PASSI CITY COLLEGE

City of Passi, Iloilo

SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

GE 101- UNDERSTANDING THE SELF WITH POPULATION EDUCATION AND CONTROL

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi, Iloilo

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

GE 101
(UNDERSTANDING THE SELF WITH POPULATION EDUCATION & CONTROL)
FIRST SEMESTER, A.Y. 2021-2022

Module 1

Topic: The Self from Various Philosophical Perspective & Self Society and
Culture

Module Overview:

This module tackles the fundamental concepts and principles of the self. It covers the
different factors that contribute to one’s being, the philosophical and theoretical perspectives
about the self across generations, as well as the explanations of different fields of sciences
about the self and identity

Module Outcomes

At the end of the module, the students must have:

1. Explained why it is essential to understand the self;
2. Described and discussed the different notions of the self from the points- of- view of
various philosophers across time and place;
3. Compared and contrasted how the self has been represented in different

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
Module Content:

Defining the Self: And Developmental Perspectives on Self and Identity

The Self from Various Philosophical Perspective

Social, Environmental, and other Life Factors (S.E.L.F.)

Nature vs. Nurture

Nature differs from Nurture, since in Nature, a person develops his/her characteristics biologically
(something that has developed starting from the birth of the child), while in Nurture, a person develops
his/her characteristics through the external factors, such as the environment and the society (family,
friends, relatives, etc.).

Identity vs. Self

Identity, also, differs from Self, as what the readings say, Identities are “qualities, characteristics,
beliefs, opinions, etc., that make a person unique from others.” These is what is distinguishable by others,
or what they perceive to us through our actions. Self, on the other had, is the “person of
himself/herself,” meaning, it is what the others didn’t see in you, because this is personal character; this
is what makes up a person.

Dimensionalities of the Self/Identity

There are 4 different dimensionalities of self, namely social factor, environmental factor, hereditary factor,
and person-volition factor. Social factors are the factors in the development of a person which includes
all the person around us, like our family members, relatives, friends, teachers or professors, and even
strangers, that might create an impression to you or affects your actions and thoughts in
life. Environmental factors are the factors in the development of a person that includes the
environmental structure, events, and such, which might give an impact on how a person could grow in all
the aspects of his/her life. Hereditary factors are the factors in the development of the person that
includes biological changes and events, such as growth in height, puberty (growing of pubic hair, deeper
voices for male, broadening of hips and start of menstruation for female, etc.) that usually affects the
physical characteristics of a person. Lastly, the Person-volition factors are the inclination of a person
creates a social construct which sets him apart to others.

What Philosophy says about the Self

Self – it is defined to as “a unified being, essentially connected to consciousness, awareness, and agency
(or, at least, with the faculty of rational choice).

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
 Greek philosophy was started by
Socrates, with his aphorism/principle of “know thyself,” which is also inscribed in the
temple of Apollo at Delphi.

Socrates believed that the real self is not the physical body, but rather the psyche, or
the soul.
st
• He is the 1 philosopher who ever engaged in a systematic questioning about
the self.
• Every man is composed of body and soul.
• This means all individuals have an imperfect, impermanent aspect, the body,
while maintaining that there is also a soul that is perfect and permanent

Plato, Student of Socrates

He added that there are parts or three components to the
soul
The rational soul
The spirited soul
The appetitive soul
The rational soul forged by reason and intellect has to govern
the affairs of the human person; the spirited part which is in
charge of emotions, should be kept at bay; and the appetitive
soul in charge of base desires, like eating, drinking, sleeping,
having sex, is controlled as well.
Furthermore, Aristotle, student of Plato, explained thoroughly
how we could see the essence of self. Aristotle suggested that
the ideal is subsumed in the phenomena. Aristotle called the
ideal as essence, and the phenomena as the matter. He
emphasized that these 2 co-exist, and is dependent with one
another.

Philosophy of Self in Greek Times:

• Rationalism – explains self from the standpoint of what is ideal and true, and what not is rooted
with senses.
• Empiricism – according to it, there is no such thing as innate knowledge; all knowledge are
derived from experience – through five senses or what is perceived by our brain.

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
Towards Modern Philosophy
. St. Augustine incorporated the views of Plato to his
religious philosophy.
• Reflects the entire spirit of the medieval world when
it comes to man.

• Man is bifurcated nature

There is an aspect of man which dwells in the

world, that is imperfect and continuously yearns to be with
the divine while the other is capable of reaching
immortality.

* The body is bound to die on earth and the soul is to

anticipate living eternally in a realm of spiritual bliss in
communion with God.

John Locke, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant were empiricists philosophers.

John Locke, David Hume

He believes that one can know only what comes from the senses and experience.
• Empiricism is the school of thought that espouses the idea that knowledge can only be possible if it
is sensed and experienced.
• Men can only attain knowledge by experiencing.
• If one tries to examine his experiences, it can be categorized as Impressions and Ideas.
Emmanuel Kant
Thinking of the selfwas
as aa mere combination
rational of impressionduring
was athe
problematic for Immanuel Kant.
Rène Descartes dominant philosopher Middle Ages
Recognizes the veracity of Humes account that everything starts with perception and sensation of
impressions.
• Contemporary philosophers have incorporated science to their theories in the light of the
technological advancements that they have been exposed to.
• Majority of contemporary philosopher were empiricists:
• Father of Modern Philosophy
• Conceived that the human person as having a body and a mind.

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
Gilbert Ryle, Patricia Churchland, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty have incorporated biological
and neuroscience in their philosophies

Gilbert Ryle

• What truly matter is the behaviors that a person manifests in his day-to-day life.
THOMAS AQUINAS

Man is compose of 2 parts

matter
form

Matter refers to the common stuff that makes up everything in the universe while Form refers to
the essence of a substance or a thing

“Culture is not made up but something that evolves which is human.”– Edward T. Hall

How we see ourselves shapes our lives, and is shaped by our cultural context. Self-perceptions influence, among
other things, how we think about the world, our social relationships, health and lifestyle choices, community
engagement, political actions, and ultimately our own and other people's well-being.

Our society—through its particular culture, customs, institutions, and more—provides us with the labels we use to
categorize the people we encounter. These labels are based on beliefs about race, ethnicity, religion, gender,
sexual orientation, economic class, and more. Sometimes our beliefs about these categories are so strong that they
prevent us from seeing the unique identities of others.

Culture—the ways of our society—just after birth. That process is called socialization, and it involves far
more than schooling. Our culture shapes the way we work and play, and it makes a difference in how we view
ourselves and others. It affects our values—what we consider right and wrong. This is how the society we live in
influences our choices. But our choices can also influence others and ultimately help shape our society.

Your sense of self includes the roles, attributes, behaviors, and associations that we consider most
important about ourselves, according to Mark Ylvisaker, a researcher in communication disorders (2006). Examples
of things that help to develop who we are as individuals can include our occupations, hobbies, affiliations, abilities,
personality traits, and spiritual beliefs. How we identify and how we feel about ourselves is largely the result of our
environment and immediate surroundings. For example, if you are a member of an encouraging or nurturing

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
environment, you are more likely to feel accepted and self-confident in your abilities. Whereas, if you are part of a
unsupportive or negative environment, you may have difficulty discovering who you are due to a lack of acceptance
and encouragement to explore your interests and positive attributes.

WHAT IS SELF?

The self, in contemporary literature and even common sense, is commonly defined by the following characteristics:
“separate, self-contained, independent, consistent, unitary and private” (Stevens, 1996). By separate, it is meant
that 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. Second, self is also self-contained with its own thoughts,
characteristics, and volition. It does not require any other self for it to exist. It is consistent because 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. Consistency also means that a particular self’s traits, characteristics,
tendencies and potentialities are more or less the same. Self is unitary in that 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. Finally, the self is 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.

This last characteristic of the self being private suggests that the self is isolated from the external world.
However, we also see that this potential clash between the self and the external reality is the reason for the self to
have a clear understanding of what it might be, what it can be and what it will be. From this perspective then, one
can see that the self is always at the mercy of external circumstances that bump and collide with it. It is ever-
changing and dynamic, allowing external influences to take part in its shaping. The concern then of this lesson is in
understanding the vibrant relationship between the self and external reality. This perspective is known as the social
constructionist perspective. “Social constructionist argue for a merged view of ‘the person’ and ‘their social context’
where the boundaries of one cannot easily be separated from the boundaries of the other’ (Stevens, 1996).

Social constructivists argue that the self should not be seen as a static entity that stays constant through
and through. Rather, the self has to be seen as something that is in unceasing flux, in a constant struggle with
external reality and is malleable in its dealings with society. The self is always in participation with social life and its
identity subjected to influences here and there. Having these perspectives considered should draw one into
concluding that the self is truly multifaceted.

The Self and Culture

In the Philippines, Filipinos tend to consider their territory as a part of who they are. This includes
considering their immediate surrounding as a part of them, thus the perennial “tapat ko, linis ko”. Filipinos most
probably do not consider national roads as something external to who they are. It is a part of them and they are a
part of it, thus crossing the road whenever and wherever becomes a no-brainer. In another country, however, the
Filipino recognizes that he is in a foreign territory where nothing technically belongs to him. He has to follow the
rules or else he will be apprehended.

Language is another interesting aspect of this social constructivism. The Filipino language is incredibly
interesting to talk about. The way by which we articulate our love is denoted by the phrase, “Mahal kita.” This, of
course, is the Filipino translation of “I love you.” The Filipino brand of this articulation of love, unlike in English,
does not specify the subject and the object of love; there is no specification of who loves and who is loved. There is

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
simply a word for love, mahal, and the pronoun kita, which is a second person pronoun that refers to the speaker
and the one being talked to. In the Filipino language, unlike in English, there is no distinction between the lover
and the beloved. They are one.

Interesting too is the word, mahal. In Filipino, the word can mean both “love” and “expensive.” In our
language, love is intimately bound with value, with being expensive, being precious. Something expensive is
valuable. Someone whom we love is valuable to us. The Sanskrit origin of the word love is “lubh”, which means
desire. Technically, love is a desire. The Filipino word for it has another intonation apart from mere desire, valuable.

Another interesting facet of our language is its being gender-neutral. In English, Spanish and other
languages, the distinction is clear between a third person male and third person female pronoun. He and she; el
and ella. In Filipino, it is plain, “siya”. There is no specification of gender. Our language does not specify between
male and female. We both call it “siya.”

The Self and the Development of the Social World

Mead and Vygtosky

For Mead and Vygotsky, the way that human persons develop is with the use of language acquisition and
interaction with others. The way that we process information is normally a form of an internal dialogue in our head.
Those who deliberate about moral dilemmas undergo this internal dialog. “Should I do this or that?” “But if I do
this, it will be like this.” “Don’t I want the other option?” And so cognitive and emotional development of a child is
always a mimicry of how it is done in the social world, in the external reality where he is in.

Both Vygotsky and Mead treat the human mind as something that is made, constituted through language as
experienced in the external world and as encountered in dialogs with others. A young child internalizes values,
norms, practices and social beliefs and more through exposure to these dialogs that will eventually become part of
his individual world. For Mead, this takes place as child assumes the “other” through language and role-play. A child
conceptualizes his notion of “self” through this. According to Mead, it is through this that a child delineates the “I”
form the rest. Vygotsky, for his part, a child internalizes real-life dialogs that he has had with others, with his
family, his primary caregiver or his playmates. They apply this to their mental and practical problems along with the
social and cultural infusions brought about by the said dialogs.

Self in Families

Apart from the anthropological and psychological basis for the relationship between the self and the social
world, the sociological likewise struggled to understand the real connection between the two concepts. In doing so,
sociologists focus on the different institutions and powers at play in the society. Among these, the most prominent
is the family.

While every child is born with certain governess, disposition coming from his parents’ genes and general
condition of life, the impact of one’s family is still deemed as a given in understanding the self. The kind of family
that we are born in, the resources available to us (human, spiritual, economic), and the kind of development that
we will have will certainly affect as we go through life.

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. Babies internalize ways and styles
that they observe from their family. By imitating, for example, the language of its primary agents of rearing its

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
family, babies learn the language. The same is true for ways of behaving. Notice how kids reared in a respectful
environment becomes respectful as well and the converse if raised in a converse family. Internalizing behavior may
either be conscious or unconscious. Table manners or ways of speaking to elders are things that are possible to
teach and therefore, are consciously learned by kids. Some behaviors and attitudes, on the other hand, may be
indirectly taught through rewards and punishments. Others, such as sexual behavior or how to confront emotions,
are learned through subtle means, like the tone of the voice or intonation of the models. It is then clear at this
point that those who develop and eventually grow to become adult who still did not learn simple matters like basic
manners of conduct failed in internalizing due to parental or familial failure to initiate them into the world.

Without a family, biologically and sociologically, a person may not even survive or become a human person.
Go back to the Tarzan example. In more ways than one, the survival of Tarzan in the midst of the forest is already
a miracle. His being a fully human person with a sense of selfhood is a different story though. The usual teleserye
plot of kids getting swapped in the hospital and getting reared by a different family gives an obvious manifestation
of the point being made in this section. One is who he is because of his family for the most part

Gender and the Self

Gender is one of those loci of the self that is subject to alteration, change and development. We have seen
in the past years how people fought hard for the right to express, validate and assert their gender expression.
Many conservatives may frown upon this and insist on the biological. However, from the point-of-view of the social
sciences and the self, it is important to give one the leeway to find, express and live his identity. This forms part of
selfhood that one cannot just dismiss, One maneuvers into the society and identifies himself as who he is by also
taking note of gender identities. A wonderful anecdote about Leo Tolstoy’s wife what can solidify this point is
narrated below:

Sonia Tolstoy, the wife of the famous Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, wrote when she was twenty-one, “I am
nothing but a miserable crushed worm, whom no one wants, whom no one loves, a useless creature with morning
sickness and a big belly, two rotten teeth and a bad temper, a battered sense of dignity and a love which nobody
wants and which nearly drives me insane.” A few years later she wrote, “It makes me laugh to read over this diary.
It’s so full of contradictions, and one would think that I was such an unhappy woman. Yet is there a happier
woman than I?” (Tolstoy, 1975)

This account illustrates that our gender partly determines how we see ourselves in the world. Oftentimes,
society forces a particular identity unto us depending on our sex and/or gender, In the Philippines, husbands for
the most part are expected to provide for the family. The eldest man in a family is expected to head the family and
hold it in. Slight modifications have been on the way due to feminism and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
(LGBT) activism but for the most part, patriarchy has remained to be at work.

Nancy Chodorow, a feminist, argues that because mothers take the role of taking care of children, there is a
tendency for girls to imitate the same and reproduce the same kind of mentality of women as care providers in the
family. The way that little girls are given dolls instead of guns or any other toys or are encouraged to play with
makeshift kitchen also reinforces the notion of what roles they should take and the selves they should develop. In
boarding schools for girls, young women are encouraged to act like fine ladies, are trained to behave in a fashion
that befits their status as women in society.

Men on the other hand, in the periphery of their own family, are taught early on how to behave like a man.
This normally includes holding in one’s emotion, being tough, fatalistic, not to worry about danger and admiration
for hard physical labor. Masculinity is learned by integrating a young boy in a society. In the Philippines, young

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
boys had to go undergo circumcision not just for the original, clinical purpose of hygiene but also to assert their
manliness in the society. Circumcision plays another social role by initiating young boys into manhood.

The gendered self is then shaped within a particular context of time and space. The sense of self that is
being taught makes sure that an individual fits in a particular environment. This is dangerous and detrimental in the
goal of truly finding one’s self-determination and growth of the self. Gender has to be personally discovered and
asserted and not dictated by culture and the society.

Summary

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 reexamine the true nature of the self. People put a halt on speculative debates on the
relationship between the body and soul, eventually renamed body and the mind. Thinkers just eventually got tired
of focusing on the long-standing debate since sixth century BC between the relationship of these two components
of the human person. Thinkers just settled on the idea that there are two components of the human person and
whatever relationship these two have is less important than the fact that there is a self. The debate shifted into
another locus of discussion. Given the new ways of knowing and the growth of the social sciences, it became
possible for new approaches to the examination of the self to come to the fore. One of the loci, if not the most
important axis of analysis is the relationship between the self and the external world.

Activity 1

In your own words, state what “self” is for each of the following philosophers. After doing so,
explain how concept of your self is compatible with how they conceived of the “self”

1. Socrates 6. Kant
2. Plato 7. Ryle
3. Augustine 8. Merleau-Pontry
4. Descartes 9. Aristotle
5. Hume 10. Aquinas

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
Activity No. 2

Think about an important change you made in your life. Write your answer inside the box

1. Describe the change.

2. What were you thinking going through the change?

3. How were you feeling before, during, and after you made the change

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
 Activity No. 3

My Self Through the Years

Paste a picture of you when you were in elementary, in high school and now that you are in
college. Below the picture, list down and explain your salient characteristics that you remember.

My Elementary Self
My High School Self

RUBRICS
SCORES Externalize Thinking Use Evidence from Text
Students use a single or more
Effective Discussion 20 Students explain how or why specific
sentence in response to questions
explaining or elaborating on their ideas.. evidence from a text supports their
ideas/ views
Students use a single sentence in
Developing Discussion 15 Students refer to the text to support
response to questions without explaining
or elaborating on their ideas. their ideas but do not use a specific
detail for evidence.
Students use a single word or phrase in
Ineffective Discussion 10 Students say what they think without using
response to questions.
evidence from the text.

Activity No. 4
Answer the following questions cogently but honestly. Write your answers in the space provided.

1. How would you describe yourself?

2. What are the influences of family in your development as an individual?

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
 3. Think of a time when you felt you were your “true self”. What made you think you were truly who you are
during this time of your life?

4. Following the question above, can you provide a time when you felt you were not living your “true self”?
Why did you have to live a life like that? What did you do about it?

5. What social pressures help shape you self? Would you have wanted it otherwise?

6. What aspects of your self do you think may be changed or you would like to change?

RUBRICS 5 3 2 1
Ideas Presents ideas in an original Presents ideas in a Ideas are too general Ideas are vague or
manner consistent manner unclear
Organization Strong and organized Organized beg/mid/end Some organization; No organization; lack
beg/mid/end attempt at a beg/mid/end beg/mid/end
Understanding Writing shows strong Writing shows a clear Writing shows adequate Writing shows little
understanding understanding understanding understanding
Word Choice Sophisticated use of nouns and Nouns and verbs make Needs more nouns and Little or no use of
verbs make the essay very essay informative verbs nouns and verbs
informative
Sentence Sentence structure enhances Sentence structure is Sentence structure is No sense of sentence
Structure meaning; flows throughout the evident; sentences mostly limited; sentences need to structure or flow
piece flow flow

References
Alata, E. J et. al (2018). Understanding the Self. Rex Book Store, 856 Nicanor Reyes, Sr. St., CM Recto
Ave., Manila (pp 1-35)

https://www.eriesd.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=19511&dataid=24592&FileNa
me=Module%201%20-%20Understanding%20Self%20Participant%20Booklet%20v4.pdf
https://www.google.com/search?q=video+speech+clip+art&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjPk-
7hnaDsAhUN0ZQKHdeXB4MQ2-
cCegQIABAA&oq=video+speech+clip+art&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1DAa1i_eWCae2gAcAB4AoABnQaIAbE
XkgENMC4zLjMuMS4wLjEuMZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=j4Z8X4-
QII2i0wTXr56YCA&bih=625&biw=1366#imgrc=T4tnM6CNFI6

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
 PASSI CITY COLLEGE
City of Passi. Iloilo

SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

MODULE APPROVAL SHEET

Course No. GE 1 Descriptive Title :UNDERSTANDING THE SELF WITH

POPULATION EDUCATION & CONTROL

Module No. : VIII Course Year & Section BSCRIM (SECTION A-H)

Checked by:

HERIBERTO ULGASAN,MSCRIM
Program Head, School of Criminal Justice

Recommending Approval:

HEIDE A. PAMA, M. ED.

Dean of Instruction

Approved:

JANICE JENNIFER P. PALMARES, DPA

Acting College President/ SAO/ Registrar Designate

(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control
(GE 101) Understanding the Self with Population Education and Control