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Philosophical Perspective of Self What is Philosophy? Greek words: Philo’s and Sophia Meaning: Love for wisdom Study of acquiring knowledge through rational thinking and inquiries that involve in answering questions regarding the na...

Philosophical Perspective of Self What is Philosophy? Greek words: Philo’s and Sophia Meaning: Love for wisdom Study of acquiring knowledge through rational thinking and inquiries that involve in answering questions regarding the nature and existence of man and the world we live in 1. Socrates  First martyr of education, knowledge, and philosophy  His philosophy underlies in the importance of the notion, “know thy self”  Men’s goal in life is to obtain happiness.  was the first thinker to focus on the full power of reason on the human self. Who we are Who we should be Who we should become Understanding ourselves is through internal questioning or introspection (understanding our strengths and weaknesses; likes and dislikes) The Socratic method - the so called introspection is a method of carefully examining our thoughts and emotions- to gain self-knowledge 2. Plato  student of Socrates  Followed the idea of Socrates on knowing thyself.  According to him a person who is a follower of truth and wisdom will not be tempted by vices and will always be correct/moral/ethical. 3. Aristotle  The body & soul are not two separate elements but are one thing.  The soul is what makes a person, person. It is the essence of the self. 4. St. Augustine  I Am doubting, therefore I am.  Integrated the ideas of Plato & Christianity.  Developed a more unified perspective on the body & soul.  The soul is what governs and defines the human person or the self.  The soul is united with the body so that man may be entire & complete. 5. Rene Descartes  I THINK THEREFORE I AM  keystone of Descartes concept of self  the actual thinking about the self of being self-conscious- is in itself proof that there is self.  The essence of the self- a thinking entity that doubts, understands, analyzes, questions and reasons 6. John Locke  THE SELF IS CONSCIOUS  The human mind at birth is tabularasa  The self is constructed from sense experiences (what we see, hear, smell, taste and feel)  Using the power of reason and introspection enables people to understand and achieve accurate conclusions about the self. 7. David Hume  THERE IS NO SELF  if people will carefully examine their sense experience through the process of introspection, they will discover that there is no self  What people experience is just a bundle or collection of different perceptions, impressions, sensations, ideas, thoughts and images  The idea of personal identity is a result of imagination. 8. Gilbert Ryle  THE SELF IS THE WAY PEOPLE BEHAVE  The self is best understood as a pattern of behavior.  I act therefore I am 9. Paul and Patricia Churchland  THE SELF IS THE BRAIN  The self is inseparable from the brain.  the physical brain and not the imaginary mind, gives us our sense of self.  The mind does not exist. 10. Maurice Merleau-Ponty  THE SELF EMBODIED SUBJECTIVITY  All knowledge of ourselves and our world is based on the subjective experience.  The self can never be truly objectified or known in a completely objective sort of way. 11. Immanuel Kant  WE CONSTRUCT THE SELF  the self that makes experiencing an intelligible world possible because it is the self that is actively organizing and synthesizing all of our thoughts and perceptions  The self constructs its own reality creating a world that is familiar and predictable. Sociological Perspective of Self o The social aspect of self is explored in many ways. o Social situations influence one’s view of self. o The self is not created in isolation. o Am I beautiful? Do I look good? o These questions can be answered by looking at this people around. o The self has meaning only within the social context. o Social situations define our self- concept and our self-esteem. o We rely on others to provide a “social reality”. 1. THE SELF AS PRODUCT OF MODERN SOCIETY AMONG OTHERS  With modernization, the self becomes a “delocalized“ self- free to seek its own identity.  The self has meaning only within the social context.  Stability of oneself identity is no longer based on pre-given traditional broad definition of self  Cliffors Geetz (American Anthropologist) believes that the struggle for one’s own identity is only possible in modern society only.  Modernization delocalizes the self.  The delocalization of the self poses certain problems such as:  The newfound freedom threatens the very authenticity of the self.  Alienation- human beings are haunted by the very images they have created (being isolated)  Objectification of the human body (e.g. medical practice)  Dehumanization of self (depriving a person’s positive human qualities) 2. SOLUTION  Abolish repressive- preventing the awareness of certain thoughts or feeling. 3. SELF AS NECESSARY FRICTION  Frederick Nietzsche- a German philosopher believes that the self is the sum of the individual’s actions, thoughts, and feelings.  Self is nothing more than a metaphor, a representation of something abstract & symbolic.  It is possible for us to remember something even if we have not experienced it (something heard or witnessed)  Unity of one’s experiences gave rise to the concept of self. 4. POST MODERN VIEW OF THE SELF  Self is a narrative a text written and unwritten.  It is a story.  It is dynamic.  Self is digitalized in cyberspace.  A virtual version of who you are.  A self is seen in websites or social media. 5. SOCIAL CONSTRUCT OF THE SELF  Self is not discovered; it is made through the socialization process.  The individual is an active agent that negotiated for the definition of himself (Ikaw ang gumagawa ng kung ano ka) 6. REWRITING THE SELF AS AN ARTISTIC CREATION  Transform self into a beautiful work of art (Nietzsche)  Individuals must fashion, care for and cultivate themselves.  We can recreate ourselves to get hold of the present, forgive the past and plan the future.  Contingencies of selfhood (Rorty)- conceal the ugly by rewriting and redescribing the past. 7. SELF CREATION AND COLLECTIVE IDENTITY  Memories (photo, videos) play significant role in creating the self and identity.  Memories of the past can be linked with social transformation. 8. SELF CREATION AND THE STRUGGLE FOR CULTURAL RECOGNITION  We create ourselves by struggling with cultural hassles then owning the recreated self. We hide the ugly past of our cultural nature. We learn to adjust. 9. BEYOND SELF CREATION  The quest for identity is a product of the modern society (new information technology, globalization, restructuring ourselves as to gender, sex, creating one’s own 10. MEAD’S THEORY OF SELF  George Herbet Mead- American philosopher and social theorist  One of the founders of social psychology  A conception a person holds of himself/herself in his mind emerges from social interaction with others.  The self is neither initially at birth nor necessarily at the beginning of a social interaction.  Constructed and reconstructed in the process of social experience and activity.  Self is made of two components- the “I” and the “Me”  The “Me” represents the attitudes expectations of others.  The “I” is the response to “Me”  The ‘I” is the response of an individual to the attitude of others.  The “Me” organized set of attitudes which an individual assumes. 11. MEAD’S THREE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF SELF PREPARATORY SELF Birth to about 2 years old. Children mimic those around. PLAY STAGE Two to six years old Play pretend. GAME STAGE Begins to adhere to the rules of the game. Anthropological Perspective of Self  Anthropology is a study of all the aspects of human conditions.  Includes human history, the present human condition.  Even the future possibilities  Also examines biology, interactions in society, languages and especially culture. CULTURE  Traditionally defines as systems of human behavior and thought.  Covers all customs, traditions, and all capabilities of human as they function in society. ENCULTURATION  Transmission of culture from one generation to the next. THE SELF & PERSON IN CONTEMPORARY ANTHROPOLOGY  The self takes the holistic dimension of the individual person.  The genetic component plays a significant role in the cultural development of an individual. SELF AWARENESS  that which permits one to assume responsibility for one’s own conduct, to learn how to react to others, and to assume a variety of roles (Haviland, 2003) Psychological Perspective of Self  According to (Jhangiani & Tarry , 2014) the self is the sense of personal identity and of who we are as individuals.  It focuses on the representation of an individual based on his/ her experiences. THE SELF AS A COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTION (focuses on mental processes) 1. William James  the Father of American Psychology  In 1890 he distinguished 2 understanding of the self (which is “me” and “I”) “I” self  Refers to the self that knows who he is or who she is.  The thinking, acting, and feeling self.  Reflects the soul of a person or what is now thought of as a mind and is called the pure ego. “ME” self  Empirical self  Refers to describing the person’s personal experiences and further divided into subcategories: a. Material Self – the things that belong to us (tangible objects). ex. family, clothes, body, and money b. Social Self – who we are in a given social situation. People change how they act depending on the social situation they are in. c. Spiritual self – who we are at our core. More concrete & permanent. Personality, core values and conscience that do not typically change throughout a lifetime. GLOBAL VS DIFFERENTIATED MODELS Self-esteem Global self-esteem - represents the way people generally feel about themselves. State self-esteem - temporary feelings where we feel good or bad about ourselves during situations and experiences. Domain Specific Self-esteem - self-evaluation. Focus on how people evaluate their various abilities & attributes. 2. Carl Rogers  American Psychologist  He believed in the inherent goodness of people.  Emphasized the importance of free will and psychological growth.  Emphasized that the actualizing tendency is the driving force behind human behavior.  Human beings are always striving for self-fulfillment or self-actualization.  When needs are not met may result to anxiety.  Proposed the self-concept.  Refers to the image of oneself.  Defined the self as flexible and changing perception of personal identity.  Self develops from interactions with significant people and self-awareness.  There are 3 components of the self-concept: (self-image, ideal self, and self-esteem) 3. Sigmund Freud  Father of Psychoanalysis  The mind is like an iceberg – it floats with 1/7th of its bulk above water. o THE ID  source of all psychic energy, making it the primary component of personality.  only component of personality that is present from birth.  is entirely unconscious and includes instinctive and primitive behaviors.  is driven by the pleasure principle.  It demands for immediate gratification of all desires, wants, and needs. If these needs are not satisfied immediately, the result is a state of anxiety or tension. o THE EGO  develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world.  conscious self  It operates based on the reality principle, which strives to satisfy the id's desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways. The reality principle weighs the costs and benefits of an action before deciding to act upon or abandon impulses. o THE SUPEREGO  It begins to emerge at around age five.  It holds the internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from our parents and society (our sense of right and wrong).  It provides guidelines for making judgments.  The superego tries to perfect and civilize our behavior. It suppresses all id's unacceptable urges and struggles to make the ego act upon idealistic standards rather than on realistic principles. o The interaction of the Id, Ego, and Superego  It is important to remember that these are not three separate entities with clearly defined boundaries.   These aspects are dynamic and always interacting to influence an individual's overall personality and behavior.  With many competing forces, it is easy to see how conflict might arise between the id, ego, and superego. Freud used the term ego strength to refer to the ego's ability to function despite these dueling forces. o What Happens If There Is an Imbalance?  According to Freud, the key to a healthy personality is a balance between the id, the ego, and the superego.  If the ego can adequately moderate between the demands of reality, the id, and the superego, a healthy and well-adjusted personality emerges.  On the other hand, an overly dominant superego might lead to a personality that is extremely moralistic and judgmental. A person ruled by the superego might not be able to accept anything or anyone that they perceive to be "bad" or "immoral."  Freud believed that an imbalance between these elements would lead to a maladaptive personality. 4. David Lester  Multiple vs Unified Self  The construction of multiple self varies across different roles and relationships.  Coping with different selves constitute a formidable task among adolescents.  These challenges contribute heavily to the young person’s struggle for a unified self. 5. Donald Winnicot  English pediatrician & psychoanalyst  True vs False Self  The function of the false self is to hide and protect the true self  People tend to display a false self to impress others. 6. Social Cognitive Theory  Takes an agentic view of personality.  Humans have the capacity to exercise control over their lives.  People are self- regulating, and they have the power to influence their own actions to produce desired consequences.  AGENT SELF- executive function that allows for actions  This is how individuals make their choices and utilize control in situations and actions.  The agent self resides over everything that involves decision making, self-control, taking charge in situations. 7. Albert Bandura  Stanford University Psychologist  Behavioral modification is possible  Proposed 4 agentic perspectives: 1) Intentionally- enable us to behave with purpose. 2) Forethought-allows us to anticipate outcomes. 3) Self-reactiveness- we can be motivated to regulate our actions.