Psych 1100 Lesson 1: The Self in Philosophical Perspective PDF

LESSON 1: THE SELF IN Thomas Aquinas PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE -man is composed of matter and form Philosopher Matter (Hyle) -lover of wisdom...

LESSON 1: THE SELF IN Thomas Aquinas PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE -man is composed of matter and form Philosopher Matter (Hyle) -lover of wisdom -refers to “” common stuff that makes up everything in the universe” (man’s body is an intellectual who has devoted time into the study of part of this) meaning of life Form (Morphine) -contributed in the areas like logic, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology (theory of knowledge), - “essence of a substance or thing” etc. -the soul is that animates the body; it is what makes Socrates (know thyself) us humans -every man is composed of body and soul Rene Descartes (I think, therefore I am) - he believed that humans initially existed in the -father of the modern philosophy realm of ideas, but lost most of their knowledge due to the material world. Cogito ergo sum - the first philosopher to engage in systematic -emphasizes the consciousness of his mind questioning about the self. which leads to evidence of his existence despite the fact that he is doubting his own Plato body -Advocates for a dual nature of body and soul. -Believes in the existence of a mind and body. -Dichotomy of Ideal world: world of Forms (permanent, unchanging reality) and world of -Views the body as a machine attached to the mind. Materials (changing reality). -Believes in a close relationship between the mind -Humans consist of body and soul, with the soul and body. being the true self. -Mind and body intimately interact - Material world is a replica of the true self, not the - Mind is free to pursue thoughts. real self. -Mind continues to exist and function even without - Soul exists before birth and may survive bodily body. death. John Locke Augustine of Hippo -knowledge must come from experience -Man is bifurcated: body dies on earth, soul (empiricism). There are no innate ideas anticipates eternal spiritual bliss with God. -before any knowledge, the mind is first considered - Body thrives in imperfect world, soul can stay in tabula rasa (blank state) eternal realm with God. -identity is not locked in the mind, soul, or body only. - Material world is temporary, real world found in world of permanence and infinity. -included the person’s memory in the definition of the self - God is seen as the ultimate expression of love. -agrees on the memory theory that holds we are the - Man has an immortal soul pursuing eternal life with same person from the past for as long as we can God. remember something from the past -Moral laws exist and are imposed on the mind. David Hune (there is no self) - Reason helps discern right from wrong. -self is not am entity over and beyond the physical - Eternal law universally followed due to Eternal body reason or God Himself. -men can only attain knowledge by experiencing -mind is divided into to - Suggests that "self" is a convenient term for behaviors. Impression -Believes that understanding a person is through their -Things we perceive though our sense as we behavior, tendencies, and reactions. experience them Paul Churchland Ideas -Believes self is the brain. -Those that we create in our minds even -Mind, moods, emotions, actions, consciousness are though we are no longer experiencing them deeply influenced by brain state. -Self constantly changes, influenced by appearance, -Manipulating brain parts alters feelings, actions, and feelings, and thoughts. physical state. -"Endurant self" is a fictional fiction. - Understanding brain's function is crucial for - No permanent, unchanging self. understanding Self creation. - A person is a bundle of perception. Maurice Merleau-Ponty -a person is defined by virtue of movement and - Constant changes affect and reshape the "I." expression. To be a self is to be more than one’s body Immanuel Kant -Self is a product of conscious human experience. -man is a free agent, gifted with reason and free will -Perception of experiences and interpretation of -Morality is driven by duty and actions towards experiences are key. fulfilling it. -The living body, thoughts, emotions, and -Duty determination requires rational experiences are all alone. decision-making, not relying on arbitrary emotion. LESSON 2: THE SELF IN - Hume's idea of no self is refuted by stating humans can organize sense data. SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE - This data provides insight into a person's character. Edward By. Taylor founder of cultural anthropology Sigmund Freud -father of psychoanalysis Culture that complex whole which includes knowledge, -triparte division of man’s mind: beliefs, arts, morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities acquires as a member of society Id Represents biological nature; the impulses and the bodily desires Ego The self; reality principle Superego Represent ethical component of the personality and provides the moral standards by which the ego operates Gilbert Ryle -Critique of Descartes' Concepts of Mind. Anthropology - Argues that the mind is not distinct from the body -is the inclusive study of human race, its culture and but refers to certain body aspects. society, and its physical development - Denies the concept of an internal, non-physical self. -understanding man in light of its cultural context Sociology 3. Love scientific study of human life, social groups, whole 4. Socialization societies and the human world as social beings 5. Sense of Security STRUCTURES CULTURE a group’s way of life Nuclear family This is the traditional type. Two parents and their Material Culture children are living together as one. the physical manifestation of the culture itself Extended family Aside from the two parents and children, the family Non-Material Culture is joined in by relatives who live with them, like intangible human creations including grandparents, cousins or aunties/uncles. beliefs, values, norms, and symbols FAMILY W/ WORKING PARENTS SINGLE PARENT FAMILY According to Marcel Mauss, every self has two BLENDED FAMILY faces: CHILDLESS FAMILY MOI SPECIAL FAMILY refers to a person’s sense of who he is, his body, and his basic identity, his biological givenness. PARENTING STYLE PERSONNE Authoritarian composed of the social concepts of what is means to -Impose rules and expect obedience be who he is. -Their children are more likely to have less social CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE skills and low self-esteem DEFINITION OF SELF Permissive Separate -Submit to their children’s desire. They make few Self is unique and distinct from other selves. demands and use little punishment. Self-Contained & Independent -Their children tend to be more aggressive and more Self can exist independently with its own thoughts, immature. characteristics, and volition. Authoritative Consistency -Both demanding and responsive. traits, characteristics, tendencies, and potentialities of -They encourage open discussion when making the a particular self are similar. rules and allow exceptions. Universal -Their children tend to have highest self-esteem, Self is the center of all experiences and thoughts. self-reliance and social competence. Private LESSON 3: THE SELF IN Each person sorts out information, feelings, emotions, and thought processes within the self, PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE which is never accessible to anyone but the self. PSYCHOLOGY FAMILY scientific study of behavior and mental processes basic unit of society Behavior Functions anything an organism does-any action we can 1. Procreation observe or record 2. Economic Provision Mental Processes STRUCTURES OF PERSONALITY internal, subjective experiences we infer from behavior-sensations, perceptions, dreams, thoughts, Id beliefs, and feeling -Present from birth GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY -entirely unconscious, includes instinctive and impulsive behaviors. 1. Describe 2. Understand/ Explain -Primary component of personality. 3. Control -driven by the pleasure principle for immediate 4. Predict gratification of desires, wants, needs. PSYCOANALYTIC THEORY -Unsatisfied needs lead to state anxiety or tension. by Sigmund Freud Superego -Personality is mostly established by the age of five -last component of personality to develop -a controversial theory -the aspect that holds all internalized moral standards -Early Experiences play a large role in personality -provides guidelines for making judgements development and continue to influence behavior later in life. -works to suppress all unacceptable urges of the id and struggles to act upon idealistic standards - Libido psychosexual energy that acts as the driving force Ego behind any behavior -responsible for dealing with reality -holds that there are inner forces outside of your - The id develops from it, ensuring that its impulses awareness that are directing your behavior can be expressed in a realistic manner. THREE LEVELS OF THE MIND -based on the reality principle, which strives to satisfy the id’s desire in realistic and socially Conscious mind appropriate ways includes everything that we are aware of. DEFENSE MECHANISM Preconscious mind -is the part of the mind that represents ordinary Denial memory. denying the anxiety outright -Not consciously aware but retrievable Repression blocking out/prevention of anxiety back into Unconscious mind unconscious -is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that outside of our conscious Rationalization awareness. creating false reasons or explanations for anxiety in the form of a shortcoming. -Contents are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict. Projection seeing in others’ unacceptable feelings that reside in one’s own unconscious Displacement acting out anxiety on an innocent party Reaction Formation reversing the nature of the anxiety so that it feels like the opposite nature Sublimation channeling anxiety into socially acceptable activities Regression Enhancement retreating to amore infantile psychosexual stage, -The need to become more, to develop, and to when one psychic energy remains fixated achieve growth. THE SELF-CONCEPT AND -The need for enhancing the self is seen in people’s SELF-ESTEEM willingness to learn things that are not immediately rewarding. Identity is composed of personal characteristics, social roles, Ex: other than enhancement, what motivates a child and responsibilities, as well as affiliations that define to walk? who one is. -People are willing to face threat and pain because of Self-concept a biologically tendency for the organism to fulfill its is what basically comes to your mind when you are basic nature. asked about who you are. Carl Rogers captured this idea in his concept of self-schema or our organized system or collection of knowledge about who we are. PERSON CENTERED THEORY by Carl Rogers Two Self Sub-Systems Formative Tendency Self-concept -A tendency for all matter, both organic and - includes all those aspects of one’s being and one’s inorganic, to evolve from simpler to more complex experiences that are perceived in awareness (though forms. not always accurately) by the individual. -Tendency for things to move from disorganization to -Evaluation of one's own characteristics. organization. -The Subjective Self. Actualizing Tendency -Humans and other animals move towards fulfilling - The self-concept is not identical with the organismic potentials. self. -Tendency towards self-actualization. Organismic self -The Real Self. -Similar to Maslow's Approach. -What one "is." -Actualization involves whole person - physiological, intellectual, rational, emotional, conscious, -One’s Entire Being. unconscious. Ideal Self Tendencies to Maintain and Enhance -one’s view of self as one wishes to be. Maintenance -Contains all those attributes, usually positive, that -It includes such basic needs as food, air and safety; people aspire to possess. but it also includes the tendency to resist change and -The ideal self can be a helpful motivation in guiding to seek the status quo. the real self to strive and continue improving. -People’s desire to protect their current, comfortable self-concept. -People fight against new ideas; they distort experiences that do not quite fit; they find change Congruence happens when painful and growth frightening. - we feel good about ourselves; there is a small gap between our real self and ideal self. -This gives us confidence, satisfaction, and a sense of * In the attempt to increase or maintain self-actualization or fulfillment leading to a high self-esteem, some people become narcissistic, a “trait self-esteem. characterized by overly high self-esteem, self-admiration, and self- centeredness” Incongruence happens when - we are disappointed or frustrated about ourselves, or Narcissistic Personality Disorder misalignment or huge gap between our real and ideal -comes from the Greek myth of Narcissus, who fell self. in love with the reflection of himself in a pool, unable to leave, and died as a result This results to us being distressed, anxious, leading to a low self-esteem or self-worth and be defensive in - People who think they are better than everyone else our actions. and should get their way in all circumstances and who will walk all over others to accomplish their Positive regard goals. -A need to be loved, liked or accepted by another person. -People with NPD rely on their inflated-evaluations and see dependency on others as weak and -A prerequisite for positive self-regard. threatening. Positive self-regard -They are preoccupied with thoughts of their -experience of prizing or valuing one’s self. self-importance and with fantasies of power and success, and they view themselves as superior to * Rogers believed that receiving positive most other people. regard from others is necessary for positive self-regard, but once positive self-regard is LESSON 4: THE SELF IN WESTERN established, it becomes independent of the AND EASTERN THOUGHTS continual need to be loved. Eastern Thoughts Unconditional Positive Regard -Sees the other person as part of yourself as well as love, affection, and respect with no strings attached, the things you may create, a drama in which everyone is necessary for people to be able to explore fully all is interconnected with their specific roles. that they can achieve and become. -Asian culture is called a collectivistic culture as the Conditional positive regard group and social relations love, affection, respect, and warmth that depend, or that is given more importance than seem to depend, on doing what those people want. individual needs and wants. “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself Western Thoughts just I am, then I can change” -Looks at the world in dualities wherein you are Carl Rogers distinct from the other person, the creator is separate from the object he created, in which the self is Self-Esteem distinguished and acknowledge own positive or negative perception or evaluation of ourselves. - The western culture is what we could call an individualistic culture since their focus is on the Downward Social Comparison person. by comparing ourselves with those who are worse off than us. Confucianism -Code of ethical conduct based on individual Unconditional Positive Regard relationships. comparing ourselves with those who are better off than you -Identity and self-concept intertwined with community or culture. Self-Evaluation Maintenance Theory states that we can feel threatened when someone -Self-cultivation seen as ultimate life purpose. out-performs us, especially when that person is close to us. -Confucianism's cultivated self, termed a "subdued self," repressed for societal good. -Hierarchical society maintained for order and balance. Taoism -Rejects one-dimensional Tao definition. - Rejects the hierarchy and strictness brought by Confucianism and would prefer a simple lifestyle and its teachings thus aim to describe how to attain that life. -Views self as part of the universe, not just family or community. -Advocates for selflessness, balanced life with society and nature. - Encourages openness to change and egocentric ideas. - Promotes equality and complementary thinking among humans and other beings. Buddhism -The self is seen as an illusion, born out of ignorance, of trying to hold and control things, or human-centered needs; thus the self is also the source of all these sufferings. -To forget about the self, forget the cravings of the self, break the attachments you have with the world, and to renounce the self which is the cause of all suffering and in doing so,attain the state of Nirvana.