UNDERSTANDING THE SELF (REVIEWER)
Important Terms – Guide definition-Additional
UNIT 1: Defining the Self
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in
your abilities! Without a humble but
reasonable confidence in your own powers
you cannot be successful or happy.”
- Norman
Vincent Peale
Sociology sees the self as a product of social
interaction, developed over time
through social activities and experiences.
Anthropology views self as a culturally
shaped construct or ideas.
Psychology sees the self as having
characteristics or properties that can be used
to describe it.
Lesson 1: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE
1. Socrates – Socratic Method (asking a
series of questions)
“The unexamined self is not worth
living.”
- Goal of life is to be happy, the
virtuous man is a happy man.
2. Plato – man is a dual nature of body
and soul.
- “theory of forms” (the physical
world is not real because reality
exists beyond it).
- Soul is the most divine aspect of
human.
Three components of the soul:
a. The rational soul (reasoning)
b. The spirited soul (feeling) – emotion
c. The appetitive soul (sensual) – eating,
drinking, etc.
3. St. Augustine of Hippo – Latin
Father, Doctor, and significant
thinker of Christian church.
- Adopted Plato’s idea.
- Body remains on earth after death
while soul lives eternally.
4. Thomas Aquianas – adopt
Aristotle’s idea.
- A saint
Two parts of man:
• Matter – hyle (Greek); common
stuff.
• Form – morphe (Greek); essence
of substance.
- What makes a human person a
human person is his soul.
5. Rene Descartes – Father of modern
philosophy
- Body and mind.
- The first thinker to emphasize
reason based on empirical
evidence.
- Cogito ergo sum = “I think
therefore I am”.
Two distinct entities:
•Cogito – thinks; mind.
•Extensa – extension of
the mind; body.
6. John Locke – consciousness
 - The person existing now is the
same person yesterday because
he remembers the thoughts,
experience, or actions of the
earlier self.
7. David Hume – “bundle theory”
(collection of different perceptions)
- Human intellect and experiences
are limited; self is made up of
successive impressions.
Impressions – perception that is
most strong and enter the senses with
the most forces; directly experience;
basic objects of experience.
- Has strong impact
Ideas – copy of impression; less
forcible and less lively counterparts.
- Has less impact
8. Immanuel Kant – self is
transcendental.
- Relates to spiritual/nonphysical
realm.
- Self is outside the body.
Two components of self:
• Inner self – you are aware of.
• Outer self – senses and the
physical world.
9. Gilbert Ryle – the behavior a person
manifest daily.
- Self can’t be located but simply
the convenient name people
refer.
10. Maurice Merleau-Ponty – mind
and body are intertwined.
Lesson 2. THE SELF, SOCIETY AND
CULTURE
Society - a group of people who share a
common culture.
Culture – complex whole (knowledge,
belief, arts, moral, law, etc.)
Characteristics of self’s definition:
1. Separate – distinction
2. Self-contained
3. Independent – in itself it can exist.
4. Consistent – enduring personality.
5. Unitary – center of all experiences.
6. Private – sorts within the self.
Social constructivists – self should not
be seen as a static entity that stays
constant through and through.
Two sides of self (social self):
Mead (two interactive facets):
• Me – product of what the person
has learned while interacting;
exercise social control.
• I – unsocialized part of self;
individual’s response to the
community.
Marcel Mauss:
• Moi – person’s sense of who he
is; basic identity.
• Personne – social concept of
who he is.
Lesson 3. THE SELF AS A COGNITIVE
CONSTRUCT
Self – sense of personal identity; who we are
as an individual.
 1. William James – one of earliest
psychologists to study self; self
having two aspects:
I – thinking, acting, and feeling self.
Me – physical characteristics,
psychological capabilities that make
you who you are.
2. Carl Rogers – theory of personality
I – acts and decides.
Me – what you think or feel about
yourself as an object.
Ideal Self – you would like to be.
Real Self – you actually are.
- Real self and ideal self are very
similar (congruent).
- Inconsistency between real and
ideal (incongruence).
3. Carver and Scheier – two types of
self:
Private self – internal standards;
private thoughts.
Public self – public image; good
presentation to others.
Other concepts similar to self are:
Identity – personal characteristics, social
roles; affiliations that define who one is.
Self-concept- what comes to your mind
when asked who you are.
Self-awareness- aware of self-concept;
prevent dangerous acts.
Self-esteem- own positive or negative
perception of self.
Deindividuation- loss of individual self-
awareness.
Actual self – who you are.
Ideal self – who you like to be.
Ought self – who you think you should be.
- This is a nature and nurture
perspective.
- Theory of symbolic
interactionism (George Herbert
Mead) – self is created and
developed through human
interaction.
Three reasons why self and identity are
social products:
1. Do not create ourselves out of
nothing.
2. We need others to affirm who we
are.
3. What we think is important maybe is
important also on social or historical
context.
Downward social comparison – comparing
to those below us.
Upward social comparison – comparing to
those better than us.
Self-evaluation maintenance theory-
threatened when someone outperforms us.
Lesson 4. THE SELF IN WESTERN AND
EASTERN THOUGHTS
Western Concept of Self
Four Categories of Self (Frank Johnson):
Analytical – to see reality; self is an
observer separate from external objects.
Monotheistic – unitary explanations of Lesson 5. THE PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL
phenomena; modeled after a unitary SELF
omnipotent power.
Puberty – stage of development one
Individualistic – self-expression and self- becomes sexually mature.
actualization are important.
Materialistic/Rationalistic – discredit
Diseases Associated with the Reproductive
explanations without analytic deductive
System
mode of thinking.
- Always focus on looking toward Infections are the most common problem.
self (individualistic culture).
1. Vaginal infection
Eastern Concept of Self 2. Prostatitis
3. Urethritis
Confucianism – code of ethical conduct 4. Epididymitis
(how one should properly act) 5. Orchiditis
- Harmonious social act
- Achieved state of moral Sexually Transmitted Diseases
excellence STD’s are infections transmitted from
an infected person to an uninfected person
- Self-cultivation (ultimate purpose
through sexual contact. It can be caused by
of life)
bacteria, viruses or parasites. Also known as
Taoism – way of Tao or universe. Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).

- Rejects hierarchy and strictness 1. Gonorrhea

of Confucianism 2. Genital herpes
- Selflessness but not forgetting 3. Human papillomavirus
the self 4. HIV
5. AIDS
Buddhism – teachings of Buddha 6. Chlamydia
- Other person as part of yourself 7. Syphilis
- Low profile as promoting self. 8. Chancroid
9. Herpes simplex virus
Asian culture is collectivistic culture (group 10. Trichomonas vaginalis
and social relations is given more
importance). Sexual Problems
- may be classified as physiological,
psychological and social in origin.
1. Vaginal infections
2. Retroverted uteri
3. Prostatitis
4. Adrenal tumors
5. Diabetis
6. Senile changes of the vagina
7. Cardiovascular problems
 8. Premature emission
9. Erectile impotence
10. Ejaculatory impotence
11. Vaginismus
The Erogenous Zones of the Body - parts
of the body that are primarily receptive and
increase sexual arousal when touched in a
sexual manner. (mouth, abdomen, breasts,
genitals, anus, skin, neck, thigh, and feet)
Human Sexual Behavior – any activity that
includes sexual arousal.
Types:
1. Solitary Behavior – only one
individual.
2. Sociosexual Behavior – more than
one person.
Human Sexual Response - sequence of
physical and emotional occurrences when
the person is participating in a sexual
activity.
Four Phases of Human Sexual Response
Cycle:
1. Excitement phase
2. Plateau phase
3. Sexual climax/orgasm phase
4. Resolution phase
Roles of Hormones in Sexual Activity
Hypothalamus - most important
Pituitary gland – secretes hormones from
hypothalamus
1. Oxytocin – love hormones
2. Follicle-stimulating hormones –
ovulation
3. Luteinizing hormone – testes
4. Vasopressin – male arousal
5. Estrogen and progesterone – regulate
motivation.
Three stages of falling in love:
1. Lust – physical attraction
2. Attraction – crave for partner’s
presence
3. Attachment – desire to have lasting
commitment.
Other concepts:
• Coitus – insertion of male’s to
female’s
• Sexual Desire – subjective feeling
of wanting sex
• Sex Drive – motivation to seek
sexual activity
• Brain – largest sex organ
• Sex – combining male and female
genes
• Sexual orientation – individual’s
general sexual disposition
• Gender identity – one’s sense of
being male or female
• LGBTQ+ - wide spectrum of
gender identity
Family planning – make informed choices
on when they want children.
Natural and Artificial Methods of
Contraception
Natural Method
Natural family planning method
(NFP) is the method that uses the body’s
natural physiological changes and symptoms.
- Also known as fertility-based
awareness method.
1. Periodic abstinence
1. Rhythm (calendar)
2. Basal body temperature (BBT)
monitoring
3. Cervical mucus (ovulation) or
billing’s method
2. Use of breastfeeding or lactation
amenorrhea
 3. Coitus interruptus
Main Features and Characters in
Artificial Method Consumer Culture
Hormonal contraceptives - directly 1. Culture of consumption
affect the normal menstrual cycle so that 2. Culture of market society
ovulation will not occur. 3. Universal and impersonal
1. Oral contraceptive (pill) 4. Identifies freedom with private
2. Transdermal contraceptive patch choice and life
3. Vaginal ring 5. Insatiable and unlimited
4. Subdermal implants 6. Privileged medium for building
5. Hormonal injections personal identity and status
6. Intrauterine device
7. Chemical barriers The Problem with Consumerism
1. Spermicides 1. Intrusive
2. Vaginal gels and creams 2. Manipulative
3. Glycerin film 3. Cannot provide important things
8. Diaphragm 4. Restricts choices and lives
9. Cervical cap 5. Affects our world view and characters
10. Male condoms 6. Unsustainable
11. Female condoms
Avoid the Trap
Surgical Methods 1. Exercise intellectual independence
1. Vasectomy 2. Consume less, live more
2. Tubal ligation
Consumerism – consumption in excess
Lesson 6. MATERIAL AND ECONOMIC of one’s basic needs.
SELF
Consumer Culture – a social system
Components to understand self (William dominated by the consumption of commercial
James): products.
1. Its constituents
1. Material self – primarily is about Consumerist Society – people spend a
our bodies, clothes, immediate great deal of time, money and energy.
family and home.
2. Social self Materialism – giving more importance
3. Spiritual self to material possession.
4. The pure ego

2. The feelings and emotions they

arouse (self feelings)
3. The actions to which they prompt
(self-seeking and self-preservation)

“A man’s self is the sum total of all what he

can call his.” – William James