensitive Soul - This is
of the soul that deals with the soul of all animals,
bodily desires and the which is responsible for
pursuit of gratification. growth, nutrition,
o Spirit or Passion - The part reproduction, locomotion,
of the soul that deals with and perception.
passions, such as anger o Rational Soul - This is
and the desire to be the soul of humans,
distinguished. Spirit aims to which is responsible for all
be honorable and to be of the above, plus reason.
admired for it. • Aristotle believed that the soul is
the potential to engage in
certain activities, such as
▪ A task is a task, no matter what nutrition, sensation, and
happens, you should meet the thought. He also believed that the
deadlines what are given to you. soul is nested, meaning that
- Practice yourself in doing anything with a higher degree of
what you can do now for time. soul also has all of the lower
• Plato’s actual given name was degrees.
apparently Aristocles, after his
grandfather.
❖ St. Augustine – “the self has
an immortal soul”
❖ Aristotle – “the soul never • Body – a soul can’t live in this
thinks without a picture” world without a body, it is
considered as a unity of body • Self concept – it is the self that
and self. is constructing and
• It is an important element of man organizing
which governs and defines • Inner – soul
himself.
• Outer – body
❖ Rene Descartes – “I think,
❖ Sigmund Freud – “the self is
therefore I am”
multilayered”
• Man is a thinking man that has
an entity to doubt, understand, • Self has consists of three layers
analyze, question and the most which are:
important thing is to reason out, - Pre conscious
that can exist independently in - Conscious
the physical body. - Unconscious
• 3 structure of self
❖ John Locke – “the self is o Id – The id is the unconscious
consciousness part of the mind that operates
• Body, mind, and soul spirit – on the pleasure principle,
for him, our mind is a tabula rasa demanding immediate
or also known as a mind self at gratification. For example, a
birth is a blank state. baby's id might make them cry
until their needs are met
o Ego – The ego is the part of the
❖ David Hume – “there is no mind that operates between
self” the conscious and
• Man is a bundle of all sensation unconscious, and is
and perception. responsible for making
decisions. The ego takes reality
• Experience – when people will
into account, and helps people
examine their content of
act in ways that are realistic and
experience, what they can see.
socially acceptable.
• Inspiration – are just
o Super ego - The superego is
impressions and ideas that
the moral part of the mind, and
results to imagination.
is responsible for controlling
our sense of right and
wrong. The superego is
❖ Immanuel Kant – “we influenced by cultural rules, and
construct the self” helps people fit into society by
acting in socially appropriate SOCIAL SELF
ways.
❖ Gilbert Ryle – “the self is the • Self Identity – is influenced by
way people behave” interpersonal relationships and
• Self is best understood as a also based on the reactions of the
people around.
collection of behavior that
leads to a person to believe in • The facade that an individual
may show when in contact with
accordance witn different
other people, as contrasted with
circumstances.
his or her real self.
• The capacity of a person to
interact with, relate to, and see
❖ Paul Churchland – “the self is
oneself with respect to others.
the brain”
• He advocates the eliminative
materialism or physiology of ❖ Example of Social Self in
the body and brain which action…
explains that all of us have a 1. The social self and group
brain but if it is gone, there is affiliation/membership
no self at all. 2. The social self and making a
• Our brain is not inseparable comparisons.
from our body. ❖ Two types of comparisons
a. Upward Social
Comparison – comparing
❖ Maurice Merleau-Ponty – “the oneself to other who appear to
self is embodied subjectivity” be better or more successful
• According to him, all the than us in some way.
knowledge of every Individual b. Downwards Social
comes from the inner world of Comparison – involve
subjective phenomena of comparing yourself to other
experience, that people are people who appear to be
aware in everything within it’s worse off.
consciousness.
❖ Charles Cooley – Looking
Glass self
• Charles Cooley (1902)
proposed three steps to
how interactions with
others form self-identity.
❖ Three Core Principles
1. We imagine how we appear to
others.
2. We imagine the judgement of 1. Meaning – it suggests that
the appearance. people act and behave
3. We develop our self (identity) towards the other people and
through the judgement of things based upon the
others. meaning that they have given
to them.
• Cooley focuses in particular on - The principle of meaning
people participation in forming is central to the theory of
their self-image, emphasizing: symbolic interactionism.
2. Language – according to the
A. The active role the individual
theory, the naming assigned
plays in interpreting the
through the language, the
perceived judgments and
perception of others. naming creates meanings to
B. The person selective everything because everything
application of looking glass has its own name.
self. 3. Thought – the basis of
C. The person will use the looking thought is language. it is a
glass self to control and process of mentally conversing
evaluate the responses of about the meanings, names
other people. and symbols.
- The thought includes the
imagination.
• The concept of the looking
glass self is associated with a
school of sociology known as
❖ Example of symbolic
symbolic Interactionism
interactionism
- Someone might post a well-lit
photo of themselves, smiling
❖ Symbolic Interactionism – is
in a crowded restaurant in
a micro-level theory that
order to convey that he or she
focuses on the meanings
is an attractive person with
attached to individual human
lots of friends. If the image
interaction as well as symbols.
gets a lot of likes, he or she
will likely perceive that people
approve of the image and will
go on the post similar images
in the future.
❖ Relationship Roles
- Symbolic interactionism
plays a big role in the
family and relationships.
