UNDERSTANDING THE SELF REVIEWER One thing could be sure “Everything

o
could be doubted.”
DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHERS  Rationalism – reason is the foundation of
knowledge.
Socrates  Self are:
 Greek Philosopher o Constant and not prone to change, not
 His works were handed through his student Plato affected by time.
and historian Xenophon o The immaterial soul remains the same.
 Known for his method of inquiry in testing an idea o Immaterial soul is the source of identity.
(Socratic Method)-asking of series of questions. Soul can exist without the body, because it is an
Some of Socrates’ Ideas immaterial substance, but possesses a body and
 Soul is immortal intimately bound.
 The care of the soul is the task of philosophy DISTINCTIONS
 Virtue is necessary to attain happiness SOUL BODY
Philosophy had a very important role to play in the lives Conscious, thinking Material substance that
of the people. substance that is change throughout time
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” unaffected by time It can be doubted
Self-knowledge/examination of ones’ self Only known to itself Made up of physical,
- Knowing oneself can hope to improve your life. Not made-up of parts quantifiable, divisible
Two kinds of existence parts.
 Visible – body
John Locke
 Invisible – soul
 Self – include the memory of the thinking thing.
 A person’s memories provide a continuity of
Plato
experience that allows him to identify himself as
 Student of Socrates
the same person
 Philosophical Method
 Tabula rasa
o Collection and Division
Soul is the most divine part of the body
David Hume
 3 Parts of the Soul
 Was a fierce opponent of Descartes, Rationalism
o The Appetitive (Sensual)
 Made Empiricism – origin of knowledge is sense
o The Rational (Reasoning)
experience.
o The Spiritual (Feeling)
Bundle Theory – “self” or person (mind) as a bundle or
Theory of Forms – physical world is not really the “real”
collection of different perceptions that are moving in a
world but exist beyond the physical world.
very fast and successive manner.
 Believed that human intellect and experiences
St. Augustine of Hippo
are limited; therefore, it is impossible to attribute
 The Latin Father of the Church
it to an independent persisting entity.
 One of the Doctors of the Church
 Two groups of mind’s perception.
 Influenced by Plato and adopted the view “self”
o Impression. These are directly
is immaterial (but rational)
experienced. Enters through the senses.
Theory of Forms (Christian Perspective)
o Ideas. These are mechanisms that copy
- These forms were concepts existing within the
and reproduce sense data formulated
perfect and eternal God where the soul
based upon the previously perceived
belonged.
impressions.
 Self – inner and immaterial “I” that had self-
knowledge and self-awareness
Immanuel Kant
 Human is both body and soul.
 The human mind creates the structure of human
experience.
Rene Descartes
 “Self” is transcendental, which means the “self”
 French philosopher, mathematician and
is related to a spiritual or non-physical realm.
scientist.
 “Self” is not the body, but it is outside the body.
 First thinker to emphasize the use of reason to
Knowledge bridges the self and material things
describe, predict and understand natural
together.
phenomena based on observational and
Apperception is the mental process by which a person
empirical evidence.
make sense of an idea by assimilating it to the body of
 Doubt was a principal tool of disciplined inquiry.
ideas he or she already possesses.
 Method
Two Components of Self
o Hyperbolical/Metaphysical Doubt
1. Inner Self. This includes your rational intellect and
o Also known as, Methodological
psychological state, such as moods, feelings,
Skepticism – being skeptical about the
and sensations, pleasure and pain.
truth of ones’ belief.
2. Outer Self. It gathers information from the
 “Cogito ergo sum” – “I think, therefore I am”
external world through the senses, which the
o Everything perceived by the senses could
inner self interprets and coherently.
be not be used as proof of existence
Self organizes information in three ways.
because human senses could be fooled
 1. Raw perceptual inputs Mead and the Social Self.
2. Recognizing the concepts - George Mead is known for the theory “theory of
3. Reproducing in the imagination the social self.”
- Self is a product of social interactions.
Sigmund Freud o It is not present at birth, rather developed
 His most important contribution was over time.
psychoanalysis. - Stages of Self-development
Three levels of consciousness o Language
1. Conscious o Play
2. Pre-conscious/subconscious o Game
3. Unconscious - Two sides of self
Psychoanalytic Theory o “Me” the product of what person has
 Is a personality theory based on the notion that learned while interacting.
unseen forces, controlled by the conscious and  Learned behaviors, attitudes and
the rational thought, motivate an individual. expectations.
 Three parts of the psyche/mind o “I” the part that is unsocialized and
o Id – the pleasure principle spontaneous. Response to community’s
o Ego – the reality principle attitude.
o Superego – incorporates the values and  Impulses and drives.
morals of the society
 Conscience The Self as a Cognitive Construction
 Ideal Self – imaginary picture of Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Theory
how you ought to be Basic Components
o Schemas/Schemes
Gilbert Ryle o Adaptation
 He wrote The Concept of Mind (1949) where he o Stages of Cognitive Development
rejected the notion that mental states are  Sensorimotor (0-2)
separable from physical states.  Pre-operational (2-7)
 Ryle’s point against the theory of Descartes are:  Concrete Operations (7-11_
o The relation between the mind and body  Formal Operations (12+)
are not isolated o Assimilation – application of previous
o Mental processes are intelligent acts, knowledge
and are not distinct from each other. o Accommodation – encountering
o The operation of the mind is itself an completely new information.
intelligent act. Real Self and Ideal Self Concept (Carl Rogers)
 Your own action define your own concept of Ideal Self.
self. o Notions Influenced by your parents.
o What you admire in others
THE SELF AS THE PRODUCT OF MODERN SOCIETY AMONG o What the society sees as acceptable
OTHER CONSTRUCTIONS o What you think is in your best interest.
 Modernization has significantly changed the Real Self.
society and, and this has affected how an o The person you actually are.
individual builds and develop his/her self- Allport’s Personality Theory
identity.  Proposed his personality trait theory asserting
 Pre-modern society was centered on survival. that every person possesses traits
 People was limited to traditions and culture. o Trait is your essential characteristic that
 Modernization improved people’s living never, ever changes and sticks with you
conditions. all your life.
Key characteristics of modernity Domains of the Self
1. Industrialism 1. Experiential Self;
2. Capitalism 2. Private self-conscious
3. Institutions of surveillance 3. Public Self/persona
4. Dynamism TRUE SELF FALSE SELF
George Simmel: Social Network and Social Groups Formed if mother is Formed because of
 Social Group. Having two or more people positively responsive inadequate mothering of
interacting with one another. Based on spontaneous failures.
o Organic Group. Traditional (influenced authentic experience. Based on being
by family) Sense of being alive and completely obedient to
 Organic Motivation. You are real. parent’s wishes.
With sense of integrity, of Is a mask/persona
there because of family.
connected wholeness
o Rational Group. Modern Societies.
 Rational Motivation. You are there
because of free will.
 Social Network. Connection or ties the members
of the social group.