Understanding the self: Philosophical perspectives

Understanding the Self: Philosophical Perspectives

• Socrates (496-399 B.C.) viewed the self as having two parts: physical (tangible and mortal) and soul (immortal).
• The soul, according to Socrates, is one's true self.
• Socrates believed that questioning oneself and others is the highest form of human excellence.
• Socrates quote: "An unexamined life is not worth living"
• Plato (428-348 B.C.) considered the self to be an immortal soul within a mortal, perishable body.
• Plato described body as changing, transitory and perishable, like a shell for the soul.
• Plato believed the soul has a tripartite nature: rational, spirited, and appetitive parts.
• Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) argued that the self is composed of body and soul, mind and matter, sense, intellect, passion, and reason.
• Aristotle emphasized the theory of the Golden Mean, focusing on moderation and living in accordance with reason.
• St. Augustine (354-430 A.D.) saw the self as made up of a body and a soul.
• St. Augustine said happiness is the end goal of human living, to be found in God alone.
• Virtue, according to Augustine, is "the order of love."
• St. Augustine taught against hedonism and followed Aristotle's Golden Mean.
• St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) proclaimed the supremacy of reason and that humans can know the truth with certainty using reason.
• Aquinas said God is TRUTH itself. -Rene Descartes (1596-1650) supported dualism, which means that, "Self a combination of an immaterial mind, and, a material body." -Descartes quote: "I think, therefore, I am." -John Locke (1631-1704) thought that, at birth, the (human) mind is a tabula rasa which means blank slate."
• Locke emphasized the "freedom of individuals to author their own soul."
• Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) proposed people have an inner and outer self which together, form consciousness.

Sociological Perspective

• Socialization is the process where people learn values, attitudes, and behaviors expected by their community.
• Socialization shapes a person's image.
• George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) proposed self is not present at birth, but develops over time through social experiences.
• Mead defined significant others as people who play an important role in a person's life.
• Mead introduced the concept of the "generalized other," acting based on personal beliefs and societal expectations.
• Mead explained our personality as the “I” (natural aspect) and the "me" (socialized or cultured self).
• Charles Cooley (1864-1929) stated people develop a sense of self or self-image by his looking-glass self-theory.
• The Generalized other: act based on personal beliefs but also on what is expected of them.

Anthropological Perspective

• Anthropology uses a holistic approach to studying the self.
• Quinn describes the self as the totality of an organism physically, biologically, psychologically, socially, and culturally.
• Universals and Variety are hallmarks of anthropology.
• Anthropologists study people in all parts of the world, mindful of human universals and variety.

Stratigraphic Approach and Reductionism

• Stratigraphic approach divides the self into physical, biological, psychological, and social components.
• It is important to avoid error reductionism, which interprets observations by reducing the self to a single level analysis.
• Culture is the integrated system of learned patterns of behavior and ideas that characterize a society.
• Culture influences a person's physical being, but also, people's physical being affects the kind of culture that they build.

Two Models of the Self

• Egocentrism: natural tendency to view everything within the world in relation to oneself.
• Sociocentrism: view everything within the world in relation to one's group and so be group-centered.
• Cultural relativism: understand beliefs, values, and practices based on that person's own culture.
• Ethnocentrism: belief that one's culture is superior to that of others.
• Xenocentrism: thinking that another's culture is superior to one's culture.

Psychological Perspective

• Sense of self is how a person thinks about their traits, beliefs, and purpose in life.
• Sigmund Freud (1856-1939): The Id, Ego and SuperEgo.
• William James Self theory: Self into the "Me" and into the "I.".

Unpacking the Physical Self

• The physical self includes basic body parts and undergoes changes during puberty.
• Significant changes occur during adolescence as an individual transitions from childhood to adulthood.
• Adolescents in early stages prefer sharing stories with peers, while in middle adolescence, they demonstrate consistency in achieving goals.
• Late adolescents become more concerned about others and conscious of their physical changes.
• During Late Adolescence there is a need needed guidance from their significant others to realize that they should not only be concerned of their physical self, as they should value much higher goal that lasts: formation of the Positive Self-identity, self-image, self-concept and self-esteem

Related Concepts

• Self-identity: How you are known , what you tell people about you, including name, status, profession, and family rank.
• Self-image: The idea one has of his/her abilities, appearance, and personality.
• Self-concept: Collection of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about oneself.
• Self-esteem: How much you appreciate, value and like yourself.

Factors Affecting Growth

• Heredity: transmission of physical characteristics through genes.
• Intelligence: honestly evaluating and paying attention to feelings.
• Environment: well-nurtured upbringing.

The Sexual Self

• Comprises the schemas that allow understanding and expression as a sexual being.
• Sex: biological and physiological characteristics defining men and women.

Sexual Development Stages

• Gonads (6 weeks after fertilization) - At six weeks all embryos have identical primordial (primordial meaning existing at the beginning.
• SRY gene triggers the synthesis of SRY protein Puberty Stage : Period of maturity of: external genitalia and development of secondary sex characteristics.

Other Terminologies

• Cisgender: A male or female that identifies with the sex that was assigned at birth
• Asexual: Refers to absence of physical or sexual attraction to another human being.
• Heterosexual: An individual who identifies as either male or female and is attracted to opposite sex.
• Erogenous zone: Areas in the human body that have heightened sensitivity, can produce sexual responses

Model of Love

• Intimacy: Refers to the couple's sense of closeness and the presence of mutual concern.
• Passion: Means romance and sexual feelings.
• Commitment: Means deciding to enhance and maintain the relationship.

What is Religion

• Religion is the set of beliefs, feelings, dogmas, and practices that define the relations between people and sacred beings or divinity.

Learning

• Information-Processing Model is a simple way to visualize how we acquire information and store and retrieve it.
• Metacognition-Thinking about thinking, learning to learn. Being aware of your own thinking and learning process.

Ethics

• Ethics is From the Greek word Ethos which means Custom or character.
• Ethics Studies the righteousness or wrongness of human action.
• Ethics involves Understanding how a human person ought to act.

View on Ethics

• Greek view: The main goal is to have a Good Life
• Judeo-Christian: The main goal is ''The ideas of righteousness before God".

Dominent Mental Frames:

• Moral Courage – means doing the right thing even at the risk of inconvenience, ridicule, punishment or loss of job, security or social status.
• Ethical action comes from duty, meaning intention is important in ethical behavior.
• Consequence of duty: Utilitarianism: An action is morally right maximizes overall well-being and happiness..
• Social Justice: is equal access to wealth, opportunities and privileges within society

Explore philosophical views of the self from Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and St. Augustine. Socrates emphasized self-examination, Plato saw the self as an immortal soul, Aristotle focused on body, soul and reason, and St. Augustine viewed the self as body and soul.