Philosophical Perspective of the Self PDF

LESSON 1: PHILOSPHICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF ❖ Ancient Greeks = Philosophers ❖ Philosophy means “Love of Wisdom” ❖ Philosophy “employs the mind to discover the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles of everything”. ❖ “It goes beyond scientific investigation of exploring all...

LESSON 1: PHILOSPHICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF ❖ Ancient Greeks = Philosophers ❖ Philosophy means “Love of Wisdom” ❖ Philosophy “employs the mind to discover the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles of everything”. ❖ “It goes beyond scientific investigation of exploring all areas of knowledge” SOCRATES ❖ Socrates was the first philosopher to engage in a systematic questioning about the self ❖ “gadfly” ❖ An unexamined life is not worth living ❖ Socrates was the first one to focus on the self ❖ He believes that an individual’s reality is divided by two parts. ❖ The physical realm consists of the world that we are living in. It is the world that changes and temporary. ❖ The ideal realm contains concepts about the universe, truth, goodness and beauty. These are the things that does not undergo changes and are ever-lasting. Plato ❖ Soul, according to Plato was synonymous with the self. ❖ Three Components of Soul (Rational Soul, Spirited Soul, Appetitive Soul) ST. AUGUSTINE ❖ There is this body that is bound to die on earth and the soul that is anticipated to live eternally RENE DESCARTES ❖ Rene Descartes, the “Father of Modern Philosophy.” ❖ He claims that there is so much that we should doubt. ❖ that the only thing that one cannot doubt is the existence of the self. ❖ The self is then for Descartes is also a combination of two distinct entities, the “cogito” or the thing that thinks and the “extenza” or the extension of the mind (the body). ❖ I think, therefore I am David Hume ❖ There is no self. IMMANUEL KANT ❖ For Kant, we are the ones who create our reality in which we are familiar and comfortable. Another was his concept of the “Apparatus of the Mind” which consists of ideas that cannot be found in the world but is only built in our minds (e.g. time and space). Gilbert Ryle ❖ I act, therefore I am Maurice Merleau-Ponty ❖ We cannot separate the mind and the body and these two works as one for us to know ourselves. ❖ mind and the body are so intertwined that they cannot be separated from one another. LESSON 2: The Self as The Product of Society Sociology  a science, study social groups and human relationships What is the relationship between the external world and the self?  Feral child or Wild child is a human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a young age with little no experience of human care, behavior, or human language.  They are typically portrayed at being raised by animals Marcos Rodriguez Pantoja A noted Feral Child who was sold to a goatherder to become a serf. He later became the subject of the film Entrelobos or Among Wolves movie. The different qualities of the self  Separate – it means that it is distinct from any other selves, the self is always unique and has its own identity.  Consistency – allows it to be studied, described, and measured.  The self is private, self-sorts out information, feelings, emotions, and thought processes within the self.  Self is isolated from external world. Because of this, the clash of self and external reality is the reason for the self to have a clear understanding on what it might be, what it can be, what it will be.  Self is unitary because it is the center of all experiences and thoughts that run through a certain person. Basically the command center or an individual where all processes, emotions, and thoughts converge. The self should not be seen as static. Rather, should be seen or something that is in unceasing flux, in constant struggle with external reality and is malleable in its dealings with society. Marcel Mauss a French sociologist, believes that the self has two faces; the personne and moi Moi is person’s sense of who he is, his body, basic identity, biological givenness. The Personne is a social concept of what it means to be who he is. The Self and the Development of the Social World George Herbert Mead a philosopher, psychologist and sociologist, supports the view that a person develops a sense of self through social interaction. “Me”  The or the social self, is what is learned in interaction with others and with the environment: “I”  Is the response to the “me” and to the attitude of others. The full development of the self is not present at birth but develops only with social experience in which language, gestures, and objects are used to communicate meaningfully. Theory of Self Development Preparatory Stage (0-3 years old)  Also called as the imitation stage. In this stage, we see children mimic/imitate those around them Play Stage (3-6 years old)  Children are believed to learn self-development and interaction through pretend play in this stage. Game Stage (6-9 years old)  At this stage, children become concerned about and take into account in their behavior the generalized others or how they are viewed. The Social Development Theory Lev Vygotsky a Russian psychologist, argues that social interaction comes before development Social Interaction  Social level l(Interpsychological) This is where social learning takes place  Individual level(Intrapsychological), after acquiring social learnings  He claimed that infants are born with the basic materials/abilities for intellectual development that are called the elementary mental functions. Elementary mental functions  Sensation - hot, cold, sweet, or bitter are delivered automatically to the brain by the senses.  Hunger - bodily processes. An infant doesn’t need to be told that he is hungry since hunger will manifest the fact.  Memory - Young children commit things to memory in a natural manner. Higher mental functions  Language - As we grow older and undergo a multitude of other social processes, language learning will also advance, as well as our thought processes.  Memory - Memory can be cultivated and controlled by this time and they know how to make relevant associations and memorized stuff they think is necessary.  Attention –They are now able to decide which objects, actions or thoughts to focus on.  Perception – Social interactions help the child’s level of perception, increasing his awareness and capacity to understand why things are as they are. LESSON 3:The Anthropological Conceptualization of the Self: The Self as Embedded in Culture Anthropology is the study of what makes us human. Nature VS Nurture Nature refers to what we are born with and includes our biology, genetics, and similar characteristics. In contrast, nurture refers to what is learned, through our cultural community and other individuals. In the Anthropological perspective, there are two ways in which the concept of self is viewed in different societies: Egocentric - are individuals with personalities formed from within themselves Sociocentric - a personality dependent on the social atmosphere.  Identity Toolbox - An identity toolbox features a person’s identity that he or she chooses to emphasize in constructing a social self. Self-Identification may be attained by: kinship, family membership Family membership the most significant feature to determine the person’s social identity Language and Religious Affiliation Another important identity determinant that is often viewed as essential for the maintenance of a group identity is language. Personal Naming Name is an important device to individualize a person and to have an identity. One’s identity is not inborn. It is something people continuously develop in life. Three-phased rite of passage -Arnold Van Gennep Separation Phase - People detach from their former identity to another. Liminality Phase – A person transitions from one identity to another. Incorporation Phase - The change in one’s status is officially incorporated. Self as Imbedded Culture Clifford Geertz, an American anthropologist He defines culture as a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms Therefore, man is defined by his genetics potentials shaped into actual accomplishments which is made possible by culture. Also, he emphasizes that human nature is interdependent with culture; “Without men, no culture, certainly, but equally, and more significantly, without culture, no men”.