UTS Prelims: Philosophy of Self PDF

Social, Environmental, and other Life Factors (S.E.L.F.) Nature - a person develops his/her characteristics biologically (something that has developed starting from the birth of the child) Nurture - a person develops his/her characteristics through the external factors, such as the environment and...

Social, Environmental, and other Life Factors (S.E.L.F.) Nature - a person develops his/her characteristics biologically (something that has developed starting from the birth of the child) Nurture - a person develops his/her characteristics through the external factors, such as the environment and the society (family, friends, relatives, etc.) Identities - are "qualities, characteristics, beliefs, opinions, etc., that make a person unique from others." These is what is distinguishable by others, or what they perceive to us through our actions. Self - is the "person of himself/herself," meaning, it is what the others didn't see in you, because this is personal character; this is what makes up a person Dimensionalities of the Self/Identity 1\. **Social** factors are the factors in the development of a person which includes all the person around us, like our family members, relatives, friends, teachers or professors, and even strangers, that might create an impression to you or affects your actions and thoughts in life. 2\. **Environmental** factors are the factors in the development of a person that includes the environmental structure, events, and such, which might give an impact on how a person could grow in all the aspects of his/her life. 3\. **Hereditary** factors are the factors in the development of the person that includes biological changes and events, such as growth in height, puberty (growing of pubic hair, deeper voices for male, broadening of hips and start of menstruation for female, etc.) that usually affects the physical characteristics of a person. 4\. **Person-volition** factors are the inclination of a person creates a social construct which sets him apart to others. Philosophy - Started in Athens of Ancient Greece at around 600 BCE "philos" -- love, "sophia" -- wisdom \- Understanding elements, mathematics, heavenly bodies, atoms, and man. Philosophical View of Self Socrates: Know Yourself \- He considers man from the point of view of his inner life. \- The famous line of Socrates, "Know yourself" tells each man to bring his inner self to light. A bad man is not virtuous through ignorance; the man who does not follow the good fails to do so because he does not recognize it. \- The core of Socratic ethics is the concept of virtue and knowledge. Virtue is the deepest and most basic propensity of man. \- Knowing one's own virtue is necessary and can be learned. Socrates \- Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar, Teacher \- Mentor of Plato \- Considered to be the main source of Western Thought \- Socrates was not a writer and his works were only known through Plato's writing (The Dialogues). "the worst thing that can happen to anyone is to live but die inside" "every person is dualistic" Socratic Method \- Also called dialectic method \- Method of inquiry consisting of series of questions to search for the correct/proper definition of a thing. \- The goal of this method is to bring the person closer to the final understanding. Socrates View of Human Nature \- "the unexamined life is not worth living" \- touching the soul may mean helping the person to get in touch with his/her true self \- According to him, real understanding comes from within the person. Plato \- Aristocles (428-348 BCE) \- The Academy \- He wrote more than 20 Dialogues with Socrates as protagonist in most of them. **Theory of Forms** -- the physical world is not the real world; ultimate reality exists beyond our physical world. **Forms** - abstract, perfect, unchanging concepts or ideals that transcend time and space; they exist in the Realm of Forms. Philosophical View of Self Plato: The Ideal Self, the Perfect Self \- According to Plato, man was omniscient or all-knowing before he came to be born on this world. \- With his separation from the paradise of truth and knowledge and his long exile on earth, he forgot most of the knowledge he had. However, by constant remembering through contemplation and doing good, he can regain his former perfections. \- Man is now an exile on earth has a guiding star, a model, or a divine exemplar which he must follow to reach and attain his destiny. In practical terms, this means that man in this life should imitate his former self; more specifically, he should live a life of virtue in which human perfection exists. Happiness, which is the fruit of the virtue, is attained by the constant imitation of the divine exemplar of virtue, embodied in man's former perfect self. Characteristics of Forms \- ageless and therefore are eternal \- unchanging and therefore permanent \- unmoving and indivisible Plato's Dualism Realm of Shadows -- composed of changing, 'sensible' things which are lesser entities and therefore imperfect and flawed Realm of Forms -- composed of eternal things which are permanent and perfect. It is the source of all reality and true knowledge. 3 Components to the Soul Rational soul -- reason and intellect to govern affairs Spirited soul - emotions should be kept at bay Appetitive soul - base desires (food, drink, sleep, sexual needs, etc) \* when these are attained, the human person's soul becomes just and virtuous St. Augustine of Hippo \- Christian Philosopher \- He initially rejected Christianity for it seemed to him that it could not provide him answers to questions that interested him. \- He wanted to know about moral evil and why it existed in people and he also questions sufferings in the world. St. Augustine's View of Human Nature \- God as the source of all reality and truth \- The sinfulness of man The Role of Love \- "God is love and he created humans for them to also love." \- "Disordered love results when people loves the wrong things which was believed to give him/her happiness." \- Physical objects = sin of greed \- Not lasting and excessive love for people = sin of jealousy \- Self = sin of pride \- God = supreme virtue and real happiness René Descartes \- "Cogito Ergo Sum" -- I think therefore I am \- He believed that self is the combination of two entities: **Cogito** (mind) -- The thing that thinks. **Extenza** (body) -- the extension of the mind. It is nothing else but a machine that is attached to the mind. \- "Father of Modern Philosophy" \- Rationalist \- Employed scientific method and mathematics in his philosophy. \- Cartesian Method and Analytic Geometry \- Descartes states that the self is a thinking entity distinct from the body. Descartes System Two (2) Powers of the Human Mind \- Intuition -- ability to apprehend direction of certain truths \- Deduction -- power to discover what is not known by progressing an orderly way from what is already known. Descartes View of Human Nature \- The cognitive aspect of human nature is his basis for the existence of the self. The Mind-Body Problem \- soul/mind (also the self) is a substance separate from the body. John Locke \- "Personal Identity" \- Born in Wrington, England \- His works focuses on the workings of the human mind, particularly, acquisition of knowledge. \- He believed that knowledge results from ideas produced a posteriori or by objects that were experienced. \- *Tabula Rasa* (i.e. blank slate) Locke's View of Human Nature \- Morals, religious and political values must came from sense experiences \- Morality has to do with choosing or willing the good \- Moral Good depends on conformity or non-conformity towards some law \- Law of Opinion, Civil Law, Divine Law David Hume \- Born in Edinburgh, Scotland \- Empiricism \- After reading the Philosophy of John Locke, 'he never again entertained any belief in religion' The Human Mind \- Mind receives materials from sense and calls it perceptions and it has two (2) types: **Impressions** -- immediate sensation of external reality **Ideas** -- recollections of impressions Principles of Association - - - Immanuel Kant \- Born in Konisberg, East Prussia (Western Russia) \- Founder of German Idealism \- He wrote the three books: Critique of Pure Reason, Critique of Practical Reason, and Critique of Judgment Kant's View of the Mind \- Rationalist, Empiricist \- Kant argued that the mind is not just a passive receiver of sense experience but rather actively participates in knowing the objects it experiences. \- He also stated that instead of the mind conforming to the world, the external world is that the one who conforms to the mind. Sigmund Freud \- Austrian Neurologists \- One of the pioneering figures in the field of Psychology \- Founder of psychoanalysis \- The unconscious mind \- Hysteria \- Free association, dream analysis, hypnosis Levels of Mental Life Unconscious -- contains all those drives, urges, or instincts that are beyond our awareness. Preconscious -- contains all the elements that are not conscious but can become conscious either quite readily or with some difficulty. Conscious -- mental elements in awareness at any given point in time. Provinces of the Mind Id -- its function is to seek pleasure (pleasure principle) Eros -- life instinct Thanatos -- death instinct Ego -- the only region of the mind in contact with reality (reality principle) Superego -- represents the moral and ideal aspects of personality (moralistic/idealistic principle Freud's View of Human Nature \- An individual is a product of his past lodges within his subconscious. \- We live our lives by balancing the forces of life and death -- opposing forces that make mere existence a challenge. Defense Mechanism \- Psychological strategies that are unconsciously used to protect a person from anxiety arising from unacceptable thoughts or feelings Repression, Denial, Projection, Displacement, Regression, Sublimation, Reaction Formation Gilbert Ryle \- English Philosopher \- He contradicted Cartesian Dualism Ghost in the Machine -- human consciousness and mind are very dependent on the human brain Ryle's View of Human Nature \- Man is endowed with freewill and it was invented to determine if an action deserves a praise or blame Two (2) types of Knowledge Knowing-that -- Factual knowledge Knowing-how -- practical knowledge Patricia and Paul Churchland \- Canadian Philosophers \- combined Neurology and Philosophy (Neurophilosophy) in addressing the age-old problem (mind-body) \- Neurology deals with the study of nervous system, its structure, physiology, and aberrations **brain-mind** "There isn't a special thing called the mind. The mind just is the brain." \~Patricia Churchland Brain = Self Churchland's View of Human Nature \- Abnormalities on the brain physiology leads to deviant thoughts, feelings, and actions **Normal Brain** -- facilitates socially accepted behavior **Compromised Brain** -- gives rise to aberrant behaviors Maurice Merleau-Ponty \- French Phenomenological Philosopher \- Philosopher of the Body \- He wrote books on perception, art, and political thought \- He argued that the human body is the primary site of knowing the world Merleau-Ponty's View of Human Nature \- Phenomenology provides a direct description of the human experience while perception forms the background of the experience which serves to guide man's conscious actions \- Philosopher of the Body Sociology \- Derived from the French word sociologie, coined by a French Philosopher Isidore Auguste Comte in 1830 \- Came from the Latin word **socius** which means companion, and **logos** which means 'the study of a social science that studies human societies, their interactions, and the processes that preserved and change them George Herbert Mead \- he was born on February 27, 1863 and died on April 26, 1931 \- he graduated at Oberlin College \- he enrolled at Harvard University in 1887 taking up his MA in Philosophy \- prominent in the field of social psychology, sociology, philosophy, and pragmatism Mead's Social Self Social Behaviorism - People develop their self-image through interactions with people. \- 'Self' is the dimension of personality that is made-up of the individual's self-awareness and self-image. \- said that the Self is born of society, it is inseparable from society and bound up with communication. Preparatory Stage (birth -- 2 years old) \- The 'self' is not present at birth but it develops over time through social interaction and social experience \- At this stage, children learn through the process of imitation \- Children will become familiar with symbols that people use in their interaction Play Stage (2 -- 7 years old) \- skills at knowing and understanding the symbols of communication is important for this constitutes the basis for socialization \- children start role-playing and taking on the role of significant people in their lives \- the 'self' is developing Game Stage (8 -- 9 years old) \- Children learn their role in relation to others and how to take on everyone else in a game \- Children begin to become able to function in organized groups and most importantly, to determine what they will do within a specific group The "I \"and "Me" I Self \- when the person initiates or performs a social action, the self functions as a subject (e.g. I will run inside the house.) Me Self \- when the person takes the role of the other, the self functions as an object (e.g. The choice for the most outstanding student was awarded to me.) Charles Horton Cooley (1864 -- 1929) \- American Sociologist \- Sociopsychological Approach \- Earned his Doctorate at University of Michigan and became a sociology professor at the same university \- In his written work Human Nature and the Social Order (1902), he discussed the formation of the self through social interaction Looking-Glass Self Theory \- A person\'s self grows out of society\'s interpersonal interactions and the perceptions of others it develops in three phases 1\. People imagine how they present themselves to others. 2\. People imagine how other evaluate them. 3\. People develop some sort of feeling about themselves as a result of those impressions. Erving Goffman (1922 -- 1982) \- Canadian-American Sociologist, Social Psychologist, Writer \- Deemed by others as 'the most influential American Sociologist of the 73rd President of the American Sociological Association \- Listed as sixth most-cited author in the humanities and social sciences by the Times Higher Education Guide The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life -- people, at the initial phase of social interactions, tends to slant their presentation of themselves to create preferred appearances and satisfy particular people (impression management). Dramaturgical Approach -- Goffman uses the imagery of a theater/theatrical presentation in order to portray the nuances and significance of face-to-face social interaction.  Agents of Socialization Family \- introduce children to the expectations of society \- socialization is different based on race, gender, and class School \- teachers and other students are the source of expectations that encourage children to think and behave in particular ways Peers \- peer culture is an important source of identity, through interaction with peers, children learn concepts of seldom gain social skills, and form values and attitudes Media \- the average young person (age 8-19) spends almost 7 hours per day immersed in media in various forms, often multiple media forms simultaneously \- television is the dominant medium, although half of all youth use a computer daily Religion \- children tend to develop the same religious beliefs as their parents. Very often those who disavow religion return to their original faith at some point in their life, especially if they have strong ties to their family of origin and after they form families on their own Anthropology \- Came from the Latin words **'ánthrōpos**" which means 'human' and **'logos'** which means 'study of' scientific study of humans, human behavior, and societies in the past and present. \- Is a science and philosophical description of the life form "Homo Sapien" the thinking man. The science of anthropology is "doctrinahumanaenaturae" includes the bodily characteristics of human as well as their spiritual psychic and moral dignity. (Ocampo, 2006) Focal Points of Anthropology \- Man in the physical, cultural and existential features with the purpose of gaining a deeper understanding of man's place in the world. Culture \- Is a system of human behavior and thought -- Edward Taylor; shapes the self The Material Component \- Pertains to all tangible materials that are inherited from previous generation. This is the most obvious component because of its physical nature. Cognitive Component \- Are divided into ideas, knowledge and belief, values, and accounts. THE NORMATIVE COMPONENT Social Norms \- Are the accepted standards of behavior of social groups subheading. \- These groups range from friendship and workgroups to nation-states. Folkways \- The general rules, of customary and habitual ways and patterns of expected behavior in society. Mores \- Refers to the special folkways that are generally emphasized because they are deemed necessary for the welfare of the society. MECHANISM OF CULTURAL CHANGE Cultural Change \- happens because no society is in a constant state. Society continuously evolves from one period of time to another Cultural Lag \- one must take into account both a social need and the cultural goal as mentioned above, every cultural goal is anchored on social need Cultural Borrowing \- a situation where one society borrows the culture of another society and uses it as a new part of the culture FOUR SUBFIELDS OF ANTHROPOLOGY 1. \- The study of the ancient and recent human past through material remains \- Archaeological records consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts, and cultural landscapes. \- Archeologists' focus on studying the past and how it may have contributed to the present ways of how people live. \- Archaeologists' discovered that the most important aspect of human nature is survival. 2. \- Also called physical anthropology \- A scientific discipline concerned with the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings \- Biological anthropologists focus primarily on human adaptability and evolution **Primatology** \- Study of non-human primate behavior, morphology and genetics \- Primatologists use phylogenetic methods to infer which traits humans share with other primates and which are human-specific adaptations **Paleopathology** \- The study of diseases in ancient organisms \- "Biological Anthropologists have shown that while humans do vary in their biological characteristics and behavior, they are more similar to one another than different" \- American Anthropological Association 3. \- Branch of anthropology that studies the role of language in the social lives of individuals and communities \- An essential part of human communication is language---a system of communication used by a particular country or community \- Linguistic anthropologists also study how language and modes of communication change over time. \- English as the Universal Language \- Other forms of language have evolved which represent subculture of a particular group 4. \- The study of contemporary human cultures and how these cultures are formed and shape the world around them **Culture** - a way of life of a group, that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next. **Theory of Cultural Determinism** - a belief that the culture in which we are raised determines who we are at emotional and behavioral levels. **Cultural Relativism** - the idea that a person\'s beliefs, values, and practices should be understood based on that person\'s own culture, rather than be judged against the criteria of another. \- Cultural determinism suggests that we are shaped/formed to have the kind of life we prefer but it may also mean that we have no control over what we learn. \- Culture may manifest itself in people in the following ways: Symbols, Heroes, Rituals, Values **Symbols** - It pertains to words, gestures, pictures, or objects that may have a recognized/accepted meaning in a particular culture \- e.g. cross, rings, colors, national symbols like eagle and sampaguita **Heroes** - Persons from the past or present who have characteristics that are important in a culture \- e.g. National Heroes, Marvel Heroes, DC Heroes **Rituals** - Activities (may be religious or social) participated in by a group of people for the fulfilment of desired objectives and are considered to be socially essential \- e.g. weddings, baptisms, birthdays, graduations, reunions **Values** - Considered to be the core of every culture, which involve human tendencies/preferences towards good or bad, right and wrong \- e.g. respect for elders, hospitality, utang-na-loob, pakikisama, nationalism, hiya INDICIDUALISTIC AND COLLECTIVIST CULTURE \- culture in one factor that can have an influence on how people think and behave \- one factor that cross-cultural psychologists often study involves the differences and similarities between individualistic and collectivist culture Individualistic \- societies there is a lack of interpersonal connection and people only take care of themselves or their families and aim to achieve individual goals Collectivist \- societies are characterised by a strong group cohesion, loyalty, and respect for members of the group; the welfare of the group is put before self-interest CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY \- one interesting phenomenon that have observed is how people from individualist cultures describe themselves compared to how those from collectivist cultures describe themselves \- 60% of Kenyans (collectivist culture) describe themselves in terms of their roles within groups \- 48% of Americans (individualist culture) used personal characteristics to describe themselves INDIVIDUALISTIC CULTURE TRAITS Being dependent upon others is often considered shameful. Independence is highly valued Individual rights take center stage People often place a greater emphasis on standing out and being unique. People tend to be self-reliant. The rights of individuals tend to take a higher precedence Individualistic Culture In individualistic cultures, people are considered \"good\" if they are strong, self-reliant, assertive, and independent. This contrasts with collectivist cultures where characteristics like being self-sacrificing, dependable, generous, and helpful to others are of greater importance. A few countries that are considered individualistic cultures include the United States, Germany, Ireland, South Africa, and Australia. Individualistic vs. Collectivist Cultures **individualism** prizes things such as: Autonomy, Independence, Self-sufficiency, Uniqueness Whereas people in collectivist cultures might be more likely to turn to family and friends for support during difficult times, those living in individualist cultures are more likely to go it alone. -