Learning Module for College A.Y.

2021-2022 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

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UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
1st Semester of Academic Year 2021-2022
Module 1-Week 2

CHAPTER 1: Who Am I? A Philosophical Journey to Discovering the Self

“Who am I?” – Not knowing this is the greatest death to the Soul (one’s own self)!
- Dada Bhagwan

Learning Objectives:
a. Discuss the different representations and conceptualizations of the self from various disciplines and perspectives.
b. Compare and contrast how the self has been represented across different disciplines and perspectives.
c. Examine the different influences, factors and forces that shape the self.
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INTRODUCTION:

Philosophy has always sought to answer life’s difficult questions and has relentlessly pursued answers to these no matter
how seemingly futile the quest may be. This unit will discuss selected philosopher’s answer to the question, “Who am I”? That
question may one of the most difficult to answer and has garnered attention right from the start of man’s self-reflection. But no
matter how difficult it is, we cannot just ignore the question and leave it unanswered. What we do and our reaction to the world
has a lot to do with how we see ourselves. In an age where the pursuit of one’s happiness and celebrating one’s identity seem to
be at the forefront, that question still has no easy answer. Just what exactly are we? What do we even mean by the “Self?” Are
we souls, organic bodies or merely a figment of another’s imagination? Are we just minds or a combination of body and mind?
Will I survive bodily death because I am more that a body or when my body is dead, that’s really the end? Or maybe, I am
actually a robot controlled by some entity?

The philosophical quest is aimed at unraveling who man is and his nature by looking, not just on the everyday goals of
man, but to determine-what ultimately is man, his goals and his essence.

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Visual Summary of the discussion

Descartes John Locke

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The philosophical quest of one’s definition of self, certainly carries with it a constant debate of mind-body dualism
versus those espousing singularity. From the time of the classic philosophers up to this day, not one answer to the question of
WHO AM I, can be universally centralized. Socrates, answered by saying, man is essentially a soul, and this was seconded by
Plato. Augustine, extending Plato’s idea said that man is an image in the likeness of God and he is essentially a soul whose goal
is to be with God. Rene Descartes, also emphasized the non-physical form of man and said that in essence, man is mind-a
thinking being separate from his body. However, it doesn’t mean that we don’t need the body, because the body is a necessity for
the mind in order for it to perform any act. John Locke veered somewhat from the previous ideas and claimed that the Self is a
consciousness and that for as long as we have memories about who we are and our identity, then that tells us that we are that
same person, the same self that we are conscious of now. David Hume however, completely changed the course of this study by
declaring that there is no permanent Self, because the Self is only a bundle of senses that keeps on changing. In response to
Hume, Immanuel Kant said that it is possible for us to construct our Self. Since we are thinking beings, we can organize our
experiences so that we can build an idea of who we are, hence the Self is very much present. Turning to psychoanalyst Sigmund
Freud, he asserts that man is made up of two things, the conscious and the unconscious and that man has many layers. For
Gilbert Ryle, how one behaves is a big factor in showing who man is. Paul Churchland, however declared that it’s the brain
which is the essence of the Self. Maurice Merleau-Ponty, rejected entirely the idea of mind and body dichotomy because for
him, man is all about how he sees himself (an embodied subjectivity).

We have to be reminded however, that as much as they have elucidated the mystery of the self, we should also be
challenged to philosophically engage in the discovery of who we are. Once one invests time on this, one will realize a
completeness and assured confidence of one’s self.

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

1st Semester of Academic Year 2021-2022 Prepared by: VANESA D. MANZON
Module 2-Week 3

CHAPTER 2: The Self as a Social Construct

Learning Module for College A.Y. 2021-2022 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
“Culture is not just an ornament of human existence but-the principal basis of its specifity-an essential condition for it.”
3 - Clifford Geertz

Students must be able to:

d. Articulate what culture means to the self as a part of the society.
e. Analyze the anthropological and sociological constructs of the self.
f. Attribute self-understanding and behaviour to cultural factors.
g. Recognize and appreciate differences in cultural behaviors of the self, particularly from the Western and Asian contexts.
h. Explain how the modern world has changed our view of the self.
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THE SOCIOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL VIEW OF THE SELF

Knowing the self requires understanding our society and its culture, and how it provokes us to make decisions which are
culturally influenced and socially constructed. It is one big chunk in helping analyze our self-understanding. It is quite impossible
to ultimately know the self without comprehending the culture of our society.
The self, as a social being, is influenced by his culture. As products of it, we mirror the values, traditions, and beliefs that our
society hold dear. These concepts are embedded in the culture of our people-the impact of which permeates in the very soul of
the social self.

THE SLEF AS EMBEDDED IN CULTURE

Sir Edward B. Taylor, founder of cultural anthropology, classically defined culture as “that complex whole which includes
knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by [a human] as a member of
society” (Popular Science Monthly, 1884).

THE DIFFERENT FACETS OF CULTURE

Anthropology and Sociology, though considered as distinct disciplines, are very much related if not intertwined.

Anthropology – is the inclusive study of the human race, its culture and society, and its physical development (Heacock, 2009).

Dealing with the origin of humanity, it also shares in the academic discussion of what human society is and its cultural
development.

Sociology, on the other hand is defined as the scientific study of human life, social groups, whole societies and the human
world whose subject matter is our own behavior as social beings in relationship with many other people (Giddens, A. &
Sutton, P.W., 2016).

Culture, then, is the meeting point of anthropology and sociology in our self-understanding, digging deep into how
we see ourselves, in light of the diverse cultural influences that we have been exposed to.
The complexity of culture is seen in the many aspects that is inclusive in it. Almost everything that we see, and hold
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dear around us, is part of our culture. It was introduced to us the very moment we were born through our parents, and then
through the society that we belong to as we grow up.

In the early stages of our socialization, primarily with our immediate family, we were familiarized with the ‘ought
and ought nots’ of our very small world then. As we get older, and as we discover much of the world around us, we realize
the complexities of our culture, as our decisions should mirror the very foundations of our culture. Hence, culture has
become integral and an inescapable part of our humanity.
Learning Module for College A.Y. 2021-2022 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
It has influenced us so much that a very big part of who we are is a product of how culture was instilled in the very
4depths of our selfhood. Consequently, the significance of culture in our self-understanding and awareness is vital since we have
been brought up with it-the traditions and customs of our family, the laws we need to obey, and even the different art forms that
our society regards so dearly.

The very foundation then of the self in anthropology is understanding man in light of its cultural context, while sociology
digs into understanding the self in reference to the behavior of the society.
Our culture sets the norms of our people. Since norms in the society are culturally based, we deport ourselves based on
the cultural standards of our community.

Norms are what dictates our behavior in the society.

The acceptability of an act, the approval and the disapproval of which, is dependent on social standards which are a product of
our people’s commitment to uphold the very essence of our cultural values.

As a sociological concept, culture is made up of all the ideas, beliefs, behaviors, and products common to, and defining a
group’s way of life (Stolley, 2005). Since it defines a group’s way of living, our actions then as part of the group are supposed to
be understood based on our cultural context.

It is important to note that all human beings have their particular culture. This contributes to how we were raised in the
society including the way they see things. Thus, the self from a social and anthropological perspective, cannot be dichotomized
from his culture.

The material culture and the non-material culture, its two components, are essential in understanding how the self is
influenced by it.

Material Culture consists of human technology-all things that people make and use. Everything that we see, from clocks,
kitchen utensils, nipa huts, to gym equipment, and skyscrapers are part of our material culture. This is physical manifestation of
culture itself (Tischler, 2014). The goods we buy, and the products we use, are also examples of this physical aspect of culture.

One of the significant characteristics of culture is that it is very much dynamic. It changes from time to time. The fluidity
of culture can be ascribed to man’s distinct ability to create, transform, and re-create culture itself.
The evolution of material culture can be attributed to the technological advances that humanity was able to make. As
such, material culture has drastically changed particularly in the globalized world. Cultural exchanges also paved the way for the
alteration of material culture.

Take for example the case of the mobile phone. It has changed a lot since it was introduced to humanity. From being a
simple handy calling device, it became a much more complex commodity that has changed the landscape of human
communication.

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Learning Module for College A.Y. 2021-2022 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
5 Ferrante (2011), on the other hand defines non-material culture as inclusive of the intangible human creations that
include beliefs, values, norms and symbols. These non-material culture also helps shape our perspective of the society, of
ourselves, and even of the material world.

It is important to understand the non-material culture could also manifest in the kind of dress that people wear. On the
other hand, a very exclusive group would not want to accept any material object from their outside world. Thus, their material
culture would not be influenced by those whom they consider as outsiders.

Although material culture changes overtime, non-material culture may or may not change depending on the influence of
outside factors in the society, and the changes that societal values go through. At one point in history, conservatism was
championed by majority of the people. However, we witnessed how conservatism was downplayed in favor of self-expression, if
not equality for all, regardless of race, color and even gender preferences.

Reference:
Introspection: Understanding the Self (Erland De Vera Palean……et.al.,)

Activity 1: (Write your answer on a 1 whole sheet of paper, including your NAME, COURSE/YEAR & SUBJECT).
Directions: Answer the following questions. (5 Points each)

1. Do you agree with Locke? If such is the case, what will happen to your existence when we forget what we have been
doing three days ago?
2. Do you agree with Hume, that if we look at what is happening in our minds, we will not be able to find a permanent
self? In light of Hume’s answer, how shall we respond when somebody tells us, please don’t change.?
3. Do you think experience also shapes a person? If you say, yes, how can this be reconciled with Churchland’s
eliminative materialism?

Quiz 1: (Write your answer on a 1 whole sheet of paper, including your NAME, COURSE/YEAR & SUBJECT).
Directions: Answer the following questions. (5 Points each)

1. How influential is culture to your self-understanding?

2. Do you consider your family a traditional one? Why or why not?
3. What material culture has influenced you so much?
4. How has mobile phones influenced your social self?

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