UNION CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

PRELIM EXAMINATION SY:2022-2023

Name of student: Tiongco Alessandra Joy D.

Subject: Understanding the Self
Course Year/Section: BSN-1F
Instructor: Kristina M. Mendoza, Ph.D.
Dean Office of Student Affairs and Services
Essay Type:(80 pts)
Directions: Answer the following questions:

1. Explain the importance of theories/principle of the self according to Philosophers specifically, Socrates,
Plato, Aristotle, Agustin, Descartes, John Locke, and state/give 2 applications (25 pts)

Socrates
- The self that is prepared to govern over the self is what Socrates meant by the term "self."
Justice, kindness, and knowledge are some of its great qualities. Socrates asserted that virtue
is necessary for us to know ourselves fully. As a result, our lives might be devoid of
knowledge, as he also explains what we should learn. According to his thoughts, if one
possesses wisdom inside themselves, they have nothing to be envious of in others. Socrates
was right when he said that having a strong understanding of oneself helps us make wise
decisions when it comes to ruling both ourselves and others. Socrates famously maintained
that our true self is our soul.
Plato
- According to Plato, our soul is the only thing that is constant and permanent. The body either
serves as a prison or a shell for the soul. Love, courage, intelligence, and many more virtues
make up our soul, which is divine.
Plato claimed that in order to strengthen itself via the struggle against lower passions and
desires, our soul incarnates into human bodies and undergoes human feelings and sensations.
- The concept of "self" as we understand it today is the result of this conflict between our
rational soul and illogical body. People didn't think of themselves in the same way before
Plato's time. Such a concept was unimaginable prior to his invention. And as we create new
ideas about the nature of reality today, we mistakenly believe that we are learning something
new about ourselves rather than realizing that we are simply developing yet another new idea
about ourselves.
Aristotle
- The self, or the human person, is made up of the body and the soul according to Aristotle's
hylomorphic theory of identity. They can never be separated from one another. As a result,
neither the self nor the self with a body alone can be discussed. According to Aristotle, the
self primarily consists of the body and the soul.
 - Aristotle also believed that our memories and emotions, as well as our thoughts and wants,
come from the soul. Therefore, he dismisses the possibility of anything resembling an
unconscious being. In particular, he doubts that anyone could have desires or other aspects of
their mental life that were not guided by reason.

Agustin
- Augustine's idea of self is based on his relationship with God, which he acknowledges and
responds to through self-presentation and self-realization. Without discovering God's love,
according to Augustine, it is impossible to acquire inner peace. As Augustine builds a
theology of God that would come to rule Western thought, he also develops a brand-new
notion of personal identity known as the idea of the self. Self-presentation and self-realization
are the two steps that lead to this identity.
Descartes
- Descartes makes the case that the self can be accurately viewed as either a mind or a human
person, and that the self's qualities vary correspondingly, in the Meditations and other
publications from the early 1640s. For instance, whereas the self is compositely regarded to
be a human being, the self is simply considered to be a mind. The creatures that collectively
form this mental life make up the self, which receives its unity from it.
John Locke
- According to John Locke, psychological continuity determines one's personal identity. He
believed that the foundation of one's personal identity, or "self," was consciousness, namely
recollection, rather than the substance of either the soul or the body. To understand oneself,
according to Locke, one must be attentive of one's surroundings and remember one's past
experiences. In other words, you are conscious of yourself when you are thinking, feeling,
and willing, which means you have a cohesive sense of yourself as a personal identity.
Additionally, you recall instances from the past in which you were conscious of yourself in
other contexts.

I believe that the self is evaluated using abstractions or any other metric. This recurring measurement
concept is what I call aesthetics. The self wants to live a meaningful and appreciative life by
effectively using the things that can be measured. A higher-dimensional version of anything that is
already attractive is what is considered to be more beautiful. It could be good to refer to this as
"dimensional this or that" to summarize. There are also situations where one thing may have an
impact on another, giving it "priority" over the other. The objective is to strike a balance between
what can be done with dimensions and what must be done with exceptions.
2. Differentiate the Sociological and Anthropological perspective of the SELF (10pts)

- Anthropology is the study of people and their social behaviors. Sociology investigates how social
structures, classifications (such as age, gender, and sexuality), and institutions affect how individuals
behave and how groups of people interact with one another.
- Although anthropology and sociology both focus on human behavior, there are differences in their
approaches. Anthropology looks more closely at culture at the individual level, which is typically
used as an example of a broader civilization by anthropologists. Anthropology also focuses on the
distinctive cultural characteristics of a particular group or society. Conversely, sociology frequently
examines institutions (educational, political, and religious), organizations, political movements, and
the power relationships between various groups.

3. Differentiate the fixed mind set vs. growth mind-set, and source of efficacy belief (25pts)
- Do our beliefs about who we are and what we are capable of have an impact on how our lives turn
out? Absolutely. In addition to how we feel, what we accomplish, whether we maintain new routines,
and whether we continue to learn new skills are all influenced by how we view our intelligence and
abilities.
- If you have a growth mindset, you think that your skills and intelligence can improve with practice.
If you have a fixed mindset, you can think that intelligence is unchangeable and that, thus, if you
aren't good at something now, you never will be. At Mindset Health, we’re all about growth mindsets
and encouraging people to adopt a positive outlook on learning. So, let’s look at growth vs. fixed
mindsets together, explore the science, and see how people can change their mindsets over time.
4. What is Philosophy? how do you apply in your Career Development 20 (pts)
- In other terms, philosophy is the study of the underlying nature of knowledge, reality, and
existence, especially when examined as an academic field. Philosophy is a Greek word that is
frequently translated as "the love of wisdom." Applying philosophy to my daily existence will
undoubtedly improve my quality of life. It gives me the chance to develop my ability to assess and
evaluate a scenario or an idea as well as my critical thinking, problem-solving, good judgment, and
decision-making abilities. It also broadens my viewpoint and perspective on a subject, enabling me
to think properly and honestly. It occurs to me that every day of my life has been filled with activities
that raise philosophical issues.
- As a nursing student, ethics and morals rank among the most crucial qualities for success in the
medical industry. Ethics gives me the power to judge what is good and wrong and gives me the
foundation for analyzing how people behave. For instance, I wouldn't just go beat a patient to death
if they were being really nasty to me and other people in the institution. In order to prevent the
situation from getting worse, I would only act in accordance with my morals and try to calm the
patient down or possibly remove him or her from the facility. I also occasionally draw on the field of
epistemology in philosophy. because it touches on the nature and basis of knowing. For instance, I
briefly chose not to enroll in college when I graduated from high school without carefully
considering the ramifications of my decision. However, after having a lengthy conversation with my
mother, I realized I needed to apply to college since I couldn't grow as a person or advance in life
without it. Thus, using logic to guide my decisions has helped me go this far in my life—I'm just a
few weeks away from earning my associate degree. I also believe that the kind of life I lead is the
best one that is conceivable, at least for me. Now, the world would be a more tranquil and reasonable
place if more individuals led lives similar to mine.