Philosophical Perspective of Self - PDF

Summary

This document explores different philosophical perspectives on the concept of self, drawing on theories from ancient Greece to modern thinkers. Key figures and their ideas about the nature of self, including the body and soul, are examined. Topics like the role of reason, emotions, and basic desires in shaping the self are also discussed.

Full Transcript

I. Philosophical Perspective of Self emphasized the importance of Christianity in shaping the self. The philosophical perspective of the self, analyzing how philosophers, from the Descartes: the "Father of Mo...

I. Philosophical Perspective of Self emphasized the importance of Christianity in shaping the self. The philosophical perspective of the self, analyzing how philosophers, from the Descartes: the "Father of Modern ancient Greeks to modern thinkers, have Philosophy," argued that the self is debated and defined what constitutes the defined by the mind (cogito). He "self". states that the body is only a machine only to be controlled by the Socrates: He believed that the true mind alone, and it doesn’t define the task of a philosopher is to know “self”. What makes a self is its ability oneself. He viewed the human to think for him and himself only. person as a dualistic entity, composed of body and soul. The Hume: Hume, a Scottish empiricist, body is the imperfect and temporary disagreed with previous thinkers and aspect, while the soul is the perfect proposed that the self is not a fixed and permanent part. entity but a collection of perceptions in a constant flux. He believed that Plato: Socrates' student, Plato, our sense experience is the basis of expanded upon this duality, adding our knowledge, and the self is that the soul is comprised of three nothing more than this continuous parts: flow of perceptions. Rational Soul: This part is Kant: Kant criticized Hume's view responsible for reason and and argued that the self is an intellect, and it should govern organizing principle within the mind. the individual. He believed that the self is Spirited Soul: This part deals responsible for synthesizing with emotions and should be impressions and making sense of the kept in check by the rational world. Concepts like time and space soul. are not found in the world but are built into our minds by the self. Appetitive Soul: This part focuses on basic desires like Ryle: Ryle rejected the mind-body eating, drinking, and sex, and dichotomy and believed that what needs to be controlled. matters is the behavior that a person manifests in daily life. He argued that Augustine and Aquinas: They looking for an "internal" self is like believe in the dual nature of man, looking for a "university" when you with an imperfect, worldly aspect are already on the university campus. and a spiritual aspect capable of reaching immortality. They Merleau-Ponty: Merleau-Ponty, a phenomenologist, insisted that the mind and body are inseparable and development through various intertwined. Our experience is mechanisms: embodied, and we cannot grasp the Socialization: The process by world without our bodies. which we learn the norms, II. Sociological Perspective values, and behaviors of society. The Sociological Perspective focuses on how the self is shaped by social interactions Role-Taking: We internalize and social structures. Here's a breakdown of different roles (child, student, their key points: friend, worker) and learn to Social Construction: The core idea behave accordingly. is that the self is not inherent but Social Control: Social constructed through our interactions institutions enforce norms with others and the social systems through sanctions and we belong to. We learn about ourselves, our values, and our place rewards, shaping our in society through these interactions. behavior. Social Institutions: These are the Cultural Dimension: Sociologists organized patterns of behavior that recognize that different cultures form the foundation of society. They have a profound influence on the include: self. Our cultural values, beliefs, and norms shape our perceptions of who Family: This is the primary institution responsible for we are. socialization, kinship ties, and Function of Social Institutions: The transmitting cultural values. sociological perspective emphasizes Government: This creates that social institutions serve vital rules and laws that shape functions for society: how we live and interact. Order: They maintain social Economy: This governs how order by providing a resources are produced, framework for behavior. distributed, and consumed. Stability: They contribute to Education: This shapes our the stability and continuity of knowledge, skills, and values. society. Religion: This provides moral Survival: They help society guidance and beliefs about meet its basic needs for the meaning of life. survival and reproduction. Impact of Social Institutions: Social institutions influence our self- III. Anthropological Perspective Cultural Psychology believes in independent and interdependent Anthropology came from the words constructs: This refers to how “Anthropos” which means human and societies view the self in relation to “logos’ which means study. The others, with individualistic cultures subdisciplines of anthropology emphasizing independence and Cultural explores the diversity of collectivist cultures emphasizing past and present both through interdependence. ethnography – based on field-work The 4 different elements of self in and ethnology – based on cross- culture are relationships, cultural comparison. personality traits, achievement, Archeological interprets human and the expression emotions: behavior through material remains. Biological (physical) is the scientific IV. Psychological Perspective of Self study concerned with the biological The Psychological Perspective of Self and behavioral aspects of human focuses on the development of self- beings and other non-human understanding, particularly during primates. adolescence. It considers how we think Linguistic is language in its social about ourselves and how we interact with and cultural context across time and the world. space. Perspective is a particular way of Thinking Self: This refers to how we viewing things that depends on perceive ourselves in social one’s experience and personality. situations. We often think about how Self is the physical organism, we present ourselves and how our possessing psychological functioning actions affect others. This is and social attributes sometimes called the "pure ego." "Me" Self: Describes our personal The 2 Aspects of “Self” experiences, categorized into: Explicit is an aspect of the self that Material Self: This is based you are consciously aware. on our physical attributes Implicit the automatic, unconscious, and possessions, contributing or spontaneous way a person to our self-image. evaluates themselves. Social Self: How we act and behave in social situations, Culture is a set of customary behaviors and shaping our social identity. beliefs: These are passed down through Spiritual Self: Represents generations, shaping our understanding of our values, beliefs, and moral the world and our place within it. compass. It's the most intimate part of our self, guiding our purpose and Forethought enables the person to actions. anticipate the likely consequences of prospective actions. Carl Rogers believed that the closer the Self-reactiveness involves making ideal to the real self/true self, the more choices and choosing appropriate fulfilled and happier the individual becomes. courses of action as well as When the ideal self is far from the real/true motivating and regulating them. self, the person becomes unhappy and Self-reflectiveness gives the person dissatisfied. the ability to reflect upon and the Multiple Selves vs. Unified Self adequacy of his or her thoughts and actions. Suggests that individuals have multiple selves that emerge in The self as the Central archetype is Carl different social contexts. You might Jung's theory of the self is the concept of behave differently with your friends, archetypes family, or colleagues. These different Persona refers to social roles that selves are shaped by social roles, individuals present to others. expectations, and relationships. In Shadow refers to the repressed contrast, a unified self refers to a thoughts that are socially coherent and integrated sense of unacceptable. This is often identity. It's the idea that there's a considered as the dark side of core, consistent self beneath the psyche. various social masks we wear. Anima is the feminine side of the True Self vs. False Self male psyche. Animus is the masculine side of the Our authentic, genuine self and the female psyche. fake self that we present to the world, often to protect our true self. Sigmund Freud's Construction of Self & Personality states that the mind is The Self as Proactive and Agentic - It composed of three components which the views the self as an active force, not a static self and personality is formed. entity. It's a complex interplay of endowments, beliefs system, self- ID, characterized by its need to regulatory capabilities, and Distributed satisfy basic urges and desires. Structures and Functions, enabling Ego, refers to the I, operates on the personal influence and shaping our reality principle and controls the id. experiences. It can conform with existing social conditions. Bandura’s 4 Main Feature of Agency Super ego refers to the “conscience” Intentionality refers to acts done and “Moral judge” of one’s conduct. intentionally. It strives for perfection rather than pleasure.

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