UTS PRELIM REVIEWER: The Self PDF

UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES ORIENTATION OF THINKING Many philosophical persp...

UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES ORIENTATION OF THINKING Many philosophical perspectives deal with the understanding Rationalism - regards reason as the chief source and test of of the self. The philosophy of man is a being or self and its knowledge. Philosophers: Socrates, Plato, Kant, and ultimate reason for being. It is a comprehensive study of Descartes truth. Skepticism - always in doubt and that knowledge is In these components the self is the whole man but taken in uncertain. Philosophers: Humes and Socrates totality man, the self is imbued with reason, free will, and Empiricism - all of our knowledge comes from our sensory responsibility. This man, when fully developed becomes experience. Philosophers: Humes, Ryle, Locke, Aristotle, man, a many splendored creations through Philosophy. Churchland , and Maurice-Ponty Thus, it was inevitable to come up with various conceptions Idealism - the nature of reality is based on ideas, of what it means to be human and in doing so, the different perceptions, or consciousness rather than physical matter. definitions of the self. Philosophers: Socrates, Plato Platonism - refers to the philosophical ideas and doctrines derived from the works of the ancient Greek philosopher WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY? Plato. Philosophers: Plato Existentialism - emphasizes on personal experience and Philosophy comes from two Greek words philos which responsibility and the complexities of human existence. means “love”, sophia which means “wisdom.” Thus, a Philosophers: Maurice-Ponty philosopher is a “lover of wisdom.” Wisdom connotes knowledge—knowledge directed to the PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES fundamental and pervasive concerns of existence. In philosophy, it is in how you help yourself think more clearly, precisely, and systematically. Socrates: “An unexamined life is not worth living...” It is the investigation of normal and fundamental issues Plato: “The Soul is Immortal...” concerning matters, for example, presence, information, St. Augustine: “I am Doubting. Therefore I...” values, reason, psyche, and dialect. Rene Descartes: “I Think Therefore I am...” John Locke: “The Self is Consciousness...” David Hume: “There is no Self...” UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ Immanuel Kant: “We Construct the Self...” 2. Ironic process - to make the seeker of Gilbert Ryle: “The Self is the Way People Behave...” knowledge, clear his mind for action. It Maurice Jean Jacques Merleau-Ponty: “The Self is removes from his mind prejudice and Embodied Subjectivity” leads to the humble and sincere Paul Churchland: “The Self is the Brain” confession of ignorance. 3. Maieutic process - draws the truth out of PHILOSOPHERS the pupils' mind which is done using dialogue or conversation. Socrates saw a person as dualistic, that Socrates “The only wisdom is in knowing you know is, every person is composed of body and nothing.” — Socrates (469–399 BCE) soul. There is an imperfect and impermanent aspect of every one of us, He provided a change of perspective by which is our physical body, and then, focusing on the self. His life and ideas, there is also the perfect and permanent, documented by his students, the historian which is the soul. Xenophon and the philosopher Plato. He believed that it is the duty of the Plato “The soul of man is immortal and philosopher to know oneself. To live imperishable.” — Plato (428–347 BCE) without knowing who you are and what virtues you can attain is the worst that can Plato further expounded on the idea of the happen to a person. Thus, he noted that soul by stating that it has three an “unexamined life is not worth living.” parts/components: Contributions: 1. The appetitive soul - responsible for 1. Socratic method or Dialectic style of the desires and cravings of a person. teaching - a method of inquiry by 2. The rational soul - the thinking, answering questions with another reasoning, and judging aspect question. Socratic methods consist of two 3. The spirited soul - accountable for processes: ironic and maieutic. emotions and also makes sure that the UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ rules of reason are followed in order to attain victory and/or honor. René Descartes was a French In his work The Republic, he mathematician, scientist, and philosopher. emphasized that all three parts of the soul He argues that a person should only must work harmoniously to attain justice believe the things that can pass the test of and virtue in a person. doubt. The rational soul must be Even doubt about the self proves that well-developed and in charge, the there is a thinking/doubting self (“cogito emotions from the spirited soul are ergo sum”) checked, and the desires of the appetitive He believes that to doubt is to think; the must be controlled and focused on those cognitive aspect of human nature is his that give life, like eating, drinking, and basis for the existence of the self. sleeping, among others. The body is like a machine that is controlled by the mind and aided by the St. Augustine “The good man, though a slaw, is free; the mind. wicked, though he reigns, is a slave.” — St. 1. Cogito ergo sum - the things that Augustine (354–430 AD) think (mind) which is the proof of human existence. St. Augustine is considered as one of the 2. Extenza - an extension of the mind most significant Christian thinkers, (body) especially in the development of Latin Christian theology. John Locke “The only fence against the world is a His idea of the “self” merged that of Plato thorough knowledge of it.” — John Locke and the then-new Christian perspective, (1632–1704) which led him to believe in the duality of a person. John Locke was an English philosopher. A person’s mind is a blank state (tabula Rene Descartes “I think, therefore I am.” — Rene Descartes rasa) at birth; it is through experiences (1596–1650) UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ that this blank state is filled, and a possibly create another reaction in the personal identity or “self’ is formed. future. Stated that personal identity or the self is found in the consciousness. Immanuel Kant “All our knowledge begins with sense, turns It is alleged that life is a quest for the into understanding, and ends with reason. understanding of what is after death and There is nothing higher than reason.” — immortality. Immanuel Kant (1711–1776) One of the most influential philosophers David Hume “Be a philosopher; but, amidst all your in Modern Western philosophy. philosophy, be still a man.” — David Hume He thinks that reason, not mere (1711–1776) experience, is the foundation of knowledge. David Hume was a Scottish philosopher The “self” organizes our experience into and an empiricist who believed that all something meaningful. concepts and knowledge come from the Kant said that every person has an inner senses and experiences. and outer self comprising consciousness. We know others based on what we Largely, the object of the inner self is the observe. 'soul' while the outer self is directed to The self is a combination of experiences the 'body'. of a person. Experiences can be categorized into: Gilbert Ryle “In searching for the self, one cannot simultaneously be the hunter and the hunted.” 1. Impressions – real/actual — Gilbert Ryle (1900–1976) experiences or sensations like feeling Ryle focused on observable behavior in the rough edges of a stone or tasting a defining the self. sweet ice cream. The public and the private self. 2. Ideas – copies of impressions/representations of the world and sensations that could UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ He sees the self as an entirely of Neuroscience somehow shows a thoughts, emotions and actions of a connection of what we call mental states person that relates to observable behavior. that of the physical activities of the brain. We get to know others by observing their behavior and inferring about their “selves”; we can apply the same REFLECTION observation and reflections on ourselves. The dual perspective of the “self” continues to exist, perhaps Maurice “We know not through our intellect but because our brains are programmed to think of dualities. Mealeau Ponty through our experience.” — Maurice Our religious beliefs, that of a mortal body and an immortal Merleau-Ponty (1908–1961) soul, also affect such continuity. However, new ideas from academic fields as well as findings from technological A leading French existentialist and advances are being considered and incorporated in this phenomenologist. debate and the discovery of the self. States that the mind and body are Being open to such new ideas may help us know more about interconnected with each other and our own “self”. cannot be separated. Our body is our connection to the external world, including other people, THE SELF, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE thus all experiences are embodied. According to sociology and anthropology, human beings are, Paul Churchland A Canadian philosopher known for his by nature, social beings. studies in neurophilosophy and the We are born into a social environment. philosophy of mind. Society = a group of people sharing the same culture and The Self is the brain. typically interacts in a defined territory. “Eliminative materialism” or Culture = a group of people’s way of life which includes “Eliminativism” means that the old terms behaviors, values, beliefs, and symbols that they accept. we use to describe the mind are outdated. a. Material culture - attires, tools, weapons, architectural designs, religious implements UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ b. Nonmaterial culture - the belief systems, the Economics/Market This system aims to regulate the flow of values, and norms or expected behaviors, as well as resources and services. the shared language and symbols. Values = ideal behavior or principles that set the standard of Politics/Government Usually composed of various what is acceptable from a person. organizations ensuring peace and order by Norms = rules on what to do or what not to do in a certain the use of power of certain people or situation. groups. Socialization = (enculturation in anthropology) is a lifelong Executive = headed by the president, in process of learning, teaching, internalizing, and living the charge of enforcing the law. culture of a society. Legislative = composed of the House of Status = our position in a society or a particular group. Representatives and the Senate, in charge a. Ascribed - inherited or given at birth of creating, amending, or repealing the b. Achieved - personally acquired for achieving laws. something Judiciary = led by the Supreme Court to provide proper interpretation of laws. SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS Education/School The basic function of schools is to ensure that the knowledge of the past and the Social institutions are sets of ideas, norms, practices, or culture of society gets transmitted from mechanisms organized and focused on addressing social one generation to another. It safeguards needs. continuity or brings about changes to the Kinship/Family The most basic social institution of a other social institutions. society that organizes us based on our Religion/Church An organized set of practices, symbols familial ties. and artifacts regarding the belief in the Blood relations = consanguineal supernatural. Marriage = affinal Social Several reasons why people believe in the supernatural 1. Explanation of the unexplainable UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ 2. Meaning and purpose of life Recreation An organized system of social 3. Continuity of relationship with relationships for satisfying the human the people we care about even desire of entertainment, amusement and after death among others play among others. Supernatural being = a being that is Leisure = refers to the free time that better and more powerful than any people can spend away from their creature in the natural world. everyday responsibilities. Sport = refers to any type of organized Mass/Social Media The media plays a role in self-concept physical activity. development as well—both mass media and social media. When these media promote certain ideals, we're more likely THEORETICAL APPROACHES to make those ideals our own. Mass media = refers to technological devices that reach a large number of George Herbert American philosopher, sociologist, people Mead and psychologist. Social media = refers to computer-based One of the founders of social technology that allows users to create and psychology and symbolic distribute information as well as interactionism. participate in social networking. A professor at the University of Chicago. Health Services Good living conditions (e.g., housing, and Theory of symbolic interactionism employment) are fundamental to 1. The “self” did not just well-being. come out of thin air. Well-being = a positive outcome that is 2. We need others to affirm meaningful for people and for many and reinforce who we sectors of society because it tells us that think we are. people perceive that their lives are going 3. Our notion of what is well. personally important to UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ us is influenced by the Theory of Cultural Determinism = The current trends. contention that culture strongly impacts It is also inevitable then, that we can how the individual views himself. have several social identities, which Culture and Personality = Personality or can overlap, and that we can the self depends on a certain group's automatically play the roles as we cultural practices and socialization interact with our groups. process. Ruth Fulton Prominent American anthropologist Clifford James One of the most important and widely Benedict Known for her work on culture and Geertz read anthropologists of the late 20th personality century. Contributions to cultural One of the founders of symbolic or anthropology interpretive anthropology. She argued that each culture selects a Died in 2006. limited number of personality traits to Symbolic and Interpretive emphasize, leading to distinct cultural Anthropology = culture as a collection of patterns. symbols with meanings, which are made, communicated, and negotiated by each Margaret Mead A renowned American cultural person to make sense of their lives and anthropologist interactions. Ethnographic research and writings Mead was an influential public Charles Horton American sociologist who used the intellectual and wrote extensively for Cooley socio-psychological approach to popular audiences, making understanding how societies work. anthropology accessible to the general He earned his doctorate at the public. University of Michigan and taught at Both Mead and Benedict developed the same university as a sociology ideas related to Cultural professor. Determinism. UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ In his written work, Human Nature Impression management = when people and the Social Order (1902), he slant their presentation of themselves to discussed the formation of the self create preferred appearances and satisfy through interaction. particular people. Looking Glass Self = a process by which Dramaturgical approach = everyday a person develops his self-image based on interactions of people has similarities how others treat him. Their treatment between real social interaction to a therefore is like a mirror reflecting one’s theatrical presentation. personality. Face-work = face-saving measures are Three phases of looking-glass self resorted to in the maintenance of a proper 1. How one imagines how he image of the self. appears to others. Dramaturgy = the concept of depicting 2. How one imagines how others social life as a theater. will judge his appearance. 3. How one perceives others' THE SELF AS COGNITIVE CONSTRUCT judgment to be such as pride or shame. Psychology is the study of thought processes, including Erving Goffman Canadian sociologist memory, problem solving, and decision-making, from Considered one of the most infancy through adolescence to adulthood. influential sociologists of the 20th Cognitive development is the field of the social sciences century that deals with the description, explanation, prediction, and Focused on the detailed study of control of behavior. face-to-face interaction and the Mental processes are composed of our thoughts (cognition), subtleties of social behavior. senses (perception) and feelings (emotion) that helps us Dramaturgical Analysis = Goffman understand and make sense of the world and who we are believes that people in their everyday within it. lives are very much like actors performing on stage. UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ A professor of psychology and philosophy at Harvard University. Known for his “Theory of the Self” and published “The Principles of Psychology.” James’ aspects of self: 1. I self - is the thinking, acting, and feeling self. 2. Me self - it is the physical characteristics as well as psychological capabilities that makes who you are. Carl Rogers A prominent figure in humanistic PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE psychology. Focused on concepts like The systematic method explains human behavior and mental self-actualization, unconditional processes. positive regard, and the Reasons behind the behavior, mental processes, or capacity. client-centered (or person-centered) Analyzing and conducting studies. approach in therapy. Psychology of self = focuses on the representation of an He was one of the first to use the term individual based on his/her experiences either from the client rather than patient. home, school, and other groups, organizations, or affiliations Carl Rogers’ concepts of self: he/she engaged in. 1. Identity - composed of one’s characteristics, roles, and William James Father of American Psychology and responsibilities, as well as One of the Most Influential American affiliations that define who one. Philosophers of All Time. UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ 2. Self-concept - – is basically what Public self = what a person commonly comes to your mind when you are shows to others, especially for creating a asked about yourself. good public image. The concept of self-schema is our own organized system or collection of Self-awareness also presents us with at least three other knowledge about who we are. self-schemas: Sigmund Freud Austrian psychologist and physician. 1. Actual self - who we are at the present Father of psychoanalysis 2. Ideal self - who we like to be, especially in the Unconscious mind future Conceptualized three levels of 3. Ought self - whom we think we should be in consciousness. contrast to the actual self Deindividuation is the loss of individual self-awareness and 3 aspects of personality: individual accountability in groups. 1. Id - the structure that is primarily based on the pleasure principle. 2. Ego - the structure that is based SELF-ESTEEM on the reality principle. It mediates between the impulses of Self-esteem is defined as our personal positive or negative the id and the restraints of the perception or evaluation of ourselves. superego. One of how our social relationship affects our self-esteem is 3. Superego - primarily dependent through social comparison. on learning the difference between right and wrong. Upward Social Happens when an individual compares Morality = the action is largely Comparison himself to others who are better than him. dependent on childhood upbringing (reward and punishment). Downward Social It happens when an individual compares Comparison himself to someone who is in a worse James Carver and Private self = a person’s internal thoughts Michael Scheier and feelings.  UTS PRELIM REVIEWER UTS AGE1 00 FIRST SEMESTER | PROF. SHIRLEY HOÑEZ situation than he is, especially when he is feeling so low. Social Comparison Theory = we learn about ourselves, the appropriateness of our behaviors, as well as our social statuses by comparing aspects of ourselves with other people. The Self-evaluation Maintenance Theory = this states that we can feel threatened when someone outperforms us, especially when that person is close to us (a friend or family). In this case, we react in three ways: 1. We distance ourselves from that person or redefine our relationship with them. 2. We may reconsider the importance of the aspect or skill in which we were outperformed. 3. We may also strengthen our resolution to improve that certain aspect of ourselves. Narcissism = a trait characterized by overly high self-esteem, self-admiration, and self-centeredness. On the study of Baumeister, Smart, and Boden: programs, activities, and parenting styles to boost self-esteem should only be for rewarding good behavior and other achievements, and not to merely try to make children feel better about themselves or to appease them when they get angry or sad.