Philosophical Perspective of the Self PDF

**Philosophical Perspective of the Self** I. **Socrates: The Soul is Immortal** "Know thyself" - It is a motto inscribed on the frontispiece of the Temple of Delphi. \- means that we have to live according to our nature. \- Socrates believed knowledge is inherent in an individual \- He was con...

**Philosophical Perspective of the Self** I. **Socrates: The Soul is Immortal** "Know thyself" - It is a motto inscribed on the frontispiece of the Temple of Delphi. \- means that we have to live according to our nature. \- Socrates believed knowledge is inherent in an individual \- He was considered to be the first thinker in recorded history to focus the full power of reason on the human self \- For him, reality is dualistic, comprised of two dichotomous realms: 1\. changeable, transient, and imperfect (the physical realm---the physical world) 2\. unchanging, eternal, immortal (ideal realm\--the intellectual essences of the universe: truth, goodness, beauty) \- The soul, which is immortal, strives for wisdom and perfection, but is hindered by its connection to the imperfect physical body. However, through reason, the soul can free itself from the physical realm and achieve a state of communion with the unchanging ideal realm. **II. St. Augustine: Plato and Christianity** Plotinus spearheaded Neoplatonism \- committed to his Platonic ideas regarding the imperfection of his physical body, in contrast to the perfection of his eternal soul and had a profound influence on St. Augustine. \- Augustine transformed Plato\'s eternal realm of Forms into a transcendent God, God through faith and reason \- Augustine believed in viewing the body as a \"slave\" and \"cage\" for the soul, "The soul makes war with the body." but later seeing it as the \"spouse\" of the soul, united by a natural appetite. \- Augustine\'s earned the title of Christianity\'s first theologian. (theos -- God; logos -- study of) -- the study of God. **III. Descartes's Modern Perspective of the Self** \- Descartes' approach he is more curious about our thinking process and reasoning process. Cogito ergo sum - Descartes' first principle in his theory of knowledge which means "I think, therefore I am." \- SELF (THINKING THING) = SELF-IDENTITY ↔ SELF-CONSCIOUS \- If you are consistently not conscious and unaware of your thinking, reasoning, and perceiving process, then it is impossible for you to have a self-identity, a unique essence, a you. \- Descartes believes that the soul continues to exist in the spiritual realm. In contrast to people sleep, their bodies continue to function even if their minds are not thinking. \- our mind and body are connected since our thinking and emotions have "intermingling" point of contact through the pineal gland. \- most philosophers agree that Descartes failed in his attempt to create an integrated concept of the body and mind. **IV. John Locke: The Self is Consciousness** Empiricist - view that sense experience is the primary source of all \- A person is a thinking, intelligent being with the abilities to reason and reflect and 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. It is what makes possible our belief that we are the same identity in different times and different places. \- The essence of the self is its conscious awareness of itself as a thinking, reasoning, reflecting identity and memory of previous experiences are the keys to understanding the self. \- For Locke, personal identity and the soul or substance in which the personal identity is situated are two very different things. **V. Immanuel Kant: We Construct the Self** \- Kant argues that our knowledge of the world begins with sensations, but our primary experience is not just a collection of disconnected sensations \- our minds actively organize, relate, and synthesize the sense data into a meaningful world of objects, relationships, and ideas within a framework of space and time. \- We have fundamental organizing rules or principles (a priori) built into our minds that help us make sense of the world \- the unity of consciousness refers to the fact that our thoughts and perceptions are bound together in a unity by being all contained in one consciousness. \- Without our self to perform the synthesizing function, our experience would be unknowable and chaotic. \- The self is not a content of consciousness, but rather the invisible thread that ties the contents of consciousness together **Psychological Perspective of the Self** **Carl Rogers: Real and Ideal Self** \- He perceived people to be always striving to be complete and perfect. Self -- concept refers to the person's thoughts and feelings about himself. The real self - is the person's awareness of who he actually is, how he thinks, feel, look and act. The ideal self - is the person's perception about what he wanted to be or what he should be. Congruence -- consistency of the real and ideal self. \- leads to a sense of self- worth and a productive life. Incongruence - leads to distress and anxiety. **Albert Bandura: Social Cognitive Theory** \- believes that people are self-regulating, proactive, self-reflective and self-organizing and that they have the power to influence their own actions to produce desired consequences. Core Features of Human Agency: 1\. Intentionality: this refers to acts done intentionally. 2\. Forethought: to anticipate possible outcomes of action. 3\. Self-Reactiveness: this involves making choices and choosing appropriate courses of action. 4\. Self-Reflectiveness: refers to person's ability to evaluate the adequacy of his own thoughts and actions. Self -- Efficacy - belief that he is capable of performing tasks that will produce a desired effect. Self -- Regulation - people's ability to control and monitor their own behavior. **Erik Erikson: Psychosocial Stages of Development** Erikson's theory - the acquisition of basic virtues or strength. 1\. Basic Trust versus Basic Mistrust (0-1 year) \- develops trust if their needs are met, resulting in HOPE. 2\. Autonomy versus Shame and Doubt (1-3 years) \- develops autonomy if allowed to explore, resulting in WILL. 3\. Initiative versus Guilt (3-5 years) \- develops initiative if allowed to explore within limits, resulting in PURPOSE. 4\. Industry versus Inferiority (6-12 years) \- develops industry if they learn to do things well, resulting in COMPETENCE. 5\. Identity versus Identity Confusion (12-20 years) \- develop a sense of self, resulting in FIDELITY. 6\. Intimacy versus Isolation (20-40 years) \- develops intimacy if they form a stable identity, resulting in LOVE. 7\. Generativity versus Stagnation (40 -- 60 years) \- develops generativity if they take on responsibility for society, resulting in CARE. 8\. Integrity versus Despair (60 above) -the older adult develops integrity, reflect and feel proud of their accomplishments, resulting in of WISDOM. **Anthropological Self** Anthropology (anthropos -- man, logos -- study of) \- It holds a holistic view of human nature. \- It Is concerned with how cultural and biological processes interact to shape human experience. Nature - refers to genetic inheritance which sets the individual's potential. Nurture - refers to sociocultural environment. Culture -- not a behavior shared understandings that guide behavior and are expressed in behavior. Language - a set of arbitrary symbols used for communication (verbal and non-verbal) **Clifford Gertz the self in culture** \- Humans are considered as cultural animals as they create the meanings and then behave in accordance to those meanings they assumed as true. **Gertz 2 important ideas** 1\. Culture should be viewed as a set of control mechanisms that guide behavior, rather than just a collection of customs and traditions. 2\. Man is precisely the animal most desperately dependent upon control mechanisms, such cultural programs, for ordering his behavior." Ethnic Identity - sameness of the self with others. \- makes a human being a person and an acting individual. Egocentric - the self is viewed as autonomous and distinct individual. Sociocentric - the self is viewed as contingent on a situation or social setting. Identity Toolbox - "features of a person's identity" Independent -- individual traits and goals Interdependent -- connection with others, it is social **Gennep's 3-phased**: 1\. Separation - people detach from their former identity to another. 2\. Liminal -- one has left one identity but has not yet entered or joined the next. 3\. Incorporation -- the changes are incorporated into a new identity to elaborate rituals and ceremonies. **SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF** Sociology - is the systematic study of human society. Sociological Imagination - ability to see the connections between individuals' personal troubles. Self - is socially constructed in the sense that it is shaped through interaction with other people. \- is a relatively stable set of perceptions of who we are in relation to ourselves, others, People's self-concepts are multidimensional. Symbolic Interaction Theory - sees society as the product of everyday interactions of individuals. A. **Mead's Development of the Self** - regarded the mind itself as the thinking process I - refers to the nonreflective aspect of the self, encompassing one\'s awareness of their immediate behavioral responses to a situation. Me - is the reflexive aspect of the self, where an individual evaluates their actions from their own perspective and the perspective of others. Roles - a behavior expected of someone who holds a particular status. Status -- a social position that an individual occupies. Ascribed status - receives at birth Achieved status - assumes voluntarily Imitation - mimic behavior without understanding underlying intentions. Play -- learn by taking the roles of significant others. Games - learn to take the roles of several others at once. Generalized others -- refer to widespread cultural norms and values we use as a reference in evaluating ourselves. B. **Charles Horton Cooley's Looking glass self** \- our self-concepts are filtered through our perceptions and resemble how we think others see us \- one's identity is formed from the reflections one sees of oneself in the reactions of others. Has three elements: a. Our imagination on how we appear to others, b. our imagination on their judgments of that appearance, c. Self-feeling Primary group -- group with which we identify most strongly Secondary group -- characterized by intimate face-to-face relationships. C. **Erving Goffman's Dramaturgic Approach** - focused on the strategies people use in staging their "presentation of self" Presentation of the self in everyday life - believed that meaning is constructed through interaction; in ways designed to gain social Interaction order - what we do in the immediate presence of others Dramaturgy - focuses on how individuals take on roles and act them out to present a favorable impression to their "audience" Impression Management -- controlling how others view them Frontstage- people play different roles throughout their daily lives and display different kinds of behavior depending on where they are and the time of day. Backstage - when people engage in back stage behavior, they are free of the expectations and norms that dictate front stage behavior. **Physical Self-Concept** **-** refers to the individual's perception of themselves in areas of physical ability and appearance \- part of Total Self - divided into parts academic self - individual regards their own academic achievement. non-academic self - social self, emotional self and physical. Body - is the main device of self-realization and interaction with world, and the key is to perceive the total self. \- boys express a preference for the mesomorphic type of male figure. \- many girls report higher levels of body dissatisfaction and a poorer self-esteem. 2 periods crucially in development of physical self \- Early childhood \- Adolescence \- boys globally express more satisfaction and pride in their changing body than do girls is closely related to another basic difference in the way the genders experience puberty. \- Girls assess the changes in their body based on whether they are becoming more or less physically attractive. \- early maturing boys are viewed by others as more attractive and self-confident, \- early maturing girls tend to be less popular with their peers, show a consistently more negative body image, and are more likely to be depressed. Physical Self - is the central element of the whole self. Physical self-efficacy - contributes to our physical self-worth. Body image - a very important aspect of Identity Self- esteem - is a powerful resource for combating the effects of stress and even suicidal ideation. - a negative self-esteem predisposes adolescents to depression and other psychiatric difficulty. - a positive self-esteem enhances one\'s ability to cope effectively with stress because individuals with poor coping mechanisms are more vulnerable to environmental stressors The Physical Self: Achieving Physical Well-Being - Healthy Eating - Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle - Having the Right Hygiene - "Confidence in ourselves is our best make-up" **SEXUAL SELF** Puberty -- Period during which the sexual organs mature. Girls - Menarche Boys -- Spermarche Sexual Arouses -- is complex and visual and auditory cues may trigger it. Erogenous zone -- areas of the body that provide pleasure. Cognitive Factors - Fantasizing and creating erotic scenarios or images can trigger arousal to some individuals. Emotional Factors - Female tend to give importance to their emotional feelings when engaging into sexual activities than men do. Cultural Factors - culture shapes people's perspective about sex in accordance to what is socially acceptable. **THE PHASES OF SEXUAL RESPONSE** Phase 1: Excitement Phase 2: Plateau Phase 3: Orgasm Phase 4: Resolution 3. Complexity of Love 1. Lust - the reasons why people engage in sex is to reproduce and driven by our desire for sexual gratification in order to fulfill the purpose as an organism. 2. Attraction - part of our brain which controls our "reward" behavior, Hypothalamus - seen to be activated when a person is attracted to someone. Dopamine - why we feel good when our behavior is being rewarded. Norepinephrine -- hormones makes us feel we are inlove Serotonin - this hormone combat stress, reduce depression, and regulate anxiety 3. Attachment - The last category of love. Oxytocin - this hormone is also produced in the hypothalamus **Teenage or Unwanted Pregnancy** According to WHO (2020), 21 million girls aged 15-19 in developing regions experience teenage pregnancy each year, often due to poverty, lack of education, and misconceptions about contraception. This can lead to: Health consequences and Social and economic consequences. These adolescents often lack agency and control over their reproductive health, and may experience sexual violence, exacerbating the issue. **Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)** \- are infections that pass from one person to another through sexual contact. \- also known as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or venereal diseases (VD). Chlamydia (C. trachomatis) - most common infectious cause of genital and eye diseases globally. \- symptoms: bladder infection, a change in vaginal discharge, mild lower abdominal pain (women show no symptoms). Crabs, or pubic lice - manifestations are primarily spread through sexual contact. \- \"crabs\" comes from the crab-like appearance of the lice Genital herpes - caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) -- a chronic condition \- virus affects the skin, cervix, genitals, and some other parts of the body. 2 types 1. HSV-1 - transmitted from shared straws, utensils, and surfaces. 2. HSV-2 - occurs through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Human papillomavirus (HPV) - group of viruses that affect the skin and mucous membranes, such as the throat, cervix, anus, and mouth. \- There are over 100 types of HPV, of which, about 40 can affect the genital areas. \- Vaccination is the best way to prevent HPV. Syphilis - is the result of Treponema pallidum, a bacterium. \- transmitted by sexual contact, and the person passing on the infection will have a syphilitic lesion. Gonorrhea - It is also known as the clap or the drip. - transmitted bacterial infection usually attacks the mucous membranes. - If left untreated, females may develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). - If HIV progresses without treatment and reaches stage 3, known as AIDS. 1. Abstinence 2. Monogamy to one uninfected partner 3. Vaccinations 4. Check for infections 5. Drink alcohol in moderation 6. Explain you want safe sex 7. Education