SS 111 Understanding The Self PDF

**SS 111 -- UNDERSTANDING THE SELF** **Module: 1The Self from Various Perspectives** **[Lesson 1: Philosophical Self]** Originally, the word "Philosophy" comes from the Greek roots *Philo*- which means love and *Sophos* means wisdom. **[Socrates]** \- *"An unexamined life is not worth living"*...

**SS 111 -- UNDERSTANDING THE SELF** **Module: 1The Self from Various Perspectives** **[Lesson 1: Philosophical Self]** Originally, the word "Philosophy" comes from the Greek roots *Philo*- which means love and *Sophos* means wisdom. **[Socrates]** \- *"An unexamined life is not worth living"* *-The first philosopher who engaged in a systematic questioning about the self.* *-Invented the phrase **"Know Thyself"** and he believed that it is the true task of a philosopher. (Know Thyself would mean that a person must stand and live according to his/her nature. One must look at him/herself. The knowledge of oneself can be achieved only through the Socratic Method, the dialogue between the soul and itself.)* *-He notes that everyone is composed of body and soul. Individuals have an imperfect, impermanent aspect, the **body**; while maintaining that there is also a **soul** that is perfect and permanent.* - *-He claimed that without striving to know and understand ourselves, life is worthless.* ***"The self can be understood through self-knowledge and self-examination"*** **[Plato]** \- *"Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others"* *-The famous student of Socrates* *-He is a dualist; the self has both immaterial mind (**soul**) and material body, and it is the soul that knows the forms (**ideas**).* *-He claimed that the soul (mind) itself is divided into 3 parts* 1. ***Rational soul*** - *reason; seeks philosophical and knowledge* 2. - 3. - ***"The self centers around the theory of Forms (or Ideas) and the concept of the soul."*** **[St. Augustine of Hippo]** ***- "Grant Lord, that I may know Myself that I may know Thee"*** ***-One the most significant Christian thinkers.*** ***-He agreed with Plato that human being is dualistic, and he then combined his beliefs in the newfound doctrine of Christianity*** ***-he also viewed the \"self\" as an immaterial (but rational) soul.*** ***-He believed that the body possessed senses, such as imagination, memory, reason, and mind through which the soul experienced the world.*** ***"The self is a restless soul seeking its ultimate fulfillment and rest in God\'s love."*** ***[Thomas Aquinas]*** ***-The greatest kindness one can render to any man consists in leading him from error to truth"*** ***-The doctor of the church and the most eminent 13^th^ century scholar*** - ***-He elucidates that man is composed of two parts:*** 1. ***Matter -Refers to the common stuff that makes up everything in the universe.*** 2. ***Form -Refers to the essence of a substance or thing, it is what makes it what it is.*** ***"The self is a rational and immortal soul uniquely united with a physical body, created in the image of God"*** **[Rene Descartes]** \- *His is known in his famous line "Cogito ergo sum" translated as "I think, therefore I am".* *-A French philosopher and considered as the father of modern Western philosophy.* *-He stressed that everything that can be perceived by the senses through the body could NOT be used as proof of existence and there is only one thing that one could be sure of in this world and that is doing the act of doubting* *-The body is nothing else but a machine that is attached to the mind* ***"The self is a thinking, conscious entity with an inherent existence, distinct from the body and inseparable from the mind."*** **[John Locke]** **- "No man's knowledge can go beyond his experience."** **-introduced the concept of the \"tabula rasa\" or \"blank slate** **-He believed that the self is identified with consciousness and this self consists of sameness of consciousness** **"The self is not an innate entity but rather a product of individual consciousness and the continuous experiences that shape one\'s identity over time."** **[David Hume]** **-*A wise man proportion his belief to the evidence."*** ***-Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, which highlights empiricism*** ***-Hume believed that one can know only through one's senses and experiences. Argued that the self is nothing but what his/her predecessors thought of it. It is not an entity over and beyond the physical body.*** ***-Self is simply a bundle of collection of different perceptions, which succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity, and are in a perpetual flux and movement (Hume & Steinberg, 1992).*** ***"The self is a bundle of perceptions and experiences, lacking a unified and enduring substance."*** **[Immanuel Kant]** **- "Genius is the ability to independently arrive at and understand concepts that would normally have to be taught by another person."** **-He thinks that the things that men perceive around them are not just randomly infused into the human person without an organizing principle that regulates the relationship of all these impressions** **-He asserts that without the self, one cannot organize the different impressions that one gets in relation to his own existence** **"The self is a transcendental unity of apperception, the necessary condition for organizing all experiences and concepts."** **[Gilbert Ryle]** \- "I act, therefore I am" -A philosopher and professor who wrote The Concept of Mind (1949), where he criticized Descartes\' idea that the mind is distinct from the body. -He defended that the distinction between mind and matter is a \"category mistake\" -For him, what truly matters is the daily behavior that a person manifests. -He believed that the actions and behaviors of a person define the sense of self. \"I act, therefore I am.\" **"The self is the result of a \"category mistake,\" an erroneous belief in a separate mental entity distinct from observable behaviors and dispositions."** **[Maurice Merleau- Ponty]** **- "Physical body is an important part of the self"** **-He was a philosopher and author who rejected the mind- body dualism view instead he insisted that the mind and body are intertwined, that they cannot be separated.** **-He argued that the body is part of the mind, and the mind is part of the body.** **-The mind perceives what the body senses experience from the external world, then the body acts out of what the mind perceives** **"The self is an embodied and inseparable entity, existing within the lived experiences and interactions with the surrounding world."** **[Lesson 2: Sociological Self]** **Charley Horton Cooley** -Sociologist introduced the concept of the **[\"looking glass - self\"]** in their work on the sociology of the self. \- emphasized the **role of primary groups**, [such as family and close friends, in shaping an individual\'s self-concept and identity] -The idea that individuals develop their self-concept through their imagination of how others perceive them. \- [ the three main elements involved in the looking-glass self-process] \>Imagination, judgment of others, and self-concept. \- The l[ooking-glass self-concept highlights the significance of:] Understanding the perspectives of others. **George Herbert Mead** \- known for the theory of \"**symbolic interactionism**\" and [emphasized the role of communication and language in the development of the self] \- [ ] that the self is a product of social interaction \- sociologist highlighted the **role of symbols and language in the formation of the self,** emphasizing the significance of language as a tool for understanding social meanings and identities \- proposed that individuals develop a \"**[generalized other]**,\" an internalized sense of societal norms and expectations, through socialization processes \- laid the **foundation for contemporary sociological theories** that [emphasize the interplay between the individual and society, demonstrating the mutual influence between the self and its social context] \- the \"[I\" and the \"Me\" are essential components of the self]. (The \"I\" represents the individual\'s spontaneous and creative aspect, while the \"Me\" represents the social and reflective aspect.) -The [role of significant others in the development of the self (]Significant others are [ ] individuals who have a strong influence on the development of the self during childhood and adolescence.) -[Symbolic interaction] is the process through individuals learn to take on the perspectives of others and anticipate their reactions to their actions. \- **Generalized other -The internalized sense of societal norms and values that individuals develop through social interactions** **[Lesson 3: Anthropological Self]** **According to Cristina De Rossi** culture encompasses everything that people themselves produce, including religion, food, language, music, and social customs. In the broader sense, \"**high culture\" refers to nation\'s elite.** \"**culture**\" derives from Latin cultura, colo, colere, meaning \"to cultivate **According to Papp (2021**), Social patterns are influenced by\_ traditions and customs of a society or country. Aspect of society does the word \"culture\" primarily refer to everything that people themselves produce, including customs, traditions, language, religion, and more. According to **Catherine Raeff,** culture influence relationships how individuals enter into and maintain relationships, whether voluntary or duty-based Culture impacts the perception of personality traits, how individuals value traits like humility, self-esteem, and assertiveness. In relation to achievement, Culture influences how individuals define success and value certain types of achievements. Culture influence expressing emotions impacts what affects individuals emotionally and how they express themselves. **the two most studied aspects of culture** related to the sense of self -Individualism and collectivism In social psychology, **construal refers** to how individuals perceive and interpret their own behavior and actions. **self-construal rooted in culture,** Self-construal is shaped by societal norms and cultural values. **independent self-construal views themselves**- They see themselves as separate from others and define themselves based on personality traits and characteristics**.** **interdependent self-construal views themselves-** They see themselves as part of a collective group and define themselves based on group norms. LESSON 4