Understanding The Self - Philosophy PDF

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF DAVID HUME LESSON 1: PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE “There is no/stable self.” SELF According to Hume, self doesn’t exist....

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF DAVID HUME LESSON 1: PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE “There is no/stable self.” SELF According to Hume, self doesn’t exist. Self is just a collection or combination of all the SOCRATES perceptions of a particular person. “An unexamined life is not worth living.” He finds that they can all be categorized into two: He was the first philosopher to engage in a impressions and ideas. systematic questioning about the self. Impressions – basic object of our experience or He was the first one to focus on the self. sensation. They are also vivid because they are He believes that an individual’s reality is divided the product of our direct experience with the world. into two parts: The physical realm – changing Ideas – copies of impressions. They are not vivid and temporary. The ideal realm – ever-lasting. because we do not experience it yet in the real He also believes that every man is composed of world. body and soul meaning that every human person is dualistic. IMMANUEL KANT Body – imperfect and impermanent. “All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds Soul – perfect and permanent. then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.” PLATO - According to Kant, self as mere combination of “The soul is synonymous with the self.” impressions was problematic. According to him the only difference was that the - He said that mind organizes the impressions that self is in the physical form and the soul is in men get from the external world. the ideal form. - He also conceptualized “Apparatus of the mind.” That Self is temporary, while the soul is eternal. consist of ideas that cannot be found in He supported Socrates idea that a man is a dual the world but is only built in our minds. nature of body and soul. He also added that there are three components to GILBERT RYLE the soul: The rational soul, spirited soul, and “I act, therefore I am.” the appetitive soul. - Our behaviors or what we do in our day to day lives Rational soul – reason and intellect. were the ones that makes us a person. Spirited soul – in charge of emotions. Maurice Merleau-Ponty – “The mind and body are so Appetitive soul – consist of our desire that we need intertwined that they cannot be separated from enable to live. one another.” He also believes in soul, that is why he divides us - According to him, we cannot separate the body and into three parts of the soul which is called the mind because they work as one for us to tripartite soul. know ourselves. Philosophy – love of wisdom. ST. AUGUSTINE Ancient Greek – started the notion about self. “Take care of your body as if you were going to live Introspection – examines one’s own conscious forever; and take care of your soul as if you were going thoughts and feelings to gain self-knowledge to die tomorrow.” He believes that there is an aspect of man that dwells in the world. Body that is bound die on earth and the soul is anticipated to live eternally in a realm of spiritual bliss in communication with God. RENE DESCARTES “I think, therefore I am.” He is the father of modern philosophy. He claims that there is so much we should doubt. He also said that much of what we think and believes, because they are not infallible may turn out be false. Self is also a combination of two distinct entities: The cogito and extenza. Cogito – thing that thinks. Extenza – extension of the mind (the body). LESSON 2: SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF. THE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT THEORY. Lev Vygotsky FERAL CHILD – a Russian psychologist argues that social interaction – human child who has live isolated contact from a comes before development. very young age. - He claims infants are born with the basic materials Marcos Rodriguez Pantoja or abilities for intellectual development – a notable child who lives away from humans and was called elementary mental functions. sold to a goatherder to become a serf. SOCIAL LEVEL 1 (Interpsychological) THE DIFFERENT QUALITIES OF THE SELF. – this were social learning takes place because in this SEPARATE stage, they interact, connect, and reach out to other – a quality of self which means that it is distinct from people. any other selves, the self is always unique and has its own identity. INDIVIDUAL LEVEL (Intrapsychological) CONSISTENCY – leading to cognitive development (self-reflection.) – allows to be studied, described and measure. THE SELF IS PRIVATE ELEMENTARY MENTAL FUNCTIONS. – self sorts out information, feelings, emotions, and SENSATION thought. – automatically deliver senses to the brain. SELF IS ISOLATED FROM THE EXTERNAL WORLD HUNGER – the clash of self and external world. – bodily processes. SELF IS UNITARY MEMORY – the center of all experiences and thoughts. – can be cultivated and controlled and know how to make relevant associations and memorized stuffs they Marcel Mauss think is necessary. – French sociologist, believes that the self has two faces. MOI – persons sense of who he is, his body, basic identity, HIGHER MENTAL FUNCTIONS. biological givenness. LANGUAGE PERSONNE – undergo with a multitude of other social processes. It – social concept of what it means to be who he is. is also advance as well as our thought processes. OFW’S MEMORY – jaywalking in the Philippines but respect traffic when – it can be cultivated and controlled. in another country. ATTENTION – they are now able to decide which objects actions or THE SELF AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOCIAL thoughts to focus on. WORLD PERCEPTION George Herbert Mead – social interactions help the child’s level of perception – supports the view that a person develops a sense of and increasing his awareness and capacity to self through social understand things. interaction. ME – the social self THE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE OTHER (MKO) “I” – who he really is. – anyone who has a better understanding considerably higher or superior level of ability, skill or knowledge PREPARATORY STAGE (0-3 years old) about a particular subject, task or process, than the – in this stage, we see children mimic or imitate those person who is attempting to learn. around them and this is why parents of young children do not want you to use foul language around kids. Also ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT (ZPD) called as imitation stage. – the child will be given a lot of encouragement but just right amount of guidance to allow the child to PLAY STAGE (3-6 years old) develop his skill. – stage was in children start to play more formalized games because they begin to understand the perspective of others. GAME STAGE (6-9 years old) – at this stage, children become concerned about and take into account their behavior the generalized others or how they are viewed. LESSON 3: ANTROPOLOGICAL PERSFECTIVE OF THE LANGUAGES IN THE PHILIPPINES. SELF. (Cultural Self) - 120-187 8 major dialects: ANTHROPOLOGY - Bikol – concerned with human behavior, human biology, and - Cebuano societies. - Hiligaynon - Ilocano NATURE - Kapampangan – genetic inheritance which sets the individual’s - Pangasinan potentials. - Tagalog NURTURE - Waray – our environment, life experiences determine our behavior. PERSONAL NAMING NAME 2 WAYS IN THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE – an important device to individualize a person ang which the concept of self is VIEWED IN DIFFERENT have an identity. SOCIETIES AYMARA INDIANS 1. EGOCENTRIC – at least two years old. – concept of the self suggest that each person is ICELANDERS defined as a replica of all humanity – sen (male) dottir (female) but capable of acting independently from other. MINANGKABAU CULTURE POSITIVE TRAITS – children inherit their mother’s family name. - Independent ARCTIC CANADA NEGATIVE TRAITS – children named after their relatives. - Greedy PHILIPPINES - Detached – named their children after saints. - Selfish 2. SOCIOCENTRIC – concept of the self, the self-viewed as dependent on the situation or social setting. THREE- PHASED RITE OF PASSAGE. Identity toolbox SEPARATION PHASE – refers to the features of a person’s identity that he or – people detach from their former identity to another. she chooses to emphasize in constructing a social LIMINALITY PHASE self. – a person transitions from one identity to another. Examples of Identity toolbox: INCORPORATION PHASE - politics – the change in one’s status is officially incorporated. - showbiz ARCHAEOLOGIST - sports – a person studies human history and prehistory - business through the excavation of sites and the analysis of Social code artifacts and other physical remains. - ethnic group membership - skin color - wealth - power SELF- IDENTIFICATION – may be attained by kinship, family membership, gender, age, and socioeconomic status. CENSUS – parameter used to measure or identify a certain group of people. FAMILY MEMBERSHIP – most significant feature to determine person’s social identity. LANGUAGE AND RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION – identity determinant that is often viewed as essential for the maintenance of a group identity is language. LESSON 4: THE SOCIAL COGNITIVE SELF LP 4: PSYCHOLOGICAL PEREPECTIVE OF THE SELF. – this theory says that humans act and make things happen. People viewed as proactive agents of William James experiences. – “theory of the self.” - American Philosopher and Psychologist. Features of human agency. - Professor of psychology and philosophy at Harvard 1. INTENTIONALITY University. – actions performed by the person with full awareness - One of the great pragmatists. oh hid behavior. - Wrote “the principles of psychology.” 2. FORETHOUGHT – anticipation of likely outcomes of his behavior. THE “ME” AND “I” 3. SELF-REACTIVENESS - All human thoughts are owned by some personal – process in which the person is motivated and self. regulates his behavior as - All thoughts are constantly changing or are never he observes his progress in achieving his goals. static. 4. SELF-REFLECTIVENESS – looking inward and evaluating his motivations, THE “ME” SELF. values, life, goals, and other people’s effect on him. - Personal experiences - A separate object or individual THE SELF AS THE CENTRAL ARCHETYPE. - Discuss or describe Carl Jung (1875-1961) 1. THE MATERIAL SELF - Self is the concept of archetype. – things or objects that belong to the person or entities - Archetype represents the hidden potentialities of the that a person belong to. psyche, or total personality. 2. THE SOCIAL SELF – changes in behavior usually result from different FOUR MAJOR ARCHETYPES. social situation. 1. PERSONA 3. THE SPIRITUAL SELF – social roles that individuals present to others. – subjective and intimate part of the self. 2. SHADOW – considered the dark side of the psyche. THE “I” SELF. - Pure ego (person’s soul or mind) 3. ANIMA - Compares the totality of the person’s identity. – feminine side of the male psyche vohile. ANIMUS Carl Rogers (1902-1987) – the masculine side of the female psyche. PERSON 4. SELF – centered theory – unites all the parts of the psyche SELF-CONCEPT – how person thinks about and perceives himself. EGO A.) REAL SELF-CONCEPT – the individual’s conscious perception of the self. – all information and perception has about himself. B.) IDEAL SELF-CONCEPT SIGMUND FREUD’S CONSTRUCTION OF THE SELF AND – person aims for himself to be. PERSONALITY. - Id, ego, and superego. MULTIPLE VS UNIFIED SELF. ID UNIFIED SELF – the immature, impulsive, childlike and cannot delay – contribute heavily to the young person’s struggle. gratification. MULTIPLE SELF EGO “I” REALITY PRINCIPLE. – varies across different roles and relationships. - Controls the id, can delay pleasure. - Conform with existing societal consideration. TRUE VS FALSE SELF. SUPEREGO Donald Woods Winnicott – suggest that the self is – refers to the conscience and moral judge of conduct composed of true self and false self. also the violation of rules leads to guilt - People tend to display a false self to impress others. feelings. - Self can change depending on the situation. The self as proactive and agentic. FREUD’S PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES (O-A-PHA-LA-GE) ORAL (birth – 1 year) – orally fixated, noisy, overreacting, smokers, drinkers, thumb sucking. ANAL (1-3 years) – this is where the child derives from elimination of body waste. PHALLIC (3-6 years) – parents and child (conflict arises) and genital stimulation. LATENCY (6-11 years) – sexual instincts die down, and child acquires new social values from adults and same sex peers outside the family. GENITAL (adolescence) – puberty, sexual impulses from the phallic stage reappear. THE ROLE OF ERIK ERIKSON’S THEORY IN UNDERSTANDING THE SELF. - Individuals go through 8 psychosocial stages of development. - Each stage consists of developmental tasks that one needs to accomplish in order to develop successfully. ADOLESCENCE STAGE – the most crucial of psychological development. GENITAL STAGE – during this stage, pleasure is derived. ERIKSON’S STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT PRAGMATISTS – a person who assess the truth of meaning of theories and beliefs. LESSON 5: THE WESTERN AND EASTERN CONCEPT OF COLLECTIVISM SELF - integration, sociocentric WESTERN THOUGHT INDIVIDUALISM – a frame of reference that says, there is separation – independence, egocentric between philosophy and religion/ spirituality. EASTERN THOUGHT CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK – relational rather than individual. INDIVIDUALISM - Aim at transformations in consciousness, feelings, 1. The self is a distinct and autonomous entity; it is an emotions, and one’s relation to other people. independent part of the universe and the society. 2. Independence and self-reliance are core values. EAST 3. Prioritize personal goals over group goals. NIRVANA 4. Characterized by exchange relationship. – end of the eternal cycle or reincarnation. 5. Uniqueness, sense of direction, purpose and volition - Peak of enlightenment are the acknowledged features of self. - Equated to heaven. 6. Personal success is important. Reincarnation Collectivism – the rebirth of a soul in a new body. 1. The self is an integrated part of the universe and the society. WEST 2. Interdependence and connectedness are core - Everything must be accounted for within this lifetime. values. - Finance, work, family and friends, achievement, fun, 3. No distinctions between personal and group goals, health, environment. or if there is a distinction, the personal goals are subordinate to the group goals. John Locke – tabula rasa (empty slate) 4. Characterized by communal relationship. Dimension - frame reference. 5. Conformity and obedience are essential social Western thought - philosophy and religion/spirituality. behaviors. Eastern thought - intertwined. 6. Duty towards all others is important. Example of school of thought/ belief system. BUDDHISM (Siddhartha Gautama) - Scholasticism - Budh (awake) - Rationalism - Awake, when the eyes are open, it would lead to - Empiricism understanding more about the self and world. - phenomenology - Every person has a seed of enlightenment. - Hinduism - In Buddhist philosophy, man is just a title for the - Buddhism summation of the five parts - Confucianism (Matter, sensation, perception, mental constructs, and - Taoism consciousness) that compose the individual, however each of the parts Notable Philosophers distinctly is not man. - Socrates - There is no self (no-soul). - Plato - There is only nothing and all else is an illusion. - Aristotle - There is nothing permanent, but change. - Descartes - John Locke ANICCA - Confucius Lao Tzu – everything in life is always changing, nothing lasts - Buddha forever. - the ignorance of the impermanence of everything Source of knowledge may lead to an illusion of selfhood – use of reason rather than faith, wisdom. - The ideal is to experience Nirvana, a state of - Intuition is associated to religious beliefs. transcendence devoid of self-reference. - This state of transcendence can be achieved through VIEW OF SELF meditation. - Egocentric - Sociocentric HINDUISM THEOLOGICAL VIEW - The goal of man is to have a knowledge of the true reality – Brahman - Monotheistic - Polytheistic – worship of more than one God. - Law of karma is the most important doctrine of Hinduism. IDEAL - All actions are subject to karma. - Self-actualization through personal growth. - Individual actions will lead to either a good or bad - Achieve a balanced life, one’s role in society. outcome in one’s life. - Hindus believe that Atman being an immortal soul continues to be reincarnated from lifetime to lifetime until it is freed from the cycle of rebirth and reach a state of nirvana or non-birth. - Karma does not end with a body’s death, so its influence may extend through incarnation of the soul. CONFUCIANISM - The core of Confucian thought is the Golden Rule or the principle of reciprocity. - “Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you”. - important feature in Confucian thought is the individual’s greatest mission of attaining self- realization wherein self-cultivation is instrumental. - Self-cultivation could be accomplished by knowing one’s role in the society and act accordingly. - Moral character is perfected through continuously taking every opportunity to improve oneself in thought and action. TAOISM - To them, the self is an extension of the cosmos, not of social relationships. - The self is described as one of the limitless forms of the Tao. - The Tao is commonly regarded as Nature that is the foundation of all that exists. - It is not bounded by time and space. - The ideal is to identify with the Tao. - The perfect man has no self. - The selfless person leads to a balanced life, in harmony with both nature and society. - Taoists believe that simplicity, spontaneity, and harmony with nature should govern one’s life. - There should be unity and harmony among opposing elements Yin and Yang. Yin Yang - symbolizes harmony and reminds us that life is a balancing act and most fulfilling when we learn to balance the dualities.