UTS Lesson 4: The Self in Various Perspectives PDF

CHAPTER ONE THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES LESSON FOUR The Self in Western and Eastern Thoughts obj e c t i v e s At the end of the Lesson 4, you should be able to: differentiate the concept of self according to Western thought against Eastern/Oriental per...

CHAPTER ONE THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES LESSON FOUR The Self in Western and Eastern Thoughts obj e c t i v e s At the end of the Lesson 4, you should be able to: differentiate the concept of self according to Western thought against Eastern/Oriental perspectives; explain the concept of self as found in Asian thoughts; and create a representation of the Filipino self Different cultures and varying environment tend to create different perceptions of the "self". One of the most common distinctions between cultures and people is the eastern vs. western dichotomy, wherein Eastern represents Asia and Western represents Europe and Northern America. In the Philippines alone, each region may have a similar or varying perception regarding the "self." ASIAN PHILOSOPHIES AND THE "SELF" CONFUCIANISM can be described as a code of ethical conduct, of how one should properly act according to their relationship with other people, thus, it is also focused on having a harmonious social life (Ho, 1995) Self-cultivation is seen as the ultimate purpose of life, but the characteristics of a chun-tzu, a man of virtue or noble character, is still embedded in his or her social relationships. ASIAN PHILOSOPHIES AND THE "SELF" TAOISM living in the way of the Tao or the universe Taoism rejects having one definition of what the Tao is, and one can only state clues of what it is as they adapt a free-flowing, relative, unitary, as well as paradoxical view of almost everything. Taoism prefers a simple lifestyle. ASIAN PHILOSOPHIES AND THE "SELF" TAOISM The ideal self is selflessness, but this is not forgetting about the self, it is living a balanced-life with society and nature, being open and accepting to change, forgetting about predujices and egocentric ideas. ASIAN PHILOSOPHIES AND THE "SELF" TAOISM The yin-yang symbol holds its roots in Taoism/Daoism, a Chinese religion and philosophy. The yin, the dark swirl, is associated with shadows, femininity, and the trough of a wave; the yang, the light swirl, represents brightness, passion and growth. ASIAN PHILOSOPHIES AND THE "SELF" 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 it is our quest 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  COMPARING WEST AND EAST Several studies showed that Americans would highlight their personal achievements, while Asians would rather keep a low profile as promoting the self can be seen as boastfulness that disrupts social relationships (Gleitman, et al., 2011)  COMPARING WEST AND EAST The Western culture then is what we would call an individualistic culture, since their focus is on the person. Asian culture, on the other hand, is called a collectivistic culture, as the group and social relations is given more importance than individual needs and wants.  COMPARING WEST AND EAST Westeners also emphasize more on the value of equality even if they see that the individual can rise above everything else. Asians, with their collective regard, puts more emphasis on hierarchy - as the culture wants to keep things in harmony and in order. For example, Westeners would most likely call their boss, parents, or other seniors by their first name. For Asians, we have respectful terms for our seniors and a lot of workers would not dare go against the high- ranking officials (Qingxue, 2003)  THEORIZING THE FILIPINO SELF The Filipino "self" or personality was described to have a "shared identity", specifically connected to the concept of kapwa. Accordingly, we place importance to values that promote cooperation and social acceptance, because we see the other person as fellow human beings and part of who we are. That is also why we have concepts, such as hiya, utang na loob, and pakikisama, which reflect how we relate to others or want to be perceived by our kapwa.