GEN 002 Understanding The Self PDF

GEN 002 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1&2  01 From the Perspective of Philosophy At the end of the module, students will be able to: 1. Apply philosophical concepts to real-life situations. 2. Analyze philosophical concepts by writing clear and concise paragraphs that explain t...

GEN 002 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MODULE 1&2  01 From the Perspective of Philosophy At the end of the module, students will be able to: 1. Apply philosophical concepts to real-life situations. 2. Analyze philosophical concepts by writing clear and concise paragraphs that explain these philosophical ideas and their signi cance.  Socrates father of Western philosophy, famously declared that " the unexamined life is not worth living." He emphasized the importance of self-re ection and critical thinking in the pursuit of truth and wisdom. Socrates encouraged individuals to question their beliefs, values, and assumptions, challenging them to seek knowledge and self-understanding through dialogue and inquiry.  Socrates The goal of philosophy was to "Know thyself". Knowing others is wisdom. Knowing the self is enlightenment. Mastering others requires force. Mastering the self requires strength. "Self-knowledge alone eradicates misery". Self-knowledge alone is the means to the highest bliss." "Absolute perfection is the consummation of Self-knowledge." Knowledge of oneself can be achieved only through the Socratic Method, that is to say, the dialogue between the soul and itself, or between a student and his teacher. Socrates is as often in the role of questioner, as an attendant emotional. Socrates’ questions because he knows nothing, knows he knows nothing, has nothing to learn, but it can help its  PLATO He believed that the self is composed of two parts: the rational soul and the irrational appetites. According to Plato, true knowledge comes from the rational soul's pursuit of truth and virtue, while irrational appetites can lead to ignorance and moral corruption. According to Plato, true knowledge comes from the rational soul's pursuit of truth and virtue, while irrational appetites can lead to ignorance and moral corruption. Plato is a dualist; there is both immaterial mind (soul) and material body, and it is the soul that knows the forms. It is the soul that apprehends the forms, existing both before birth and after death. Plato asserts that the soul, rather than the body, is the locus of true knowledge, as it transcends the limitations of the senses.  PLATO The soul (mind) itself is divided into 3 parts: reason; appetite (physical urges); will (emotion, passion, spirit.) The will is the source of love, anger, indignation, ambition, aggression, etc. When these aspects are not in harmony, we experience mental con ict. The will can be on the side of either reason or the appetites. We might be pulled by lustful appetite, or the rational desire to nd a good partner. To explain the interaction of these 3 parts of the self, Plato uses the image is of the charioteer (reason) who tries to control horses representing will and appetites. Elsewhere he says that reason uses the will to control the appetites. ARISTOTLE He believed that the self is a harmonious integration of various faculties, reason, emotion, and perception. He advocated for eudaimonia, or ourishing, achieved through the balanced development of these faculties. Self-awareness is vital for moral and intellectual growth, enabling individuals to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Aristotle de ned the soul as the essence of a living being but argued against its having a separate existence. For instance, if a knife had a soul, the act of cutting would be that soul, because 'cutting' is the essence of what it is to be a knife. The soul is an activity of the body, it cannot be immortal (when a knife is destroyed, the cutting stops). For Aristotle, "humans have bodies for rational activity," and the potential for rational activity thus constituted the essence of a human soul.  St. Augustine Augustine integrated Christian theology with philosophical inquiry to explore the nature of the self. He viewed the self as awed due to original sin, a consequence of Adam and Eve's disobedience, but capable of redemption through divine grace. Augustine emphasized the importance of faith, humility, and moral transformation in understanding the self. He emphasizes the importance of faith, repentance, and adherence to divine commandments. Augustine acknowledged the struggle between earthly desires and spiritual ful llment and emphasized the ongoing battle between the esh and the spirit. His perspective underscores humanity's inherent frailty and sinfulness, balanced by the hope of divine forgiveness and redemption. Descartes Descartes proposed a dualistic view of the self, distinguishing between mind and body. Descartes' philosophy laid the groundwork for modern discussions on the nature of consciousness and personal identity. He famously asserted, "I think, therefore I am“ (Cogito, ergo sum) highlighting the primacy of consciousness in de ning the self. This means that as long as you're thinking, you know you exist. Although the mind and body are physically together as a whole, the mind and body are mentally independent and serve their own function. Man must use his own mind to investigate, analyze, experiment, and develop himself.  02 Self from the Perspective of Sociology Lesson Objectives: 1. Demonstrate understanding of the sociological concepts in real-world contexts. 2. Describe Charles Cooley's theory of the "looking glass self" by writing a re ective essay and citing real-life scenarios.  Sociological Perspective on Self Classical sociological perspective, the Self is a relatively stable set of perceptions of who we are in relation to ourselves, others, and to social systems. The self is socially constructed in the sense that it is shaped through interaction with other people.  Feral Children Feral children are kids who grow up isolated from society. They might have been abandoned, lost in the wilderness, or raised by animals. Because they don't have contact with people, they missed out on learning all the things we usually pick up from our families, schools, and communities. For example, they might not learn how to speak like we do. They might also struggle to understand social rules, like how to behave in public or how to make friends Feral children often face challenges in communicating, making connections with others, and understanding the world around them. It's like missing out on a big part of growing up, and it can a ect them in many ways. Charles Cooley’s theory of the “looking glass self.” The three principal elements Element 1 Element 2 Element 3 we imagine how we interpret the based on these imagined perceptions others perceive us, feedback we receive and interpreted feedback, we develop from others, a self-evaluation that shapes our sense of identity, values, and beliefs about ourselves.  For example, let's say you're preparing for a school presentation. You might imagine how your classmates and teacher will react to your presentation skills, knowledge, and con dence. If you believe they'll see you as knowledgeable and con dent, your mirror re ects a positive self-image, boosting your self-esteem. On the other hand, if you worry they'll see you as unprepared or nervous, your mirror might re ect self-doubt and lower self-esteem. Another example is, imagine a high school student is preparing for a talent show. He imagines how others will perceive their singing and stage performance. If he believes others will see them as talented and con dent, his self-esteem is high. Positive feedback during the show reinforces boosting con dence further. However, if he imagines negative perceptions or receives critical feedback, self-esteem may decrease. This shows how the looking-glass self a ects self-perception based on imagined and actual social feedback. Three activities develop the self: 1. Language develops self by allowing individuals to respond to each other through symbols, gestures, words, and sounds. Language conveys others' attitudes and opinions toward a subject or the person. Emotions, such as anger, happiness, and confusion, are conveyed through language. 2. Play develops self by allowing individuals to take on di erent roles, pretend, and express expectation of others. Play develops one's self-consciousness through role- playing. During role-play, a person is able to internalize the perspective of others and develop an understanding of how others feel about themselves and others in a variety of social situations. 3. Games develop self by allowing individuals to understand and adhere to the rules of the activity. Self is developed by understanding that there are rules in which one must abide by in order to win the game or be successful at an activity. Mead's theory of the social self is based on the perspective that the self emerges from social interactions, such as observing and interacting with others, responding to others' opinions about oneself, and internalizing external opinions and internal feelings about oneself. Mead develops William James' distinction between the "I" and the " me." The "me" is the accumulated understanding of "the generalized other" i.e. how one thinks one's group perceives oneself etc. The "I" is the individual's impulses. The "I" is self as subject; the "me" is self as object. The "I" is the knower; the "me" is the known. For Mead the thinking process is the internalized dialogue between the "I" and the "me." The "I" is the response of an individual to the attitudes of others, while the Thank you!