Week 5

MODULE 5: The Self: Philosophical Perspective

1. Determine the varied philosophical ideas about the nature of the self.

2. Identify the differences in these perspectives.

3. Explain the relationship between and among the self, society, and culture.

4. Describe and discuss the different ways by which society and culture
shape the self.

Content:

What is the Self?

The self, in contemporary literature and even more common sense, is
commonly defined by the following characteristics:
1. Separate

 the self is distinct from other-selves

 the self is always unique and has its own identity – one cannot be
another person
even twins are distinct from each other
2. Self-contained & independent

 in itself it can exist

 its distinctness allows it to be self-contained with its own thoughts,
characteristics, and volition
 it does not require any other self for it to exist
3. Consistent

 it has a personality that is enduring and therefore can be expected to

persist for quite some time
 its consistency allows it to be studied, described and measured
a particular self’s traits, characteristics, tendencies and potentialities
are more or less the same


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 4. Unitary

 it 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
5. Private

 each person sorts out information, feelings and emotions, and thought
processes within the self
 this whole process is never accessible to anyone but the self
 the self is isolated from the external world
 it lives within its own world

Understanding your emotions and desire which are co-related, needs,

aspirations, dreams, personality, and physical limitation helps you to have a
better relationship with yourself.
Society:

 Relationship with other human beings outside your family. If you have
a healthy relationship with yourself which in most cases will be
reflected when you have relationships with others. For example, if you
are person who sets very high standard for yourself you generally set
a high standard for society. If you are person who is forgiving, then
you also forgive the mistakes or atrocities that are happening in the
society. To put in simple one liner – relationship with society is
extension of relationship with yourself.

Culture:

 Culture which consist of food, clothes, and manners in my view is set

of routines, acts, interactions and behavior which are practiced over a
period of time (could be years or decades or centuries). When you
wanted to survive in a society you must adapt to the culture of the
society which is determined by the majority of the people who agree
or follow the culture. If your internal relationship is not in tune with
culture of the society, you will feel miserable to live in that
society/city/country.

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The self: Philosophical Perspective
A number of philosophers have posited ideas about the nature of the
self. These include David Hume, Rene Descartes, Socrates, Plato, and even
Saint Augustine of Hippo. They have provided unique views about the real
nature of what we call 'self'.
Socrates (470-399 BC)
Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher and a pioneer in Western
moral philosophy. As a contribution to the field of philosophy, Socrates
introduced the Socratic problem or Socratic question. The Socratic
perspective is to better the quality of human life through consistent self-
examination. One has to self-examine and discuss. Thee self as this is a duty
to achieve what is the greatest good to life.
Plato (424-347 BC)

Plato was a classical Greek philosopher and founder of the Academy in

Athens, the first institution of higher learning in western philosophy and the
founder of western spirituality. Plato stated that the 'psyche' or the 'mind' is
comprised of three elements - mind, ego, and substance - and that they are
all created by an unconscious mind.
1. The appetites involve our pleasurable desires such as those which
provide us physical pleasure and physiological comfort.
2. The spirited denotes the part within us that is agitated most of the
time. It is highly spirited and motivated to surpass and conquer life
challenges. It is the area within us that enjoys triumph, honor,
greatness, and affirmation.
3. The mind is the conscious awareness that thinks, meditates, weighs
choices, and assesses situations in our lives. This side is rational
and logical as it chooses only the best for us.
Saint Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430)
A Christian theologian and philosopher have greatly contributed to the
progress of Western Christianity through his writing specifically The City of
God, On Christian Doctrine and Confessions. Saint Augustine discovered and
developed the concept of individual identity. He conceptualized an idea of

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the self and eventually achieved an identity. Founded onto sin as the source
of unhappiness as sin impairs human free will.
Saint Augustine of Hippo identified the two-fold process comprised of
self-presentations leading to self-realization as he stressed the superiority of
the mind over the body. He reiterated that one transforms as he struggles in
both body and soul to achieve happiness found explicitly in God's love
ultimately. Understanding of the self and the formation of identity is
achieved through the process of 'Introspection' or 'self-analysis'.
Rene Descartes (1596-1650)
French mathematician and philosopher Descartes is the father of
Modern philosophy. He brought an entirely new perspective to philosophy
and the self. The Latin phrase “Cogito, ergo sum” which is ”I think
therefore I am” is the keystone of Descartes’ concept of self. For him, the
act of thinking about the self―of being self-conscious― is in itself proof that
there is a self. It was then that he developed his theory of knowledge
because he is confident that no rational person will doubt his or her own
existence as a conscious, thinking entity while we are aware of thinking
about ourselves. For Descartes, this is the essence of the human self, a
thinking entity that doubts, understands, analyzes, questions and reasons.
John Locke (1632-1704)
He is an English philosopher and Physician. For Locke, the human mind
at birth is a tabula rasa or blank slate. The self or personal identity is
constructed primarily from sense experience― specifically, what people see,
hear, smell, taste, and feel. These experiences shape and mold the self
throughout a person's life. For Locke, conscious awareness and memory of
previous experiences are the keys to understanding the self.
David Hume (1711-1776)
A Scottish philosopher from Edinburgh is noted for his insights into the
psychological basis of human nature, positing that human action is governed
by passion rather than reason. Hume rejected the presence of intrinsic
concepts, claiming that all human understanding is based exclusively on
experience. He maintained that reason is simply the slave of desire, implying
that an individual's passion, drive, and motivation take precedence over
reasoning and intelligence. Experiences, according to Hume, are generated
from both internal and exterior stimuli, and they leave an impact on the
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individual. The ego and one's thinking, according to Hume, are like machines
that can be turned on and off since they are only active while one is awake.
Immanuel Kant (1724- 1804)
For German philosopher Kant, it is the self that makes experiencing an
understandable world possible because it is the self that is actively
organizing all our thoughts and perceptions. In other words, the self
constructs its own reality, actively creating a world that is familiar,
predictable, and most significantly, mine. The self is the product of reason,
a regulative principle because the self regulates experience by making
unified experiences possible. The self transcends experience because the
mind can grasp aspects of reality which is not limited to the senses.
Sigmeund Freud (1856-1939)
Freud was a neurologist from Austria. Freudian psychoanalysis is a
school of thought revolving around the role of psychological conflicts within
the unconscious which is relevant in the development of human behavior as
well as personality. It was Freud who stated that there are three
components in the mind that interact to produce the individual persona. This
concept in the structural theory of personality involves the id, ego, and
superego. The conflict between these three components gives rise to the
human persona.
The id and the superego are two structures of the human mind that
are constantly in conflict with each other. As the id demands pleasure and
gratification of urges, while the superego requires compliance with societal
norms. The conflict is resolved by the ego which is 'the self' - the realistic
area of one's persona that maintains the balance and harmony within the
individual.
Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976)
British philosopher Ryle believed that the self is best understood as a
pattern of behavior, the tendency for a person to behave in a certain way in
certain circumstances. Ryle’s concept of the human self thus provided the
philosophical principle, “I act therefore I am”. Ryle considers the mind
and body intrinsically linked in complex and intimate ways. In short, the self
is the same as bodily behavior. Ryle is convinced that the mind expresses
the entire system of thoughts, emotions, and actions that make up the
human self.
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Paul Montgomery Churchland (1942-)
He was from Vancouver, Canada. He was an American philosopher
advocated the idea of eliminative materialism or the idea that the self is
inseparable from the brain and the physiology of the body. All a person has
is the brain and so, if the brain is gone, there is no self. For Churchland, the
physical brain and not the imaginary mind, gives people the sense of self.
The self is the brain.
Maurice Merleau Ponty (1906-1961)
In 1945, a French philosopher published Phénoménologie de La
Perception. He expanded on his theory "The Primacy of Perception" in this
work, showing how the body is important to one's perception. Merleau-Ponty
claimed as an existentialist that perception determines one's consciousness.
The perception we have in our heads is the result of our bias. This is the
"primacy of perception," where Merleau-Ponty said that "there is harmony
between what we aim at and what is given, between intention and
performance." It also explains Merleau-Ponty's that "consciousness is
essentially not a question of "I think that," but of “I can."

Assessment:
A. Identify and expound on a specific philosophy relating to the
understanding of the ‘self’ as you analyze the following statements:
1. Asserting that things happen for a reason.
2. Stating that what others see is exactly what they get.
3. Believing that things can be done if you want to.
B. Impersonate one of the philosophers that was mentioned on the
discussion.

References:
A.K.A.K. (2019). What is the relationship between self, society, and
culture? Quora. Retrieved 2019, from https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-
relationship-between-self-society-and-culture
Kwong, K., 2020. [ebook] Mindanao: Mindanao University of Science and
Technology, p.2. Available at:
https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/mindanao-university-of-science-

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and-technology/understanding-the-self/uts-module-week-1-philosophical-
perspective/9177910
Magalona MAP, LPT, E., Sadsad, PhD, E., & Cruz, MAEd, LPT, E.
(2018). Understanding the Self. MINDSHAPERS CO., INC.