GEC 1 (Understanding the Self)

Lesson 1: The Self from Various Philosophical Perspectives

I. Starting AccUrAtely (Introduction)

A. Intended Outcomes/Learning Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to be able to:
1. explain the importance of understanding the self;
2. discuss the different notions of the self from the points of view of the various philosophers
across time and place;
3. compare and contrast the representations of the self in different philosophical schools; and
4. manifest enthusiasm in knowing oneself by completing the tasks assigned.

B. Lesson Introduction:
Who are you? What is your name?
Before we even had to be in any formal institution of learning, among the many things that we
were first taught as kids is to articulate and write our names. As we grew up, we were told to refer back to
this name when talking about ourselves. Our parents may have painstakingly thought about our names.
Should we be named after a famous celebrity, a respected politician or historical personality, or even a
saint? Were you named after one of them?
Our names represent who we are. Human beings attach names that are meaningful to birthed
progenies because names are supposed to designate us in the world. Likewise, when our parents call our
names, we were taught to respond to them because our names represent who we are.
As a student, you are to always write your names on your answer sheets, projects, or any output for
that matter. Your name is a term assigned to label you as an individual and is what you carry with you as
your identity.
On the other hand, the self is not a static thing that one is simply born with like a mole on one’s face
or is just assigned by one’s parents just like a name. Everyone is tasked to discover one’s self. Have
you truly discovered yours?

II. StimUlating LeArning (Motivation)

Imagine yourself in this scenario:
 You are about to submit yourself to your dream job interview. There are only a few slots available but there
is a long queue of applicants waiting at the lobby. You are given a form to fill in with these necessary data:
personal information (name, age, address, birthday, hobbies, favorites, etc.) and answers to questions such as
“Why should we select you?” and “What could be your contribution to the company?” and “Describe the company
after a year of hiring you”.
Which part/parts of the form do you think is/are easy to answer? Which part/parts is/are difficult? Kindly
take your time to reflect on these.

Analysis:
It is easy to access factual information about ourselves: name, age, date of birth, parents’ names,
etc. But, it is actually difficult to pull out those that are truly important or essential: What distinguishes you
from others? What makes you unique?
You, as you, should know yourself better and deeper than anyone else. We lack the time to
examine ourselves – most of our days are filled with responding to the expectations of others, doing
norms that are dictated by the society, and establishing things that are set for us by our biological and
socio-economic conditions (These are normal, but could sometimes detach us from the core of our
identity).

III. IncUlcAting Concepts (Inputs/Lesson Proper)

Since the ancient until the postmodern times, philosophers and scholars grappled to understand the meaning
of life. They have attempted to answer the question “Who am I?” Let’s find out these ideas that may have
influenced the ways we look at our lives today.

1. SOCRATES (469-399 B.C.E.)

He is the first philosopher who ever engaged in a systematic
questioning about the self. Socrates was more concerned with the
problem of the self. According to him, the true task of the philosopher is
to “know oneself”.
Socrates affirmed, as claimed by Plato in his dialogues, that the
unexamined life is not worth living. Living a life without knowing your
“self”, your purpose, your nature of being, is “sleepwalking”. These
“sleepwalking” individuals exist, but there is no life or meaning in
their existence. They are only going through the motions of life but they lack happiness, significance and
virtue. To live and die inside is the worst thing that could happen to a man.
So, check on yourself. Are you “sleepwalking”?
In terms of the components or divisions of self, Socrates believed that every man is composed of a “body”
and a “soul”. Every human person is dualistic—composed of two important aspects of his personhood: an
imperfect, impermanent aspect called the “body” and a perfect and permanent aspect called the “soul” (Dualism).

2. PLATO (428-347 B.C.E.)

Plato is Socrates’ student who supported Dualism, an idea that man is of
dualistic nature composed of body and soul. For Plato, however, the soul
(psyche in Greek) has three elements: the rational soul, the spirited soul, and the
appetitive soul.
Rational Self—composed of reason and intellect that governs the
affairs of humans; enables humans to think, make wise choices and
understand eternal truths.
Spirited Self –also called Passion, is in charge of our emotions (love,
aggressiveness, empathy, etc.).
Appetitive Soul—in charge of base desires like eating, drinking, sleeping and even sexual activities.

The focus of Plato is on the harmony of these three components of the soul. When the ideal state is
attained (meaning when the three components are working in harmony with each other), the person’s soul
becomes just and virtuous. Imagine that you plan to travel by using a chariot being pulled by two horses. How can
you arrive at your intended destination? Of course, your chariot must have wheels and the two horses must
gallop harmoniously with each other. Take these three elements (the chariot and the two horses) as the three
components of the soul, working in harmony to achieve the ideal state. Plato called this giving JUSTICE to your
human person.

3. ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO, Northern Africa (354-430)

Following Plato’s ideas and infusing these with Christian doctrines,
Augustine agreed that man has a bifurcated nature or the self is divided into
two:
Body:
• Can only thrive in the imperfect, physical reality (the world)
• Bound to die on Earth
 Soul:
• Anticipated to live eternally in a realm of spiritual bliss in communion with God.

He believed that happiness exists only in God’s love. Therefore, according to him, the goal of every human
person is to attain communion and bliss with God by living his life on earth in virtue. He created, in his book “The
Confessions”, a theology of self—a total, complete view of the self in relation to God.
Do you also consider your relationship with your God a basis in examining yourself?

4. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274)

Aquinas is another Christian priest who introduced Christian doctrines with
philosophical ideas in understanding the self. He supported Aristotle’s
ideas of rejecting the dualistic belief that self is a dualistic entity composed of
body and soul. He maintained instead the idea of Aristotle that there are two
basic categories of things:
Matter (hyle) which represents all matter; and
Form (morphe) which represents the essence of a thing,
what makes the thing what it is.

This view is called Hylomorphism. It asserts that individual organisms are composed of matter (body) and
form (soul) which only exist in relation to one another. Humans are composed of a united, inseparable union of
components of self rather than divided, dualistic self. It also asserts that the soul (anima) is what separates living
thing (e.g. humans) from non-living ones. The soul is what enlivens the body. For living things, to live is to exist.
So the soul is that by which the human body actually exists. Now a form is this sort of thing. So the human soul is
the form of the body. (Aquinas, De anima, 1, 369)

5. RENÉ DESCARTES (1596-1650)

Descartes is the “father of modern philosophy”. His philosophical
ideas were encapsulated in his major philosophical work, Meditations on
First Philosophy. His philosophy is focused on understanding the nature of
reasoning process and its relation to the human self. He questioned the
integrity of beliefs accepted on “faith”.
He emphasized that the only thing that we should not doubt or question is the
existence of self. For even if we doubt our self, it only proves the existence of a
thinking self, and a thinking self should not be doubted. His famous line is cogito, ergo sum which literally means
“I think, therefore I am”. This simply means that because you are thinking, there is no doubt that you exist. No
rational person will doubt his/her own existence as a conscious, thinking entity (even if we are dreaming,
hallucinating or being manipulated by some external entity). However, the physical body is just secondary to your
personal identity.
According to Descartes, here are some of the manifestations that you are “thinking”: You understand
situations in which you find yourself.
You doubt the accuracy of ideas presented to you.
You affirm the truth of a statement made about you.
You deny an accusation that someone has made.
You will yourself to complete a task you have begun.
You refuse to follow a command that you consider to be unethical.
You imagine a fulfilling career for yourself.
You feel passionate emotions toward another person.

The essence of existing as a human identity is the possibility of being aware of our selves: Being self-
conscious in this way is integral to having a personal identity. Having a self-identity and being self-conscious are
mutually dependent on one another.
Do you believe that your self is more than or even beyond your physical sense of yourself?

6. JOHN LOCKE (1632-1704)

John Locke, a British philosopher and physician, is famous in his tabula rasa
theory of the mind. Tabula rasa (literally means blank slate) concept of the
mind suggests that humans are born with an empty or clean mind. The mind is
only filled in through experiences as one grows and interacts with the
environment.
In the study of self, John Locke holds the idea that personal identity (the
self) is a matter of psychological continuity. For him, personal identity is
founded on consciousness, and not on the substance of either the soul or the
body. Consciousness is being aware that one is thinking. It always
accompanies thinking and is an important part of the thinking process. Consciousness makes possible our
belief that we are the same identity in different times and different places.
Do you agree that you are the same you last night before you go to bed and in the morning when you
wake up? How about last year when you were still in high school? How about during the summer vacation? If you
believe so, then it is because of your consciousness of being the same person in all those different contexts.
Consciousness is very important in creating a coherent self-identity.
 Additionally, personal identity, according to him, is the concept about oneself that evolves over the course of
an individual’s life. It may include aspects of life that man has no control over, such as where he grew up or the
color of his skin, as well as the choices he makes, like how he spend his time and what he believes.
Reflect on yourself. How influential are your experiences in the development of your concept of identity or
self?

7. DAVID HUME (1711-1776)

David Hume is a Scottish philosopher, an empiricist, who believes that
one can know only what comes from the sense and experiences.
(Empiricism is the school of thought that espouses the idea that knowledge can
only be possible if it is sensed and experienced.) Hume argues that the self is
not an entity over and beyond the physical body. Men can only attain
knowledge by experiencing. For example, Jack knows that Jill is another human
person not because he has seen her soul. He knows she is just like him
because he sees her, hears her and touches her.
To Hume, the self is nothing else but a bundle of impressions or a collection of different perceptions, which
succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity, and are in a perpetual flux and movement (Hume and
Steinberg, 1992). For him, man has no “clear and intelligible” idea of the self. He posits that no single
impression of the self exists; rather, the self is just the thing to which all perceptions of man are ascribed.
Moreover, even if there was such an impression of the self, it would have to remain constant over time to
constitute identity.
He said further that experiences are categorized into two: impressions and ideas.
Impressions are basic objects of your experience or sensation. They, therefore, form the core of your
thoughts; and are vivid because they are products of your direct experience with the world (e.g. pain, pleasure,
heat, cold, happiness, grief, fear, exhilaration, etc.).
Ideas, on the other hand, are copies of impressions. Because of this, they are not as lively and vivid as
your impressions. When one imagines the feeling of being in love for the first time, that still is an idea.
Simply, impressions are your direct experiences while ideas are acquired through indirect means. For
example, your impression of your trip to Paris, France is more vivid than your ideas about it based on what you
see in YouTube videos, magazines, or your friend’s stories of their vacation trips.
It is believed that there is a unified, coherent self, a soul or mind just like what some of the previous
philosophers thought. But to Hume, what one thinks as a unified self is simply a combination of all experiences
with a particular person because to him, there is no self.
8. IMMANUEL KANT (1724-1804)
To Kant, the self is a regulating and organizing factor of the apparatuses of
the mind.
The idea of Hume that the self was a combination of impressions
was problematic for Kant. Although he recognizes the truth to Hume’s
account that everything starts with perception and sensation of impressions,
Kant believes that there is a mind that organizes these impressions that men get
from the external world.
For example, time and space are ideas that one cannot find in the world, but
is built in our minds. He calls these the apparatuses of the mind. Along with the different apparatuses of the
mind goes the “self”.
Without the self, one cannot organize the different impressions that one gets in relation to his own
existence.
Kant believes that the self is an actively engaged intelligence in man that synthesizes all knowledge and
experiences. The self is also the seat of knowledge acquisition for all human persons.

9. GILBERT RYLE (1900-1976)

Gilbert Ryle is a British philosopher who solved the mindbody
dichotomy that has been running for a long time in the history of thought by
blatantly denying the concept of an internal, non-physical self. For Ryle, what truly
matters is the behavior that a person manifests in his day-to-day life. He said
that looking for and trying to understand a self as it really exists is like visiting
your friend’s university and looking for the “university”. One can roam around
the campus, visit the library and he football field, and meet the administrators
and faculty and still end up not
finding the “university”. This is because the campus, the people, the systems, and
the territory all form the university.
Ryle suggests that the “self” is not an entity one can locate and analyze but simply the convenient name that
people use to refer to all the behaviors that people make. To him, the self is how you behave.
10. MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY (1908-1961)

Merleau-Ponty is a French phenomenological philosopher who asserts

that the mind-body bifurcation that has been going on for a long time is a futile
endeavor and an invalid problem.
Unlike Ryle who simply denies the “self”, Merleau-Ponty instead says that
the mind and body are so intertwined that they cannot be separated from
one another. One cannot find any experience that is not an embodied
experience. This means that all experience is embodied. One’s body is his
opening toward his existence to the world. Because of these bodies, men are
in the world. The living body (or lived body), his thoughts, emotions and
experiences are all one.
So, how do you know that you are really in love? According to Merleau-Ponty, you need to have a precise
description of your immediate responses: physically, emotionally, and cognitively.
I am currently in love, and
 I feel ________________________________________________________.
 I think _______________________________________________________.
 My physical responses are ______________________________________.
 I spontaneously _______________________________________________.

By doing so, you can have a clearer understanding of what “being in love” is all about, by using the concepts
based on the reality of your lived experiences.
Try doing that in other phenomenon of your experiences such as:
• Being the eldest/youngest/only child
• Poverty
• Living with a broken family
• Being a teenager
• Being a member of LGBTQIA+ community, etc.

11. PATRICIA CHURCHLAND

 Through time, more ideas and views about self emerged. There are those who believe that all aspects of the
universe are composed of matter and energy that can be fully explained by physical laws (Materialism, or
Physicalism as its more contemporary counterpart). These philosophers (and even psychologists) believe that
mental states are identical to physical brain states. They believe that there is no immaterial self that exists
independently from the brain or the body.
Patricia Churchland’s ideas on self are grounded on the perspectives of materialism or physicalism. She
argued that to fully understand the mind, one must understand the brain, using concepts of neuroscience to
explain mental concepts such as freewill. She asserted that there is no mind or soul beyond the physical brain.
Therefore, she proposed that the brain is the self; the brain is each of us.

GEC 1 (Understanding the Self)

Lesson 2: The Sociological and Anthropological Perspectives of the Self

I. Starting AccUrAtely (Introduction)

A. Lesson Introduction
You are a social being. The social aspect of your “self” can be explored in many ways, in which social
situations influence your view of self. Your “self” is not created in isolation (Villafuerte, et al., 2018).
 In anthropology, the self comes to be understood as a process that orchestrates an individual’s personal
experience following which he or she becomes self-aware and selfreflective about his or her place in society
(Taylor, 1989).
Across time and history, the self has been debated, discussed, and fruitfully or otherwise conceptualized by
different thinkers in philosophy. Eventually, with the advent of the social sciences, it became possible for new
ways and paradigms to re-examine the true nature of the self. What is the relationship between the external
reality and the self? In the famous story of Tarzan, the little boy named Tarzan was left in the middle of the
forest after surviving a plane crash that killed both his parents. The apes found him and decided to take care of
him as their own. Growing up, he never had an interaction with any other human being but apes and other
animals. Tarzan grew up acting (walking, eating, communicating, etc.) like an ape, though he is not an ape but
due to his constant and only social interaction with them. He became one of them. In this sense, our growth and
development, and consequentially, our “selves” are truly products of our interaction with the external reality
(Alata, et al., 2018).
In this lesson, you are going to examine your “self” based on the sociological and anthropological perspectives
by looking at the relationship between the self and the external world.

B. Intended Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives:

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to be able to:

1. compare and contrast the different sociological views of the self;

2. describe and analyze the different ways by which society and culture shape the self; and
3. explain the relationship between and among the self, society, and culture.
TASK 2: Historical Sources Collection and Analysis (95 pts)

Look for a Pair and collect at list 30 (Thirty) some old things related to history, you can find in your respective
home, and classify it if it is a primary, secondary or tertiary source. Provide Pictures of your collected old
things, a short description. Present your output in the class once you finished it.
III. IncUlcAting Concepts (Inputs/Lesson Proper) A. What is the
Self?
1. The self is seen as separate, self-contained, independent, consistent, unitary, and private (Stevens, 1996
as cited by Villafuerte, et al., 2018). Now, let us discuss each characteristic of the self by looking at the table
below.
Characteristics of the Self
Description
(Stevens, 1996)
Separate Each self is distinct or different from other
selves. The self is unique and has its own
identity; one cannot be another person.
“There is only one YOU in this world.”
Self-contained One’s own thoughts, characteristics, and
ability to make decisions are all unknown
to other selves.

Independent The self can exist on its own. It does require

any other self for it to exist. The self can also
make choices and decisions on its own.

Consistent Each self has its own personality that is

longlasting. Its consistency allows it to be
studied, described, and measured. The
consistency of the self also means that the
traits, characteristics, tendencies, and
potentialities are more or less the same.

Unitary The self is the center of all experiences and

thoughts that run through a certain person. It
is like the chief command post in an
individual where all processes, emotions, and
thoughts converge.

Private Each person sorts-out information, feelings

and emotions, and thought processes within
the self. The whole process is not accessible
to anyone but the self. The self is isolated
from the external world.

The last characteristic of the self, its being private, suggests that the self is isolated from the
external world. It lives within its own world. However, there is this potential clash between the self and the
external reality (social situations). These social situations somehow influence and predict what the self
might be, what it can be, and what it will be. From this standpoint, you may see that the self is at the
mercy of external circumstances that bump and collide with it. Hence, the self is ever changing and
 dynamic, allowing external influences to take part in its shaping. The concern of this lesson is in
understanding this vibrant relationship between the self and external reality and this is known as
the social constructionist perspective (Stevens, 1996 as cited by Villafuerte, et al., 2018).

Note: The social constructionist perspective will be discussed further on the later part of this lesson.

2. The Self as a Product of Modern Society

Before examining the self as a product of modern society, take a look at the differences between
the modern society and the traditional society (Clifford Geertz, 1973 as cited by Villafuerte, et al., (2018) :

In a traditional society: In a modern society:

Social order is based on
traditional beliefs that provide
people with clearly defined roles.
Decisions are based on
religiotheological traditions.
Relationships are in intimate
personal affiliations (being close
and open to one another).
There is freedom from traditional
practices.
Judgments are based on rational
and scientific calculations.
Prominent is a lifestyle of
exceedingly impersonal
associations (not deep and open
relationships) brought about by
urbanized way of life.

• The self is a product social expectation.

• Since the self has meaning only within the social context and the social situation defines our self-
concept and our self-esteem. We rely on others to provide a “social reality”—to help us determine
what to think, feel, and do (Hardin & Higgins, 1996 as cited by Villafuerte, et al, 2018).
• Modernity is being post-traditional which means, being free from the traditional way of living.
• With modernization, the self becomes a “delocalized” self (the self that is free to seek its own identity,
define religion/theological traditions; free from customary constraints, hence deviating from the
traditional way of life).

Delocalization is defined as the process by which the restrictions of our environment are removed. It
is described as the sense of freedom from the traditions, belief systems, and culture that once restricted
us. We now have the freedom to choose what we want. One example is the change from the traditional
conservative clothing styles, to the modern shorter clothing styles.

Modernization or the destruction of the traditional way of life “delocalizes” the self.
Can you now identify the differences between these two societies? Can you see and analyze the type
of society that shaped your “self” and the type of society that shaped the “selves” of your parents?

For further readings, please see page 19 of the book, Understanding the Self, by Villafuerte, et al.
(2018).
 3. The Self as Necessary Fiction Self for Nietzsche, is the sum of individual’s actions, thoughts and
feelings. Self is nothing more than a metaphor (a symbol or image), a representation of something
abstract. Self is symbolic. It is possible for us to remember something even if we have not experienced it.
Self has continuity even if it is only in memory. A true given self is not what unites these experiences, but
it is the presumed unity of these experiences that gave rise to a concept of the self (Villafuerte, et al.,
2018, p. 19).

For you, is self real or is it a necessary fiction?

.

4. Post-Modern View of the Self

Self is a narrative, a text written and rewritten. Self is a story. It is dynamic. It is a product of modern
discourse that is historically and socially imprisoned by what is acceptable in the society. The self in post
modernity is even more complicated by electronic mediated virtual interaction of cyber self such as
change in appearance (in the cyberspace). This gave rise to the digital self.

According to N. Green, the self becomes digitalized in cyber space or in virtual reality, so we have a
virtual version of who we are. Our “digital self” is the self that is seen in websites or social media—
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

The following are the manifestations:

• The self is “digitalized” in cyber space.

• Global migration produces multicultural identities
• Post-modern selves are “pluralized” selves (having several versions of your
“self”)

Is self a story? Is self a drama? How about you? What is your story and what is your drama?
With the self becoming pluralized due to the influences of post-modernization and virtual reality, how do
you form your sense of self?

B. Theories of the Social Self

There are several theories formulated to explain the sociological perspectives of the self. Take a look at
the concepts and learn how these can help you realize how you have become as you are because of your
social reality and what you can do to help you define your “self”.

1. Mead’s Theory of the Self

 George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) is the founder of American pragmatism, a pioneer of symbolic
interaction theory, and one of the founders of social psychology. His theory of self maintains that the
person’s knowledge about himself/herself emerges from his/her social interaction with others—
constructed and reconstructed in the process of social experience and activity.

According to Mead, the self has two components: “I” and “me”.

Components of “I” Components of “Me”

o It is the response of an individual to
“me” (the expectations of other
people)
o It is the person’s individuality.
o It is the self as subject (Crossman,
2017 as cited by Villafuerte, et. al,
2018).
o It is the response of an individual to
the attitudes of others.
o It represents the expectation and
attitudes of others (the “generalized
other”) organized into a social self.
o The generalized (internalized in the
“me”) other is the major instrument
of social control.
o It is the self as object.
o “Me” is the organized set of attitudes of
others which an individual assumes.

o It is the knower. o It is the known.

Note: When the individual can view himself/herself from the standpoint of the generalized other, self-
consciousness is attained.

Your mind or your stream of thought is the internalized dialogue or interaction between the “I” and
the “me”.
For Mead, existence in a community comes before individual consciousness. One must first
participate in the different social positions within society and only subsequently can one use that
experience to take the perspective of others and become self-conscious (Boundless, 2016 as cited by
Villafuerte, et. al, 2018)

Take time to consider looking at your “me”. For example, are some things in your “me” telling you
that you are not good enough in singing because you were told that you sing like a frog? But deep inside,
your “I” is telling you that you can sing well. You may focus on your own situation and see if there are
conflicts in the interaction or dialog inside you between your “I” and “me”.

2. The Looking-Glass Self: Our sense of self is influenced by other’s views of us

The concept of looking-glass self states that part of how we see ourselves comes from our
perception of how others see us (Cooley, 1902 as cited by Villafuerte, et. al, 2018).
 • How we see ourselves does not come from who we really are, but from how we believe
others see us (Isaksen, 2013). Meaning, the degree of personal insecurity you display in
social situations is determined by what you believe other people think of you.
• The person’s self grows out of a person’s social interactions with others.
• It is internalizing other people’s appraisals of ourselves.

Sometimes, the influence of other people’s appraisal of ourselves on our selfconcept may be so strong
that we end up internalizing them.

• Labeling bias occurs when we are labelled by other people, and these labels affect how
other people perceive us (Foxx & Stinnett, 1996). For example, if a person is diagnosed
with depression, the way we look at the person is affected by the label.
o When those expectations/labels start to become self-fulfilling prophesies, self-
concept and even behaviors start to align with them.
• Self-labeling may occur if there is repeated labeling and evaluation by others.
o Happens when we adopt other’s labels explicitly into the selfconcept.
o For example, when we are labelled as the class mathematician, we tend to embody
that identity.
• Internalized prejudice occurs when individuals turn prejudice directed toward them by
others onto themselves. This may be experienced by those who self-label. o Found to
predict more negative self-concept and poorer psychological adjustments in members of
various groups, including sexual minorities (Carter, 2012) and racial minorities (Szymanski
& Obiri, 2011). o Labels used by wider society to describe people negatively can be
positively reclaimed by those being labeled. These results indicate that individuals who
incorporate a formerly negative label into their self-concept in order to reclaim it can
sometimes undermine the stigma attached to the label.
• So, how can one stand against negative labelling?

How do you see yourself? Try to examine your perception of your “self”. Examine if there are some
labels assigned to you which had become part of how you see yourself but later on, you have discovered
them as unreasonable.

3. Social Comparison Theory: Our Sense of Self is Influenced by Comparisons with Others

Self-concept and self-esteem are also heavily influenced by the process of social comparison
(Buunk & Gibbons, 2007; Van Lange, 2008 as cited by Villafuerte, et. al, 2018).

• According to Festinger (1954) as cited by Villafuerte, et. al. (2018), social comparison;
o occurs when we learn about our abilities and skills, about the appropriateness and validity of
our opinions, and our social status by comparing our own beliefs and behaviors with those of
others
o These comparisons can be with people who we know and interact with, with those whom we
read about or see on TV, or with anyone else we view as important.
 o However, the most meaningful comparisons we make tend to be with those who we see as
similar to ourselves.
 For example, a woman compares herself with another woman, or an engineering student
with an engineering student, or a singer with another singer.

Social comparison occurs primarily on dimensions on which there are no correct answers or objective
benchmarks (standards) (Villafuerte, et. al., 2018).

• In social dimensions where there are no standards or bases on what are socially acceptable or
correct, we rely only on the beliefs of others for information. o Answers to questions such as “What
should I wear to the interview?” or “What kind of music should I have at my wedding?” are frequently
determined at least in part by using the behavior of others as a basis of comparison.

• We also use social comparison to help us determine our skills or abilities—how good we are at
performing a task or doing a job, for example.
o When you and your classmates ask your teacher for the passing score or the class average on
an exam, you are also seeking to use social comparison to evaluate each of your own
performances.

C. Social Construction of the Self

“The social constructionists argue for a merge view of ‘the person’ and their ‘social context’ where the
boundaries of one cannot be easily separated from the boundaries of the other” (Stevens 1996, p. 222 as cited
by Alata, et al, 2018).

1.a. The following are the concepts of social constructivism about the self:  The self is not
static. It undergoes constant change.
• The self is in constant struggle with external reality and is easily influenced in its dealings with
society.
• The self is always in participation with social life and its identity subjected to influences from here
and there.
• The self is made though the socialization process.
 The individuals are not just unfortunate victims of socialization. Rather, the individual is an active
agent that negotiates for the definition of himself.
• Self is acquired through language, like symbols.
• We construct ourselves through socializations agents (e.g., home).
• Language is another aspect of social constructionism.
• Filipino is a very interesting language. Let us take for example “I love you” and the Filipino
translation which is “Mahal kita”. What makes the Filipino version interesting is the layers of
meaning that our words carry. The term “I love you” is very explicit; the speaker wants to express
his/her love to the receiver “you”. Likewise, in “Mahal Kita”, the receiver is obviously “kita” but the
meaning of “mahal” in the Filipino language may mean “expensive”, “valuable”, “precious” which
suggests that love is something that is valuable and precious.
 • Language is the salient part of culture. The unending terrain of metamorphosis of the self is
mediated by language.

• For Mead and Vygotsky, human persons develop with the use of language acquisition and
interaction with others.

• Another concept of social constructionism is the behavior of people such as Japanese humility
and Filipino hospitality. Japanese are known for being very humble people, just like how Filipinos
are known to be very hospitable and welcoming people. (Villafuerte, et al., 2018)
So how do children grow up and become social beings? How can a boy turn out to be just like an ape?
How do twins coming out from the same mother turn out to be terribly different when given out for
adoption?

1.b. According to Nietzsche, the unity of the self if not pre-given but accomplished through conscious effort
of transforming the self as a beautiful work of art (Villafuerte, et al., 2018).

IMPORTANT LESSONS (From Nietzsche):

We must fashion, cultivate, and care for ourselves.
We can recreate ourselves to get hold of the present, forgive the past, and plan for
the future.

1.c. On the other hand, according to Rorty, there are contingencies of selfhood that we need to work on
(Villafuerte, et al., 2018):
• Conceal the “ugly” part of the self by reinterpreting the overall aesthetic contours of the
self. It means writing again the description of one’s self.  Redescribing one’s self is just
a way of interpreting and describing again the past.

1.d. Self-creation and collective identity:

• Memories (photographs, videos) play significant role on creating the self and identity.
 Memory and forgetting are most important powers in recreating a person’s identity.
Such memories include pain, triumph, etc.
• Experiences of the past can be linked with social transformation.
• Self-creation is formed within “imagined communities”. Selves obtain their nature from
cultural traditions embodied in various social institutions.
• As the person is involved in self-creation, there must be maximum cultural recognition of
differences among and between individuals and cultural groups.

1.e. Self-creation and the struggle for cultural recognition

• This is a challenge of self-identity amidst recognition of racial and ethnic identities.
• Self-creation is necessarily grounded on collective (shared or group) solidarities.
• We create ourselves by struggling with cultural hassles and then owning the created self.
• We hide the ugly part of our cultural nature.
 • We learn to adjust.

Important: More than a person’s givenness (personality, tendencies, propensities, etc.), one is
believed to be in active participation of shaping the self. Recent studies indicate that men and
women in their growth and development engage actively in the shaping of the self (Alata, et al.,
2018).

2. The Socialization Process

 Humans learn the expectations of society through socialization and interaction with others.

 Agents of Socialization
The sociological basis for the relationship between the self and the social world focus on the
different institutions and powers at play in the society (Alata, et al., 2018).

a. Family
 The most prominent institution
 The impact of family life is still deemed as a given in understanding the self.
 In trying to achieve the goal of becoming a fully realized human, a child enters a system of
relationships, most important of which is the family.
 Human persons learn the ways of living and therefore their selfhood by being in a family.
 It is what a family initiates a person to become that serves as the basis for this person’s progress.
 Without a family, biologically and sociologically, a person may not even survive or become a
human person.

Implications:

A newborn baby will always depend on his/her parents for sustenance. In discovering the true self, the
child will enter his/her first set of relationships which can be found in the family.

Living and surviving can be learned from the family. Skills such as cooking, cleaning and taking care of
oneself can be learned within the family through parents or siblings. The family will initiate what the person
will become. A spoiled child will carry that behavior in school; a poorly-disciplined child at home will also be
a poorly disciplined student in school. Through imitation, babies internalize ways and styles such as
language and behavior.
 Kids raised in a respectful environment grow up being respectful; religious families raise religious children
as well. Learning can be conscious such as being taught proper table manners and ways of speaking to
elders, and can be taught through reward and punishment system. If a person is not aware of simple
manners or good manners and right conduct, he/she failed to internalize as a child due to parental failure
or poor parenthood.

Without a family, sociologically and biologically, a person may not survive or become a human person.
Just like Tarzan who grew up ape-like because he was raised by apes.

A common plot in Filipino teleseryes is the swapping of children in hospitals where the good child went to
the bad parents and vice versa. The good child becomes bad because of the bad environment that the
child is growing-up in.

b. School
 Teachers and other students are the source of expectations that encourage children to think
and behave in particular ways.
c. Religion
 Children tend to develop the same religious beliefs as their parents.
d. Peers
 For children, peer culture is an important source of identity. Through interaction with peers,
children learn concepts of self, gain social skills, and form values and attitudes.
e. Media
 Television, social media and other digital social platforms become the source of standards that
shape the way of life of the present generation.

3. The Self and Culture

a. According to Marcel Mauss, it is natural for a person to have his or her own self-identity, while at the
same time project different behaviors when the situation calls for it.
The two faces of every self are:

a.1. Personne- different versions of our self that changes depending on our environment or the
situation.

a.2. Moi- the basic identity or the real essence of the person. These are the permanent
characteristics of the person

b. Social Roles
 Social roles specify the part or position of a person in a society. It also specifies behavior expected
to be exhibited by an individual in practicing his or her role.  The self is multifaceted.
  Consider a man named John:
- As a Social Science Professor in the University of Antique, John behaves in a way that the students
respect him
- As a father and a husband, John behaves in a way that his children will follow what he says and his
wife will treat him as her lover
- As a church lector, John uses the appropriate language and dresses formally so that his fellow
church-goers will treat him with respect and acknowledge his authority

The example of John explains that each person needs to adjust according to the environment that
the person is in. He/she has to dress, speak, and behave accordingly. This constant change in behavior
is natural, acceptable, and expected of us. We are expected to adapt and adjust if our environment
changes.

c. Gender and the Self

Gender is an aspect of the self that is subject to change and development. Others may take this
negatively, but the social sciences argue that it is important to give leeway or chance to find, express, and
live his/her identity.

Gender is part of the selfhood that one cannot just dismiss. A person maneuvers through society
and identifies him/herself by taking note of gender identities.

The gendered self is also shaped with the particular context of time and space. The sense of self
conforms to what is socially acceptable which is dangerous and detrimental to the goal of finding your true
self because gender has to be personally discovered and asserted, not dictated by culture and society.
 GEC 1 (Understanding the Self)
Lesson 3: PSYCHOLOGICAL VIEWS OF SELF

I. Starting AccUrAtely (Introduction)

A. Lesson Introduction
Do you find it easy to talk about yourself? Do you like hearing life stories of other people and take
the chance to talk about yourself or relate yourself to others?
The psychology of self focuses on our representation of ourselves based on our experiences.
These experiences may either be from the home, school and other groups, organizations or affiliations we
engaged in. The “self” is one of the most heavily researched areas in social and personality psychology. It
is here, where concepts are introduced beyond our physical attributes, lies our psychological identity.
Questions of “Who am I?” or “What am I beyond my looks?” are thoughts of many that continuously
search for a deeper sense of self which can be traced back from some time of human history (Villafuerte,
et.al., 2018).
In this lesson, psychology focuses on the individual and the cognitive functions like learning,
memory, attention and also the executive functions of the mind, and then considers also context
(situation) and other possible factors that affect the individual. This lesson will provide us an overview of
the themes of psychology about the concept of the
“self.”

B. Intended Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives:

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to be able to:
A. describe the different “selves” residing within the individual;
B. examine the factors and forces that influence the development of the “other selves” and; C. formulate
ways on how to strengthen the “true self”.

II. StimUlating LeArning (Motivation)

Before we proceed, let us have this activity.

MOTIVATIONAL ACTIVITY: This activity aims to help you see who you are through the eyes of others and
then will give you the opportunity to compare and validate what you have thought defines who you are. This
is a three-part activity that is hoped to help you further identify the different selves you may have. Part 1 is
focused on the qualities or characteristics that you think you possess. On the other hand, Part 2 is focused
on the qualities or characteristics that other people observe about you. Finally, Part 3 is containing question
that will help you analyze the results of Part 1 and Part 2.
Things needed:
1. two sheets of bond paper (short-sized)
2. writing pen

What to do:
1. Download the activity sheets for the Activity 1 of Lesson 3.
2. Write your name on the spaces provided in each activity sheet.
3. Inside the circle on the center of each piece of bond paper for Part 1 and Part 2, paste your
picture or draw your image.
4. For the first part, list at least ten (10) qualities or characteristics that you think define who you are.
Write them inside the shapes around your picture or drawing. Write your responses as quickly as
possible. Do this within five minutes.
5. For the second part, let at least ten (10) persons, such as family members, friends, relatives or
neighbors write qualities or characteristics that they observe about you on the spaces provided
around your picture or drawing. Then, ask them to write their names and their relationship to you
at the back of the activity sheet for part 2.

Analysis: Write your answers to the following questions on the analysis part of the activity sheet.
1. Compare what you wrote about yourself (Part 1) to those written by others (Part 2).
Which qualities or characteristics are similar to what you have written?
2. Which qualities or characteristics are different or not similar?
3. Which qualities or characteristics (from both parts 1 and 2) are always true about you?
4. Which qualities or characteristics (from both parts 1 and 2) are sometimes true or circumstantial?
5. Which qualities or characteristics identified by others about you are not really parts of your
personality?

Note: Prepare to submit this activity to the specified platform by your instructor in this subject.

III. IncUlcAting Concepts (Inputs/Lesson Proper)

In an attempt to provide answer to the question, “Who am I?” a lot of people may say “I am who I am.” Yet
this statement still brings up the question “If you are who you are, then who are you that make you who you are?”

“Self” is “the sense of personal identity and of who we are as individuals”

(Jhangiani and Tarry 2014, 106 as citedAlata,
by et al.,2018, p. 29).
 There are various ideas in psychology about the “self” and other similar or interchangeable concepts.
Let us begin by looking at the self as a cognitive construction.

A. The Psychology of Self

The “self” and “identity” are seen by the theorists in psychology as mental constructs which are
created and re-created in the memory and current researches point to the frontal lobe of the brain as the
specific area associated with processess concerning the “self” (Elmore, et al, 2012 as cited by Alata, et
al., 2018). Several psychologists tend to look deeper into the mind of the person to theorize about the
self, identity, self-concept and even personality. However, they found out that to understand the person
is to look also at the effects of the environment to the formation of the self, identity, and self-concept. It
is because social interaction always has a part to play in who we think we are and this is now the
nature-and-nurture perspective (Alata, et al., 2018).
Here are some of the ideas by some theorists in psychology which led to the understanding of the
self. While you read through, kindly jot down in your notebooks some questions you may have in mind
which you may post for further clarification in the LMS or other platform being used for instruction.

1. “Me-self” and “I-self” by William James (1890)

William James distinguished two understandings of the self, the self as “Me” and the self as “I”
(Woźniak, 2018).

Two Aspects of the Self according to James (1890):

“ME-SELF” “I-SELF”
• Corresponds to the self as an object of • Reflects the self as a subject of
experience (self as object) (Woźniak, experience (self as subject) (Woźniak,
2018). 2018).

• The self as known (or the empirical self) • The knower (or pure ego)
• The consciousness itself

o The physical characteristics as well as o The thinking, acting, and feeling self.
psychological capabilities that make
who you are.

o Referred to as the empirical self, self o Referred to as the nominative self,

that is known by the self, rather than the self as knower of the self, rather
the self as knower. than the self so known (American
Psychological Association, 2020).
 In the psychology of William James, the ME-SELF or the empirical self is held to consist of
the following:
 material self - everything material that can be seen as belonging to the self
(American Psychological Association, 2020).
o refers to the things that belong to us like family, clothes, body, and money.
 social self - the self as perceived by others (American Psychological
Association, 2020). o is the self in social situations. Our social selves are our
behavior in different social situations.
 spiritual self- the self that is closest to one’s core subjective experience of
oneself (American Psychological Association, 2020).
o includes our core values, conscience, and personality.

2. “Real self” and “Ideal Self” by Carl Rogers

Two Aspects of the Self according to Carl Rogers:

“Real Self” (Self-image) “Ideal Self”

 It includes all of those aspects of one’s  It briefly represents our strivings to

being and one’s experiences that are
perceived in awareness (though not
always accurately) by the individual
(Feist, et al., 2013 as cited by
Villafuerte, et al., 2018)
achieve in our goals or ideals. In other
words it is our dynamic ambitions and
goals (Ismail & Tekke, 2015).

• It includes the influence of our body
image intrinsically, how we see
ourselves, which is very important to
good psychological health.
o In other words, we might perceive
ourselves as a beautiful or ugly,
good or bad person.
 Revolves around goals and ambitions
in life. This is what our parents have
taught us to consider:
o what we admire in others, o
what our society promotes o
what we think are in our best
interest.

• It is the part of ourselves where we feel,

think, look and act involving our
selfimage (Villafuerte, et al., 2018).

 Simply put, REAL SELF is; o  The IDEAL SELF is;

the self-worth o who we
really are o what can be o how we want to
seen by others
be o dynamic,
 changing

o the learned values, societal ones

In order to actualize (complete realization of one’s potential), enhance and maintain the self,
Rogers (1959) believed that people are encouraged by an innate tendency which is the one basic
motive of self. His entire theory is thus developed on actualizing tendency (Schultz & Schultz, 2013).

A wide gap between the ideal self and the real self indicates incongruence and an unhealthy
personality (Feist, et al., 2013 as cited by Villafuerte, et al., 2018). Hence, alignment between the
real self and the ideal self is necessary.

IMPLICATION:

If the way that I am (the REAL SELF) is aligned with the way I want to be (the IDEAL SELF), then I
will feel a sense of mental well-being or peace of mind. If the

way that I am is not aligned with how I want to be, the incongruence, or lack of

alignment, will result in mental distress or anxiety. The greater the level of incongruence between the
ideal self and the real self, the greater is the level of

resulting distress.

In the scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the highest, how aligned is your real self to your ideal self?

3. Multiple versus Unified Self

Theorists believed that there is no one answer to the question, “Who am I?” as one person can
undergo several transitions in his life and create multiple versions of himself. However, there is still the
contention of the importance of mental well-being, of maintaining a unified, centralized, coherent self.
Multiple Self Unified Self

• The capacities we carry within us from  The consistent and cohesive

multiple relationships. aspects of the self.

 Not discovered, but created in our  What makes us distinct from others.
relationships with other people.
 Is it possible to have a unified self despite the fact that we experience “shifts” and “morphs” as we interact
in different social situations and as we undergo several transitions in our lives?

4. True Self versus False Self

True Self False Self

 Based on a sense of being in the  A necessary defensive organization,

a survival kit, a caretaker self, the
experiencing body means by which a threatened
person managed to survive.

• Has a sense of integrity and connected • Used when a person has to comply
wholeness with external rules such as being
polite or in following social codes.

B. Now, let us take a look at the concepts related to the psychological views of the self.

1. Identity
- It is composed of one’s personal characteristics, social roles and responsibilities as well as
affiliations that defines who one is (Elmore, et al, 2012, 69 as cited by Alata, et al., 2018, p. 29).

2. Self-concept
- It is basically what comes to your mind when you are asked about who you are (Elmore, et al,
2012, 69 as cited by Alata, et al., 2018, p. 29).
- It refers to the knowledge of the self which was constructed through experiences or insights out of
such experiences.
- It is defined in a wide way as the individual`s tendency to act in ways which actualize himself, lead
to his differentiation and a group of experiences, accordingly, are differentiated and symbolized in
conscious awareness as self experiences, the sum of which establishes the individual`s self-
concept.

3. Self-schema
- The concept by Carl Rogers which refers to our own organized system or collection of knowledge
about who we are.
- Self-schema includes the following about you:
 your name
  your family
 your nationality
 your religion
 your hobbies
 your interests
 your work
 your course
 your age
 your physical characteristics, etc.
- Your schema is your mental pattern or an organization or conceptual pattern in your mind about
your “self” and your “identity” which undergo changes throughout time (Gleitman, Gross, and
Reisberg, 2011, 616; Jhangiani and Tarry, 2014, 107-108 as cited by Alata, et al., 2018, p. 30).

4. Self-awareness
- It is a clear and realistic view of one’s self.
- There are times when we are aware of our self-concepts.
- Self-awareness may be positive or negative depending on the circumstances and our next course
of action.

Two types of self that we can be aware of (Carver and Scheier):

a. The private self - your internal standards and private thoughts and feelings.
b. The public self - your public image commonly geared towards having a good
presentation of yourself to others.

Three other self –schema of self- awareness

 “Actual” self – who you at are the moment.

 “Ideal” self – who you like to be.
 “Ought” self – who you think you should be.

Example: You are a student interested in basketball but you are also academically
challenged in most of your subjects. Your ideal self may be to practice more and play with the
varsity team but you also ought to pass your subjects as a responsible student.

5. Self-esteem

- refers to the positive or negative perception or evaluation of oneself. It is a person’s overall self-
evaluation or sense of self – worth.

- Our group identity and self-awareness also has a great impact on our self-esteem.
 C. The Self as Proactive and Agentic Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory takes an agentic view of
personality which means that humans have the capacity to exercise control over their own lives.

- Self as proactive – the self is self-regulating, self-organizing, and self-reflective.

- Agent Self – known as the executive function that allows for actions; resides over everything that
has to do with decision-making, self-control, taking charge of situations, and actively responding.
- Self-Efficacy o It is the measure of one’s ability to accomplish goals.
o People with high self-efficacy often are eager to accept challenges because they believe they
can overcome them, while people with low self-efficacy may avoid challenges, or believe
experiences are more challenging than they
actually are (appsychtextbk.wikispace.com, 2014 as cited by Villafuerte, et al., 2018).

If you have a high sense of self-efficacy, you tend to accept challenges and complete your goals
regardless of the trying circumstances that you are facing. Since you have actually that power to influence
your own actions to produce desired consequences in your life, there is that need to be intentional by
consciously acting in your environment in a manner that permits growth toward psychological health (Alata,
et al., 2018).

How important is self-efficacy to you as you strive to align your real self to your ideal self?

IV. Using/Applying Knowledge (Application/Integration)

WRITING ACTIVITY: How important is it to have a sense of self-worth? Since our real self is the seat of our
self-worth, what does it mean to strive to become the person that we want to be? As a college student, what
can you do help yourself raise your self–esteem? State your answers in not less than 100 words (30 points).

Note to the teacher: For the suggested rubric, you may refer to the attached file containing the rubric for
essays.

V. EvalUAting Understanding (Assessment)

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Read the following items carefully and choose the letter of the correct answer. Each item
is equivalent to two (2) points. (10 points in all)

1. Our personal characteristics and responsibilities and other things that define who we are composed our
_____________.
A. identity. C. personality.
 B. self-concept. D. self.

2. Your knowledge of your “self” formed through experiences or understanding gained out of such
experiences is referred to as ____________.
A. identity. C. self-concept.
B. personality. D. self.

3. According to William James, the aspect of the self that is the knower and is the thinking self is the
_____________.
A. true self. C. me-self.
B. false self. D. I-self.

4. Which of the following statements best describes what the real self is? A. It refers to the self-worth.
B. It is dynamic and changing.
C. It is what we envision as we want to be.
D. It is about the learned societal standards.

5. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the unified self? A. It is the consistent aspect of the self.
B. It is what makes one distinct from others.
C. It is created in our relationships with other people.
D. It is being connected with one’s selfhood and identity.

VII. SUggested Enrichment Activities (Suggested activities, links, etc.)

Do a research and make a list of at least ten (10) tips that can help boost your self-esteem and improve
your self-concept. Then, put these ten tips in a poster, in an infographic or in a bulletin board. Place this in a
conspicuous place in your room for you to be reminded of what you need to do to strengthen your true self.

Note: Analyze which of these tips may have the opposite or bad effect/s which, in turn, can make a person
become arrogant and conceited (narcissistic). Revise or modify the statements to make them become more
helpful to you as you aim to become a better person and a better member of your society.

Note to the teacher: For the suggested rubric, you may refer to the attached file containing the rubric for outputs.
However, this activity is optional and can be done away with.