MEANING AND NATURE OF SELF

The term “SELF” is defined in many ways;

1. Self is a unified being and is essentially

connected to consciousness, awareness,
and agency or with the faculty of rational
choice.
2. Self is the condition of identity that makes
one subject of experience distinct from all
others.
3. Self is exhibited and inferred in the conduct
and discourse that emanate from the
individual alone.
4. Self is the person regarded as an
individual apart from all others.

5. Self is one’s identity.

6. Self is expressed in the first person.

7. Self is a dynamic, responsive process

that structures neutral pathways
according to past adolescent
environment (Self, Culture, and Society
Class, 2015)
There are many explanations with respect to
the nature of the self.

1. The self is independent of the senses.

2. The self may have changed in many
respects but the same self appears present
as was present then.
3. The self is a narrative center of gravity, not
physically detestable but a kind of
convenient fiction that does not
correspond to anything tangible.
4. The self is both the legal and moral person.
5. The self is an intersubjective being, a
unique being who is never alone on its
existence.
6. According to Swami Vivekananda – the
self is conditioned by three (3) factors;

a. The senses are unreliable

b. The mind is conditioned by space-time
c. The mind is conditioned by logical
limitations.

*According to Krishnananda, the self can

rise above all conditionings. Man knows
one’s own self in a way that Logic and
Mathematics cannot explained. Every
person knows that he exists.
7. The self constantly evolving due to
the complexities of cultures and
societies.

8. Religion views the nature of the self

very widely

9. Human beings have a self.

 WHY SELF IS IMPORTANT?

Philosophers look at self as very important in

several ways:

1. According to Kant, by knowing ourselves,

that we are free and that our actions and
choices matter, we can make good on
these commitments without fear of being
contradicted by theory.

2. By knowing the self, we are able to

examine what type of object the self is
and how it is constituted.
 WHY SELF IS IMPORTANT?
3. According to Thorin Klosowski, by knowing
the self, we are able to develop self-
awareness and introspection which are the
starting point to every improvement.

4. Understanding the self is a very important

basis of quantified self-movement which
means that if a person collects data about
himself.

5. Knowing the self requires more than

intellectual self-examination for it demands
knowing something about your feelings and
emotions.
 The Filipino Concept of Self

The concept of self varies within a culture.

This is explained in a study of Edman and
Kameoka as cited by Andres (1987)
comparing educated and less educated
women. The study found that:

1. Educated Filipino women

characterized themselves as more
individualistic than less educated Filipino
women, while the less educated
characterized themselves as more
collectivistic.
2. In terms of socio-economic status, middle
class Filipino women rated themselves as
more competitive than those in the lower
socio-economic group, while lower class
Filipino women rated themselves collectivistic
including being conforming, obedient to
elders, devoted to family and friendly.
*According to Baumeister (1987) increase in individualism within
a country is due to increase social mobility that allows a person
to become detached from his/her social position.

*The concept of SELF within the community of women is a

function of socio-economic changes and increased
educational opportunities. The study may also be true between
educated Filipino men and less educated Filipino men.
Sociological perspective the self is a relatively
stable set of perceptions of who we are in
relation to ourselves, others, and to social
systems. The self is socially constructed in the
sense that it is shaped through interaction
with other people.

The basic premise of all classical sociological

theory is that the contemporary world is the
outcome of a transition from “traditional” to
“modern” societies. This is approached
through understanding the transition from
pre-modern or traditional societies to modern
societies.
 MIND, SELF AND SOCIETY FROM
from the standpoint of SOCIAL BEHAVIORISTS

George Herbert Mead analyzed through

behavior and interacting of an individual’s self
with reality. He rejects the view that
psychology deals with consciousness in the
sense of something existing prior to and
bringing about behavior. But he is just as much
opposed to Behaviorism which deals
exclusively with bodily processes.
George Herbert Mead was an American philosopher, sociologist,
and psychologist, primarily affiliated with the University of
Chicago, where he was one of several distinguished pragmatists
1. Social Psychology for Mead studies
inner experience or activity which
arises within a social process The
paradigm is LANGUAGE – which
consists both of meaning or
intelligence and intercommunicative
(social) behavior.

2. The second division constitute of

lengthy argument purporting to show
that mind arises through
communication by a conversation or
gestures in a social process.
 The “I” and “ME” of MEAD
“ME” – is what is learned in interaction with
others and (more generally) with the
environment:other people’s attitudes,
once internalized in the SELF, constitute the
“ME”. This includes both knowledge about
the environment (including society), but
also about who the person is (his sense of
self).

The “ME” disciplines the “I” by holding it

back from breaking the law of the
community
The “I” is the response of the individual to the
attitude of the community. The “I” acts
creatively, though within the context of the
ME. MEAD notes that “ It is only after we have
acted that we know what we have done,
what we have said”

The “I” reacts to the self which arises though

the taking of the attitude of others. They do
not blindly follow rules. They construct a
response on the basis of what they have
learned, the “ME”.
The FUSION of the “I” and “ME” in the
attitudes of religion, patriotism, and team
work, is a “PECULIAR SENSE OF EXALTATION”
 SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

1. MARGARET MEAD (1901-1976) – an

American Sociologist/Anthropologist he
created with helping to develop the
“SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONS Perspective”

*Mead theorized that the SELF has two (2)parts

SELF-AWARENESS and SELF-IMAGE.
Our SELF and our NOTION of who we are, what we like, what our
personality is, etc. becomes constructed through being in the
world, through interaction, through reflection in thinking about the
interaction and then more interaction with others.
2. HENRI de SAINT-SIMON (1760-1825)–
French political, economic and socialist
theorist.

The idea of Saint Simon for the

reconstruction of society were
conditioned by the French Revolution
and by the feudal and military system
still prevalent in France. In reaction to
the destructive liberalism of the
Revolution, he insisted on the necessity
of new and positive reorganization of
society.
3. HERBERT SPENCER (1820-1903) – he was
himself as a philosopher rather than a
sociologist. His grand scheme was
termed “SYNTHETIC PHILOSOPHY”, and it
was to encompass all realms of the
universe: a) physical b) psychological c)
biological d) sociological and e) ethical

MORAL PHILOSOPHY
SOCIAL STATICS
PRINCIPLES OF ETHICS
4. DAVID EMILE DURKHEIM (1858-1917) – a
French Sociologist – some of his works was
concerned with how societies could
maintain their integrity and coherence in
modernity, an era in which a traditional
social and religious are no longer assumed.

5. ALBERT BANDURA (1925) –

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY- is a theory that
attempts to explain socialization and its
effect on the development of the self. It
looks at the individual learning process, the
formation of self, and the influence of
society in socializing individual.
 SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY AND
CRIME/DEVIANCE
Social Learning Theory, people engage in
crime because of their association with
others who engage in crime.

3 MECHANISMS BY WHICH INDIVIDUAL

LEARNS TO ENGAGE IN CRIME

1. Differential Reinforcement – means that

individuals can teach others to engage in
crime by reinforcing and punishing certain
behaviors.
2. BELIEFS FAVORABLE TO CRIME - on top of
reinforcing criminal behavior, other
individuals can also teach a person “belief”
that are favorable to crime.
(example)

a. The approval of certain minor forms of crime,

such as gambling, “soft” drug use, for
adolescents-alcohol use, and curfew violation.
b. The approval of or justification of certain forms of
crime, including some serious crimes
c. Some people hold certain general values that
are more conducive to crime and make crime
appear as a more attractive alternative to others
behaviors.
3. THE IMITATION OF CRIMINAL MODELS –

behavior is not only a product of beliefs

and reinforcements or punishments that
individuals receive. It is also a product of
the behavior of those around us. Individual
often model or imitate the behavior of
others especially if it is someone that
individual looks up to or admires.
 SELF EFFICACY

Is defined as people’s belief about their

capabilities to produce designated levels
of performance that exercise influence
over events that affects their lives.

*Self-Efficacy belief determines how

people think, feel, motivate themselves,
and behave
6. HENRI de SAINT-SIMON (1818-1881)–
He introduces the theory of SELF-
ESTRANGEMENT a theory of “alienation
of man’s essence, man’s loss of
objectivity and his loss of realness as
self-discovery, manifestation of his
natural objectification and realization.

SELF-ESTRANGEMENT or SELF-
ALIENATION- is when a person feels
alienated from others and society as a
whole.
7. WAX WEBER (1864-1920) A German
Sociologist-regarded as one of the three
founders-and political economist. In his time,
He argued that capitalism developed out of
a Protestant ethic, which regarded work as a
religious calling.

*As a religion became peripheral, capitalism

decoupled from its roots and established
itself as the dominant force in society.

*The “iron cage” of rationalization in social

life.
 EXERCISING SELF-HELP IMAGINATION

“Personality” makes little sense in its modern

usage, if you step onto the stage, seek to
infuse personal experience and be different,
you are no “personality", which is curious,
because that is precisely what we
understand by “personality” today.

*In Weber’s sense, you gain personality within

a field only by stepping out of your own self.
Teach the subject, not your interpretation of
the subject.
8. LEWIS MORGAN – (1840) – Morgan studied
the culture and structure of Iroquois(ee·ruh·kwaa)
society. He noticed they used different terms
than Europeans to designate individuals by
their relationships within the extended family.
(kinship system)

*SYSTEMS OF CONSANGUINITY AND AFFINITY

OF HUMAN FAMILY
MONOGENISM- the doctrine or belief that all human
races have descended from a single created pair or
from a common ancestral type.
POLYGENISM - is a theory of human origins which
posits the view that the human races are of different
origins
THEORY OF SOCIAL EVOLUTION – this original
theory became less relevant because of
Darwinian revolution, which was
demonstrated how change happens over
time. Morgan became increasingly
interested in the comparative study of
kinship (family) relations as a window into
understanding larger social dynamic.

*He saw kinship relations as a basic part of

society
 ANTHROPOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF
It considers the genetic and cultural origins of
self, the role that self plays in socialization
and language, and the types of self we
generate in our individual journeys to and
through adulthood.
Anthropology - is the study of people,
society, and culture through all time and
everywhere around the world.
Archaeology - also spelled archeology, the
scientific study of the material remains of past
human life and activities. Archaeological
Perspective develops an argument for the
artifact as a status conferred by human
engagement with material. On this basis,
artifacts are considered first in terms of their
relationship to concepts and cognitive
functions, and then to the physical body and
sense of self.
Cultural Anthropology is the study of human
ways of life in the broadest possible
comparative perspective. Cultural
anthropologists are interested in all types of
societies, from hunting and gathering bands to
modern industrial states.
Physical or Biological Anthropology deals
with the evolution of humans, their variability,
and adaptations to environmental stresses.
Using an evolutionary perspective, we
examine not only the physical form of humans
- the bones, muscles, and organs - but also
how it functions to allow survival and
reproduction.

Linguistic Anthropology is a branch of

anthropology that studies the role of language
in the social lives of individuals and
communities. Linguistic anthropology explores
how language shapes communication.
Language plays a huge role in social identity,
group membership, and establishing cultural
beliefs and ideologies.
1. RUTH FULTON BENEDICT (1887-1948) –
An Anthropologist and folklorist, born in New
York City. She studied the relationships
between personality, art, language, and
culture insisting that no trait existed in isolation
or self-sufficiency, a theory which she
championed in her 1934 Patterns of Culture.

2. WILLIAM GRAHAM SUMNER (1840-1910)

An American Social Scientist and an
Anthropologist, who taught social science at
Yale. He adopted the term “ethnocentrism” –to
identity the roots of imperialism, which he
strongly opposed.
Ethnocentrism in social science and anthropology—as well as in
colloquial English discourse—means to apply one's own culture or
ethnicity as a frame of reference to judge other cultures,
practices, behaviors, beliefs, and people, instead of using the
standards of the particular culture involved.
FOLKWAYS- is an Anthropological and
sociological classic. The traditional
behavior or way of life of a particular
community or group of people.

MORES - are social norms that are widely

observed within a particular society or
culture. Mores determine what is
considered morally acceptable or
unacceptable within any given culture.
William Graham Sumner, an early U.S.
sociologist, introduced both the terms
"mores" and "folkways" into modern
sociology.
In Anthropology the self came to be
understood as a process that orchestrates
an individual's personal experience
following which he becomes self-aware
and self-reflective about his place in
society. (Taylor, 1989)
How important is Anthropology in understanding
human beings and the self?

It simultaneously explores human diversity and

what it is that all human beings have in
common.

Anthropology does not in itself profess to solve

the problems facing humanity, but it gives its
practitioners skills and knowledge that enable
them to tackle complex questions in very
competent and relevant ways.
Anthropology is the study of what makes us
human. Anthropologists take a broad
approach to understanding the many
different aspects of the human experience,
which we call holism. They consider the past,
through archaeology, to see how human
groups lived hundreds or thousands of years
ago and what was important to them.

Anthropology provides the answer to our

questions about ourselves, our past, present
and future.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
OF SELF
In Psychology, the notion of the self refers
to a person's experience as a single,
unitary, autonomous being that is separate
from others, experienced with continuity
through time and place. The experience of
the self includes consciousness of one's
physicality as well as one's inner character
and emotional life.
A. Psychological perspective is from
the biological school of thought or a
philosophy which would guide someone's
interpretation of an individual's behavior.
Someone working l perspectivewould focus
on how the brain and nervous system are
working in combination to produce the
aggressive behavior.
What is psychological view of self example?

Self-concept is how you perceive your

behavior, abilities, and unique characteristics.
For example, beliefs such as "I am a good
friend" or "I am a kind person" are part of an
overall self-concept.
The psychology of self is the study of either
the cognitive, conative or affective
representation of one's identity, or the
subject of experience.

The self is an individual person as the object

of its own reflective consciousness. Since
the self is a reference by a subject to the
same subject, this reference is necessarily
subjective. The sense of having a self—or
self-hood—should, however, not be
confused with subjectivity itself.
Different PSYCHOLOGICAL perspectives of
the self (THEORIES OF PERSONALITY)

•Psychoanalytic Perspective
• Humanistic Perspective
• Trait Perspective
•Social Cognitive Perspective
A. Psychoanalytic Perspective - In the
psychoanalytic approach, the focus is on the
unconscious mind rather than the conscious
mind. It is built on the foundational idea that
your behavior is determined by experiences
from your past that are lodged in your
unconscious mind.

SIGMUND FREUD - He was a Jewish-German

Physician and Psychologist. He was
considered as the “Father of Psychoanalysis”.
 3 LAYERS OF SELF ACCORDING TO SIGMUND
FREUD PSYCHOANALYTICAL THEORY

1. “ID” (UNCONSCIOUS MIND) – “makahayop”

According to Freud, “ID” is the first part of
the self to develop. It’s the seat of all our
desires and wants. “ID” has no awareness
other that it wants what it wants. It is the
“pleasure principle”.

For the “ID” , instant gratification is the name of

the game. It doesn’t care about morals or
social norms.
2. THE “EGO” (CONSCIOUS MIND) – “makatao”
According to Freud, “EGO” is the part of us
that functions in reality. Sort of human
tollgate, the ego regulates how many of the
IDs urges will be expressed.

In other words, while the ID is totally irrational,

the EGO is able to discern what is right or
wrong based on context. It is the “reality
principle”
3. The “SUPER-EGO” (CONSCIENCE)– “maka-
Diyos ” According to Freud, “SUPER-EGO”
is sometimes referred to as the “voice of
God” , super-ego strives for perfection. It
acts as a judge, a referee , a decision-
maker when the ID and EGO are in
conflict. It stops the ID from doing
something wrong. It restraints the EGO
when it goes out of bounds. Its main
concern is to decide and act in
accordance to what is morally and socially
acceptable standards.
 3 PARTS OF THE MIND ACCORDING TO
SIGMUND FREUD

1. CONSCIOUS MIND - everything that we are

aware of. (tip of the iceberg)
2. PRE-CONSCIOUS MIND – is what we could
be aware of “capable of entering
consciousness” (that part of the iceberg
that we can see underwater)
3. UNCONSCIOUS MIND – is “everything else is
mental” according to FREUD, “the main
causes of behavior lie deeply buried in the
unconscious mind, that is in the part of the mind
that affects the individual’s conscious thoughts
and action but is not itself open to conscious
inspection.”
B. Humanistic Psychology stresses the
concepts such as free will, self-efficacy, and
self-actualization. Rather than concentrating
on dysfunction, humanistic psychology strives
to help people fulfill their potential and
maximize their well-being.

The humanistic perspective is a way of

evaluating an individual as a whole, rather
than looking at them only through a smaller
aspect of their person. It is a branch of
psychology that relates to the idea of being
entirely unique and your own individual.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is used to study how
humans intrinsically partake in behavioral
motivation. Maslow used the terms "physiological",
"safety", "belonging and love", "social needs" or
"esteem", and "self-actualization" to describe the
pattern through which human motivations generally
move.
1. Physiological needs

Air
Water
Food
Sex
Sleep
Clothes
Shelter

2. Safety needs
Health
Personal Security
Emotional Security
Financial Security
3. Social belonging needs include:
Family
Friendship
Intimacy

4. Esteem needs

Maslow noted two versions of esteem needs. The

"lower" version of esteem is the need for respect from
others, and may include a need for status, recognition,
fame, prestige, and attention. The "higher" version of
esteem is the need for self-respect, and can include a
need for strength, competence, mastery, self-
confidence, independence, and freedom. This "higher"
version takes guidelines, the "hierarchies are interrelated
rather than sharply separated". This means that esteem
and the subsequent levels are not strictly separated;
instead, the levels are closely related.
5. Self-actualization

"What a man can be, he must be.“ This

quotation forms the basis of the perceived
need for self-actualization. This level of need
refers to the realization of one's full potential.
Maslow describes this as the desire to
accomplish everything that one can, to
become the most that one can be.
Self-actualization needs include:
Partner acquisition
Parenting
Utilizing and developing talents and abilities
Pursuing goals
C. THE TRAIT PERSPECTIVE of personality is
centered on identifying, describing, and
measuring the specific traits that make up
human personality. By understanding these
traits, researchers believe they can better
comprehend the differences between
individuals.

Trait theorists believe personality can be

understood by positing that all people
have certain traits, or characteristic ways
of behaving. An example of a trait
is extraversion–introversion.
Unlike many other theories of personality, such as
psychoanalytic or humanistic theories, the trait
approach to personality is focused on differences
between individuals. The combination and
interaction of various traits form a personality that
is unique to each individual.

The Big Five Personality traits:

O - Openness
C - Conscientiousness
E - Extraversion
A - Agreeableness
N - Neuroticism
What are the 3 types of traits?

Gordon Allport organized traits into a

hierarchy of three levels:
1. cardinal traits
2. central traits
3. secondary traits
What are the 7 character traits?
1. Grit
2. Curiosity
3. Self-control
4. Social intelligence
5. Zest
6. Optimism
7. Gratitude
Cardinal traits are those that dominate an
individual's personality to the point that the
individual becomes known for them.

Cardinal trait: It is a single trait that dominates

an individual's entire personality. It dominates
and shapes a person's behavior for his whole
life. A person becomes known specifically for
this trait.

For example, Oprah Winfrey's cardinal trait

could be sociability. She is sometimes called
the "queen of talk" because of her
extraordinary ability to talk to different kinds of
people.
Central trait is an attribute in someone's
personality that is considered particularly
meaningful, in that its presence or absence
signals the presence or absence of other traits.
Central Traits refer to general characteristics
that are present to some degree in almost
everyone.
Examples of central traits could be kindness,
honesty, or friendliness. Secondary Traits are
characteristics that surface only in certain
situations. Some examples could be shyness,
irritability, or anxiety.
Secondary traits are sometimes related to
attitudes or preferences. They often appear
only in certain situations or under specific
circumstances. Some examples include
public speaking anxiety, or impatience while
waiting in line.

Secondary Traits, as used in human

physiology, refers to physical and mental
traits that develop as a result of puberty. In
males, some of these traits are the growth of
heavy facial and body hair and increased
musculature and aggression.
D. The social-cognitive perspective is a theory
that emphasizes cognitive processes, such as
thinking and judging, in the development of
personality. These cognitive processes
contribute to learned behaviors that are
central to one's personality.

Social cognitive theory has often been called

a bridge between behavioral and cognitive
learning theories, because it focuses on the
interaction between internal factors such as
thinking and symbolic processing (e.g.,
attention, memory, motivation) and external
determinants (e.g., rewards and punishments)
Social-cognitive theorists propose that
people set goals for themselves and
direct their behavior accordingly. They
are motivated to accomplish those
goals.

In our dance example, the observer is

motivated to learn the dance or else he
wouldn't be observing it time and time
again.
The social cognitive perspective of
personality emphasizes the importance
of observational learning, self-efficacy,
situational influences, and cognitive
processes.