CHAPTER 5

The Western and

Eastern Concepts of
Self
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the chapter, you should be able to:
1. Explain the Western concept of self;
2. Enumerate and discuss the different Eastern
conceptions of self;
3. Compare Eastern and Western views of the self; and
4. Examine your own conceptualization of self
Western Concept of Self
• defined by Geertz (van Meijil, 2008) as “a bounded, unique,
more or less integrated motivational and cognitive universe, a
dynamic center awareness, emotion, judgment, and action
organized into a distinctive whole and set contrastively both
against other such as wholes and against its social and natural
background…”
• Separate self is likely to be stronger in individuals raised in
individualistic Western societies.
Holistic definition of Western Concept

Western Self as Western Self as

Analytic Monotheistic

Western Self as
Western Self as
Materialistic and
Individualistic
Rationalistic
David Ho (1995) The Self
• located at the center within the
• describes the individual through which the world is
Western self as an perceived.
• seen as “an entity distinct from other
individualistic self
selves and all other entities.”
that is deeply aware • belongs to the individual and to no
of itself; its other.
uniqueness, sense of • a sovereign subject possessing a sense
of personal control.
direction, purpose,
• achieves coherence and stability over
and volition. time
• The Western self is the measure of all
things that is the source of all reflections
(Ho 1995; Garcia 2013).
Frank Johnson
(1985)
•He traces the earliest historical
roots of the Western concept of
the self to works on philosophy,
almost half a million years ago.
The Historical Development of the Western Concept of Self
Stage Period Historical Development
• There were philosophical and theological attempts to characterized the self
Pre-Christian through the concepts of soul and mind with emphasis on conscious experience
1 of the individual, distinction between physical and mental nature of man
times until 1850
(mind-body dualism), and the causality of human behavior.

• The establishment of experimental psychology ion mid-nineteenth century led

to a change in emphasis from abstract concepts of soul and mind to observable
2 1850-1940 and measurable aspects of human faculties.
• The concept of self re-emerged within the social-interactionist framework in
the early 1900s.
• There is multidirectional and continuous development of concept of self:
a. Sociological and psychological theories of self encompasses all three
levels of self, namely inner self, interpersonal self, and social self.
b. Existentialists and phenomenologists, both in philosophy and psychology,
engaged in holistic approach integrating the inner, interpersonal, and
3 1940-present social aspects of self.
c. At present, there is convergence in some conceptualizations of the self
among psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists, philosophers, and
linguists whose studies focus on the actual, multivariate, and situational
contexts of the self employing new frameworks and methodologies.
Eastern Concept of Self
• The Hindu concept
of self is expounded
in Vedanta

Brahman
• It characterizes human
sufferings as the result
of failure to realize the
distinction between Shiva
the true self
(permanent and
unchanging) and the
non-true self
(impermanent and
changes continually).
 The Four Noble Truths
1. Life is suffering;
2. Suffering is caused by attachments to
desires;
3. Suffering can be eliminated; and
4. Elimination is through the practice of
Eightfold Path.

1. Right view
2. Right aspiration
Siddharta Gautama 3. Right speech
• Known as Buddha 4. Right action
• Founder of 5. Right livelihood
Buddhism 6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration
• It is where the Confucian doctrines
can be found.
• Conversations of Confucius
 TAO
regarded as Nature that is
the foundation of all that
exists.
• A Chinese counterculture

• Taoists rejects the Confucian idea of a relational self.

• To them, the self is an extension of the cosmos, not of a social relationships.
• The ideal is to identify with the Tao. The perfect man has no self.
• The selfless person leads to a balanced life, in harmony with both nature and
society.
• Taoists believe that simplicity, spontaneity, and harmony with nature should
govern one’s life. Individuals must seek to understand and act in accordance
with the natural order.
• There should eb unity and harmony among opposing elements the Yin and Yang
(Abella, 2016). There is oneness of the Tao.
 Dichotomy of Western and Eastern
Conception of Self
Eastern Western
• Relational • Individualistic

• Asian thought looks at life in three-mode • Life is linear

cycle (birth, death & re-birth) • Reason and logic
• Intuition • Set individual against nature (Peacock,
• With great reverence for nature (Sarza, 1986)
2013)