BSCRIM 1I.

JAKE ERMAC

CHAPTER 1
LESSON 1 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

SOCRATES:
AN UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING
For Socrates the self is synonymous with the soul. He believes that every human
possess an immortal soul that survives the physical body. Socrates was the first to
focus on the full power of reason on the human self: who we are, who should be, and
who we will become. Socrates suggests that reality consists of two dichotomous realms:
physical and ideal realms. The physical realm is unchangeable, transient and imperfect.
The ideal realm is unchanging, eternal, and immortal. The physical world in which man
lives belongs to the physical realm. On the other hand, the unchanging, eternal, perfect
realm includes the intellectual essences of the universe, concepts such as truth,
goodness, and beauty. The soul belongs to the ideal realm.

PLATO: THE SELF IS AN IMMORTAL SOUL

Another ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, elaborates on
Socrates’ concept of the soul. Like Socrates, Plato believes that
the self is synonymous with the soul. His philosophy can be
explained as a process of self-knowledge and purification of the
soul. Specifically, he introduces the idea of a three-part soul/self:
reason, physical appetite and spirit or passion. Reason is the
divine essence that enables us to think deeply, make wise
choices, and achieve a true understanding of eternal truths. The
physical appetite includes our basic biological needs such as
hunger, thirst, and sexual desire. The spirit or passion includes
the basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition,
aggressiveness, and empathy. These three elements of our
selves are in a dynamic relationship with one another, sometimes
in conflict. When conflict occurs, Plato believes it is the
responsibility of Reason to sort things out and exert control,
restoring a harmonious relationship among the three elements of
our selves. Further, Plato believes that genuine happiness can only be achieved by
people who consistently make sure that their Reason is in control of their Spirits and
 LESSON 4 THE SELF IN WESTERN AND EASTERN THOUGHT
A summary
• Confucianism – can be seen as a code of ethical conduct, of how one should properly
act according to their relationship with other people; thus, it is also focused on having a
harmonious life.
•Therefore, the identity and self-concept of the individual are interwoven with the identity
and status of his/her community or culture, sharing its pride as well as its failures.
•Self-cultivation – is seen as the ultimate purpose of life but the characteristics of achun-
tzu –a man of virtue or noble character, is still embedded in his social relationships.
•The cultivated self in Confucianism is what some scholars called a “subdued self” -
wherein personal needs are repressed (subdued) for the good of many, making
Confucian society also hierarchical for the purpose of maintaining order and balance in
a society.
•Taoism - is living in the way of theTaoor the universe.
•However, Taoism rejects having one definition of what theTaois, and one can only
state clues of what it is and as they adoree- flowing, relative, unitary, as well as
paradoxical view of almost everything.
•Taoism rejects the hierarchy and strictness brought by Confucianism and would prefer
a simple lifestyle and its teachings thus aim to describe how to attain that life.
•The ideal self - is selflessness but this is not forgetting about the self, it is living a
balanced-life with society and nature, being open and accepting to change, forgetting
about prejudices andegocentric ideas and thinking about equality as well as
complementarity among humans as well as other beings.
•In this way, you will not be restricted by some legalistic standards but because you are
in harmony with everything.
•Buddhism - the self is seen as an illusion, born out of ignorance, of trying to hold or
control things, or human-centered needs; thus, the self is also the source of all these
sufferings.

LESSON 3 THE SELF AS A COGNITIVE CONSTRUCT

SELF
- it is the sense of personal identity and who we are as individuals(Jhangiani and Tarry
2014).

WILLIAM JAMES(1890)
-one of the earliest psychologist to study the self. He conceptualize the self as having
two aspects, the “I” and the “ME”.

TWO ASPECTS OF SELF:

I -the thinking, acting and feeling self (Gleitman,Gross, and Reisberg 2011;hogg
and Vaughan 2010).

ME `-the physical characteristics as well as psychological capabilities that makes

you who you are (Gleitman,Gross, and Reisberg 2011;hogg and Vaughan 2010).

Personality Theory also used the same term, the I as the one who acts and decides
while the ME is what I think about my self as an object.

Other similar concepts to self : Identity and Self-concepts.

IDENTITY- is composed of personal characteristics, social roles and responsibilities, as
well as affiliations that define who one is.
SELF-CONCEPT- is what basically comes to your mind when you are asked
about who you are (Oyserman, Elmore and Smith 2012).

Self Identity and Self-concept are not fixed in one time frame.they are not also fixed for
life nor are they ever-changing at every moment.

SCHEMA- a mental structures that an individual uses to organize knowledge and guide
cognitive processes and behaviour.

LESSON 2: THE SELF, SOCIETY AND CULTURE

What is the Self?
Commonly defined by the following characteristic: (Stevens 1996)
Separate – the self is distinct from other selves
Self-contained – 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.
Independent – in itself it can exist
Consistent – it has a personality that is enduring and therefore can be expected to
persist for some quite some time.
It can be studied, described, and measured.
The self-traits, characteristics, tendencies, and potentialities are more or less the same.
Unitary – it is the center of all experiences and thoughts that run through a certain
person.
It is the chief of command post in an individual where all processes, emotions, and
thoughts converge.
Private – each person sorts out information, feelings and emotions, and thought
processes within the self. The whole process is never accessible to anyone but the self.
Self is isolated from the external world. It lives within its own world.