Self-Concept and Philosophy Overview

Self-Concept Introduction

• Self-reflection helps understand identity, values, strengths, and goals.
• Example questions include: long-term and short-term goals, significant people in life, and their impact.

Philosophical Perspectives on Self

• Socrates: Emphasized self-awareness and understanding one's values. Famous quote: "Know thyself." Believed a life unexamined is not worth living, highlighting introspection.
• Plato: Believed the self is an immortal soul divided into: Appetitive (desires/physical needs), Spirited (courage/competition), and Rational (logic/decision-making). Famous quote: "The soul takes nothing with her to the next world but her education and culture."
• Aristotle: The soul is the essence of self, unified with the body. Purpose of life is achieving happiness through a virtuous and rational life. Famous quote: "Happiness depends upon ourselves."
• St. Augustine: Self is deeply tied to faith, self-understanding is a path towards God. Famous quote: "I am doubting, therefore I am."
• René Descartes: Separated mind (thinking) and body (perceiving). Famous quote: "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am). The mind's ability to doubt proves existence.
• John Locke: Mind starts as a blank slate (Tabula Rasa), shaped by experience. Self-awareness develops through sensory experiences and memory.
• David Hume: No permanent self, a collection of impressions/sensations continually changing. Concept of self is fluid, shaped by ongoing experiences.

Sociological Perspectives on Self

• Looking-Glass Self (Cooley): Self-concept shaped by how we think others perceive us. Process involving imagining appearances, interpreting judgments, and responding emotionally to perceived judgments.
• Social Self (Mead): Self composed of "I" (spontaneous, active) and "Me" (socially reflective). Stages of development include language (symbols), play (role-playing), and games (structured roles).
• Social Learning Theory (Bandura): Learning behaviors through observing others (observational learning), interaction between personal factors, behaviors, and environment (reciprocal determinism), and belief in one's abilities impacting motivation (self-efficacy).

Anthropological Perspectives on Self

• Culture shapes beliefs, behaviors, and self-identity. Elements of culture include symbols, language, values, and norms. Rituals are repeated ceremonies or actions with symbolic meaning.
• Enculturation: Learning culture from a young age shapes behavior and identity.

Western and Eastern Perspectives

• Eastern Culture: Traditional and conservative, emphasizes respect for elders and family, and reserved emotional expression.
• Western Culture: More open-minded and individualistic, direct in communication and emotional expression, common religions include Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
• Individualism (vs Collectivism): Values independence, individual achievement, self-expression, and individual thinking. Associated with egalitarian relationships, flexibility, private property, and individual ownership.
• Collectivism (vs Individualism): Emphasizes interdependence, group success, adherence to norms, respect for authority/elders, and group consensus. Associated with stable, hierarchical roles, shared property, and group ownership.

Psychological Perspectives on Self

• Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory: Unconscious mind (thoughts, memories, emotions outside awareness), personality made up of id (primitive desires), ego (balances id and superego), and superego (conscience/moral standards). Life and death instincts drive behavior.
• Defense Mechanisms: Unconscious strategies the ego uses to manage conflicts between id and superego, protecting self from anxiety; e.g., repression, displacement, sublimation, and denial.
• Rogers' Humanistic Theory: Self-actualization (fulfilling potential), unconditional positive regard (unconditional acceptance fosters self-worth), and congruency (consistency between self-image and ideal self).

The Physical Self

• Physical self encompasses biological characteristics (genetics/phenotype/maturation) and environmental influences (cultural factors like beauty standards).
• Self-care includes managing health (physical, mental, and emotional) through sleep, diet, exercise, reducing stress, engaging in activities like reading/walking, and addressing emotional well-being. Benefits of self-care include improved mental health, reduced stress, and increased energy.

Sexual Self

• Sex: Biological characteristics (genitals, chromosomes, hormones) assigned at birth.
• Gender: Social/cultural construct of roles, behaviors, and characteristics deemed appropriate.
• Gender identity: Internal sense of being male, female, both, neither, or another identity, independent of biological sex.
• Gender expression: How a person expresses their gender identity through behavior and mannerisms.
• Sexual orientation: Who someone is attracted to sexually/romantically. Preferred pronouns/gender pronouns should be appropriately respected.

Explore the philosophical perspectives on self-concept including insights from Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and St. Augustine. This quiz will engage you in self-reflection, understanding identity, values, strengths, and goals through a philosophical lens. Test your knowledge of how these thinkers shaped our understanding of self.