Philosophy Document PDF
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This document is a philosophical essay discussing different aspects of the self, including the physical and ideal realms, and explores the concept of the self through various perspectives, such as Socrates, Plato, Plato, Descartes, Hume, and Kant. The document explains theories and ideas about the individual, mind, and thought, making it a resource for further study.
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**LESSON 1: PHILOSOPHY** - **Philia -- love; Sophia -- wisdom** - The **study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence**, especially when considered as an academic discipline. **The Mirror Reflection** - Understanding the Self is much more than what we see on the...
**LESSON 1: PHILOSOPHY** - **Philia -- love; Sophia -- wisdom** - The **study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence**, especially when considered as an academic discipline. **The Mirror Reflection** - Understanding the Self is much more than what we see on the surface. - It\'s **about exploring who we are** on a deeper level---our identity, our beliefs, our emotions, and how we relate to the world around us. **Socrates** - The **self is an immortal soul** which exists over time - To **"Know Thyself"** is to live a life of reflection, purpose, and value - The **self is the source of all knowledge**, the self is composed of **a soul** and **a body** **Reality has a dualistic nature:** **Physical realm** - imperfect, transient, changeable **Ideal realm** - eternal, unchanging, immortal **Plato** - The **self is an immortal soul** which exists over time - Elaborated the **concept of psyche** or the soul: it consists of three parts **The tripartite soul:** **The Rational -** Reason **The Spirited -** Honor **The Appetite -** Desire - **Genuine happiness** is achieved when reason is in control of Spirits and Appetites **The Chariot Analogy** **Reason** - The divine essence that enables individuals to think deeply, make wise choices, achieve true understanding of eternal truths. **Physical Appetite** - Basic biological needs such as hunger, thirst and sexual desire. **Spirit or Passion** - Basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition and aggressiveness, empathy. **St. Augustine** - Responsible for synthesizing Platonic views and Christianity. - Integrated the ideas of Plato and Christianity - There is a radical distinction between the soul and the body St. Augustine. - The soul is immortal **Relationship of body and soul:** - Augustine believes that God is transcendent and everything created by God, who is all good, is good. - The body is united with the soul so that man may be entire and complete. **Virtuous life** - To live a virtuous life is to live in love and all sin is a result of turning away from love and God **René Descartes** - "**I think, therefore I am**." - The self (man) is a thinking being capable of rational inquiry. - Thinking processes: Doubting, understanding, affirming, denying, willing, refusing, imagining, feeling - Knowledge originates from an individual's reasoning ability (Rationalism). - Being **self-conscious** is integral to building a personal identity. **View of the Self** **The Physical Self** - is a part of nature, governed by the physical laws of the universe, available to scientific analysis and experiments. **The Conscious Self (mind, soul)** - is part of the spiritual realm, independent of physical laws of the universe and governed only by the laws of reason and God's will. **John Locke** - "Personal identity is made possible by self-consciousness" - All knowledge originates from direct experiences (Empiricism). - Knowledge is based on the careful observation of **sense experience** and memories of previous experiences. **Locke's Reflections** - To discover the nature of personal identity, we're going to find out what it means to be a person. - A person is a thinking, intelligent being who has the abilities to reason and to reflect. - A person is someone who considers itself to be the same thing in different times and different places. - Consciousness always accompanies thinking and is an essential part of the thinking process. - Consciousness makes possible the belief that we are the same identity in different times and different places. **David Hume** - "There is no self" - The self is only a bundle of constantly changing perceptions passing through the theater of our minds - 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. **Immanuel Kant** - **"We construct the self"** - Primary experiences are not disconnected, these are in fact **organized and stable** - Immanuel Kant believed that the self is **the active mind** that organizes and makes sense of our experiences. He argued that our mind shapes how we perceive the world, and through this process, we construct our understanding of the self. - "your world according to your terms" **Sigmund Freud "The Self if Multi-Layered"** **Conscious Level** - Thought, Perceptions **Preconscious Level** - Memories, Stored Knowlegde **Unconscious Level** - Fears, Violent Motives, Immoral Urges, Selfish Needs. Etc. **Provinces of the Mind:** **Id:** **"I want to do that now"** - The part that wants instant pleasure and doesn\'t think about consequences. **Ego**: **"Maybe we can compromise"** - The part that balances desires with reality, making practical decisions. **Superego: "It's not right to do that"** - The part that acts like a conscience, telling you what is right or wrong. **Gilbert Ryle** - **"The Self is how you behave"** - **"I act therefore I am."** - In defining the self, it is necessary to focus on **observable behavior.** - What is the self being presented in the world. - Mind wills and the body executes it. - The self is understood according to the patterns of behavior **Paul Churchland** - **"The Self is the Brain"** - Mental states are superseded by the brain. - Physical states have an emotional impact on our mental and emotional functioning. - Understand the nature of the brain. - Coined the term: Eliminative materialism: it contended that scientific theory does not require reference to the mental states posited in informal, or "folk," psychology, such as thoughts, beliefs, desires, and intentions **Maurice Merleau-Ponty** - **"The Self is embodied subjectivity"** - Viewed the self from **a Phenomenological Perspective** -- refers to the conviction that all knowledge of ourselves and our world is based on the "phenomena" of experience. - We have our own lived experiences. - Consciousness is a dynamic form responsible for actively structuring our consciousness. **LESSON 2: SOCIOLOGY** - The study of formed **norms, beliefs and values** that come to exist within the person; becomes natural and normal. - The study of social life, social change, the social causes and consequences of human behavior. **Modernization** - Has significantly changed society - Modernization has also **"delocalized"** the self: detachment from traditional attachment to the community. - The self is released from time- honored traditions and communal attachments and faces infinites possibilities (i.e. free to seek its own identity). **Characteristics of Modernity (Giddens)** **Industrialism** - People rely more on machines to produce goods and services, which has changed how we work and live. - **Dependence on machines** rather than people **Capitalism** - This is an economic system where businesses compete in the market, and workers sell their labor to make money. It's all about competition and making profits. - **Commodification of labor --** selling your skills/abilities in exchange for wages. **Institutions of Surveillance/surveillance capacities** - which is defined as **"the supervision of the activities of subject populations (mainly, but not exclusively) in the political sphere".** - Governments and other organizations have gained a lot of power to monitor and control what people do. **Dynamism** - Characterized by vigorous activity and progress. - Nothing stays the same for long, and there's a sense that anything is possible, but this also means that life can feel uncertain and unpredictable. **Social Groups** - Having two or more **people interacting with each other**, sharing **similar characteristics, identify themselves** as part of a group **TYPES of Groups:** **Organic** - **Family** **Rational groups** - **Friends** **Social Networks** - The ties or connections that link you to your social group - **Family** = Blood relation - **Barkada** = Friendship **The Social Self (George Herbert Mead)** - **Theory of the Social Self** - **Definition of the self:** The self is a product of social interactions and internalizing the external (i.e. other people's) views along with one's personal views about oneself. **JOHARI WINDOW MODEL:** **Open Area** - This is the part of ourselves that we are aware of and others are too. **Blind Spot** - This quadrant represents what others know about us that we aren't aware of. **Hidden Area** - This is what we know about ourselves but keep hidden from others. **Unknown** - It includes unconscious or undiscovered parts of our personality or potential. **Mead and Vgotsky: The Social Self** **Mead's Stages of Role-Taking:** **1. Acquisition of Language/Preparatory Stage** - Symbols, meaning, gestures allow other people to understand them. - Children mimic what they see and hear from others. **2. Play Stage** - Play is the universal language of childhood. - Perspective taking, the child assumes "the other". **3. Game Stage:** - individuals take into account "rules" **Two Sides of the Self:** **I** - The self that is unsocialized and spontaneous - The 'I' enables the person to express individualism and creativity and it does not blindly follow rules. **Me** - The product of what has been learned from interactions with others. - Learned behaviors, attitudes, expectations. - Exercises control over the self, Sees to it that rules are not broken. **Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory** - The ecological theory focuses on the impact that environment plays on the growth and development of an individual. **MICROSYSTEM** - The microsystem refers to **the environment in which an individual lives.** **MESOSYSTEM** - The mesosystem is described as **the interactions between the microsystems.** **EXOSYSTEM** - Is a system in which **the individual plays no role in the construction of experiences**, but **these experiences have a direct impact on the microsystems** the individual is part of. **MACROSYSTEM** - Is **influenced greatly by the culture and society** in which a person lives. **Lesson 3: Anthropological Perspective** **Anthropology** - "the science of humanity" (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018) - The study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture. (Merriam-Webster) - Main focus: understanding the human condition in its cultural aspect **The Self Embedded in Culture** - The idea here is that who you are-your identity, beliefs, values, and how you see yourself is deeply influenced by the culture you belong to. **How the self is constructed:** **Independent constructs (individualistic culture)** - The self is separate, distinct, with emphasis on internal attributes. - The **self is central**. - Personal goals are valued more than group interests. - Imagine someone who values their personal achievements and likes to stand out from the crowd. **Interdependent Construct (collectivist culture)** - Is typical of the **collectivist culture** in East Asia, focuses on connections with people - You focus on relationships, fitting in, and maintaining harmony. - Imagine someone who prioritizes their family\'s or community\'s needs over their own and values teamwork. **Independent self** is about **\"me\"** **Interdependent self** is about **\"we\"** **Culture can influence** - Relationships, personality traits, achievement, and expressing emotions. **Relationship** **Western Societies:** - Marriage is typically viewed as a voluntary, personal choice. **Eastern Societies:** - Marriages are often arranged by families. **Components of Culture:** **Non-material -** Intangible - **Values** - **Beliefs** - **Symbols** - **Language** **Material -** Tangible **Elements of Culture:** **1. Symbols** - Things that represent something **2. Language** - Method of human communication (verbal and nonverbal) **3. Norms** - Cultures differ widely in their norms, or standards and expectations for behaving. **Formal norms:** - Also called mores and laws, refer to the standards of behavior considered the most important in any society. **Informal:** - Also called folkways and customs, refer to standards of behavior that are considered less important but still influence how we behave. **4. Rituals** - Established procedures that mark transitions in the community. **5. Values** - Societal judgements of what is good and bad passed on from one generation to another. - **Positive core values:**...family is of fundamental importance....honesty is always the best policy and that trust has to be earned....maintaining a healthy work/life balance. - **Negative core values:**...people are powerless to change their fates or personal situations....you don't deserve good things or relationships in life....other people are fundamentally untrustworthy and unloving **6. Artifacts:** - Material objects that constitute a society's material culture. **Lesson 4: Psychological Perspective** **Psychology** - Scientific study of how people behave, think and feel. **Cognitive** - Relating to mental process that is involve in knowing, learning, and understanding things. **Focus of Psychology:** - How the brain works - How memory is organized - How people interact with groups - How children/individuals learn about the world **Psychology** **Sigmund Freud** - The importance of unconscious Father of Psychoanalysis Three layers of the self **1. Id -Makahayop (primal)** - First part of the self to develop - the seat of all our desires and wants **2. Ego -- Makatao** - Know what is right and wrong **3. Super-ego -- maka-diyos** - It strives for perfection **Jean Piaget** - A Swiss clinical psychologist who pioneered **"The Theory of Cognitive Development"** - Cognitive Development is defined as the progressive reorganization of mental processes brought about by **biological maturation** and **environmental experience** **Jean Piaget's Cognitive Development** **Basic Elements:** **1. Schema** - Building blocks of knowledge - Mental organizations that individual use to understand their environment - Example: the word "DOG **2. Adaptation** - Involves the child's learning process to meet situational demands - 2 processes: **Assimilation** (application of previous concepts to new concepts) **Accommodation** (altering previously learned information to to change our current thinking) **Four Stages of Development:** **SENSORIMOTOR STAGE** - The child begins to interact with the Environment. - 0-2 **PREOPERATIONAL STAGE** - The child begins to represent the world symbolically. - 2-6 or 7 **CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE** - The child learns rules such as conservation - 7-11 or 12 **FORMAL OPERATIONAL STAGE** - The adolescent can transcend the concrete situatiions and think about the future. - 12-Adulthood **Susan Harter: Self-Concept** - Harter provided a framework which talked about the emergence of the self. - Developing cognitive capacities X socialization experiences = **SELF** **Development of Self Concept (Stages)** **1. Early childhood (ages 2-6):** - Children think of themselves in terms of **observable, verifiable** characteristics; physical attributes. **2. Middle childhood (7-11 years old)** - The self is described in terms of **trait-like constructs.** **3. Adolescence (12-18)** - Emergence of more abstract self-definitions **related to inner thoughts, emotions, attitudes and motives.** - Example: **I am feeling blue** - **My mind is a blur** - **I have roller-coaster emotions** **4. Emerging Adulthood** - Visions of a "possible self," the age of possibilities **William James: The "I" and the "Me"** ** Two elements of the self** **I Internal** - Pure ego, subjective. - Aware of its actions. - Initiator of behavior. - Sense of uniqueness. - Sense of continuity **Me External** - Self in relation to physical characteristics, personalities, social roles, relationships, thoughts, feelings. - Dimensions: physical, social, spiritual **Features of the Self (William James):** **The Material Self:** - Extensions of the self, "ours" **The Social Self:** - How we are regarded and recognized by others **The Spiritual Self:** - Our self perceived abilities, attitudes, emotions, interests **Pure Ego (The Transcendental Self):** - Our awareness of our self **Carl Rogers: "The Self Theory"** **Humanistic Psychology** - Self-concept refers to the image of oneself. - He fined the self as a flexible and changing perception of personal identity. **Real Self:** - It\`s the self that feels mostly true to what and who we really are. **Ideal Self:** - Is defined as one's view of self as one wishes to be. **THE IDEAL SELF AND REAL SELF** **IDEAL SELF** is the person you would like yourself to be; the concept of the "best me" who is worthy of admiration. **REAL SELF** is the person you actually are, it is how you behave right at the moment. **The importance of alignment: According to Rogers** - "If the way that I am (the real self) is aligned with the way that I want to be (the ideal self), then I will feel a sense of mental being or peace of mind. **CONGRUENT:** - The self-concept is similar to the Ideal self - There is more overlap - Person can self-actualize **INCONGRUENT** - The self-concept is different from the Ideal self - There is a little overlap - Self-actualization can be difficult **ERIC BERNE: Transactional Analysis** **EGO STATES** - Every person has three parts of the SELF. - **Ego States:** Refer to distinct parts of a person's personality or behavior that influence how they think, feel, and act in different situation. - People communicate with one another assuming roles of the ego states **Parent Ego State:** - "controlling parent" **Adult Ego State:** - Rational, voice of reason, asserts itself **Child State:** - Natural child, the little professor, adaptive child **ERIC BERNE: Transactional Analysis** **TYPES OF EGO STATES:** **1. THE PARENT EGO STATE** - Is the voice of authority, it could be comforting voice or a "controlling/critical parent" voice that tells what you should or you should not do. **2. THE ADULT EGO STATE-** - Is the rational person, it is the voice that speaks reasonably and knows how to assert herself/himself. **3. THE CHILD EGO STATES o THE NATURAL CHILD** - Who loves to play but is sensitive and vulnerable **4. THE LITTLE PROFESSOR** - The curious child who wants to try everything. **5. THE ADAPTIVE CHILD** - The one who reacts to the world, he/she could be trying to fit in or is rebelling against authority. **ERIC BERNE: Transactional Analysis** **Examples:** 1. **Parent-Child Transaction (Critical Parent)** **Sender (Manager):** \"Why are you always late for meetings? You need to be more responsible!\" **Ego state:** Critical Parent (judgmental and authoritative) ** Receiver (Employee):** \"I\'m really sorry; I'll try harder next time.\" **Ego state:** Child (submissive and apologetic) **2. Adult-Adult Transaction (Problem-Solving)** ** Sender (Coworker 1):** \"We need to finish this project by tomorrow. Do you think we can complete it on time?\" ** Receiver (Coworker 2):** \"Yes, if we divide the tasks evenly and focus, we should be able to meet the deadline.\" **3. Child-Parent Transaction (Nurturing Parent)** ** Sender (Child):** \"I fell off my bike and hurt my knee. It really hurts!\" ** Receiver (Parent):** \"Oh no! Let's clean it up and put a bandage on. You\'ll feel better soon.\" **4. Parent-Adult Transaction (Directive Parent)** ** Sender (Supervisor):** \"Make sure you submit the report by 5 PM today.\" ** Receiver (Employee):** \"Got it. I\'ll make sure it\'s ready by then.\" This is a **Parent-Adult transaction where the supervisor** gives a directive, and the employee responds in an Adult state by acknowledging the instruction without emotion. **5. Child-Child Transaction (Playful Exchange)** ** Sender (Friend 1):** \"Let's skip work and go to the beach today!\" ** Receiver (Friend 2):** \"That sounds fun! I'm in!\" This is a **Child-Child transaction** where both friends are interacting playfully and impulsively.