WESTERN AND

EASTERN
CONCEPT OF
SELF
SHAILYN ABELLA
KENT AMOREZ
OBJECTIVES:
• Discuss/explain the Western and Eastern
concept of self
• Discuss the Confucian as a way of
thinking
self
• The Arabic word for the word ‘’self’’ is Nafs written in the
Holy Qura’n.
• The ‘’nafs/self’’ is something, which has to be nurtured and
self-regulated, so that it can progress into becoming ‘’good’’
(or conversely ‘’evil’’) through its thoughts and actions.
• The self in Islamic tradition is used both in the
individualistic and collective sense (Nurden Deuraseh &
Mansor Abu Talib, 2005)
WESTERN CONCEPT OF SELF
Ancient Greek philosophers see humans as bearers
of irreplaceable values.
St. Thomas Aquinas believed that the body
constitutes individuality
Rene Descartes is famous for his quote ‘’ I think
therefore I am’’
 FRANK JOHNSONS FOUR CATEGORIES OF THE SELF

Analytical – ‘’tendency to see reality as an aggregate of part’’

Monotheistic - involved the tendency toward unitary explanations of phenomena
and a closed-system view of ‘’self’’ as a modeled after a unitary,
omnipotent power.
Individualism – a quality of western thinking where self-impressions and self-
actualization are important ways of establishing who one is.
Materialistic/rationalistic – western thinking tends to discredit explanations
that do not use analytic-deductive modes of thinking.
 EASTERN CONCEPT OF SELF
• The earliest religious writings in the East are the Vedas. It formed the Hindu
philosophy and Dharma.

• Dharma refers to rules that describe goodness and appropriate behavior.

• Brahman is the divine universal consciousness encompassing the universe.

• The main points of Hinduism is ‘’change your perception of the world to perceive
the Brahman in oneself and in others.’’
 EASTERN CONCEPT OF SELF
Buddhism
• In Buddhist traditions, the self is not an entity, a substance or an
essence.
• The self is a dynamic process and ever-changing.
• Anatta – a doctrine which is often define as no-self or no-soul.
• Antta is concept that the sense of being permanent autonomous ‘’self’’
is an illusion.
 EASTERN CONCEPT OF SELF
Confucianism
• The self is something that is formed through upbringing and the
environment. Personality is achieved through moral excellence.

• Four beginnings of the self

 Jen – heart of compassion
 Yi – heart of righteousness
 Li – heart of propriety
 Chih – heart of wisdom
 EASTERN CONCEPT OF SELF

Taoism
• Taoism rejects a hierarchical view of the self, society, or cosmos.

• The ‘’self’’ is but one of the countless manifestations of the Tao.

• According to Chuang-tzu, ‘’The perfect man has no self; the

spiritual man has no achievement; the true sage has no name.’’
the ideal is, thus, selflessness.
DIFFERENCES OF
WESTERN AND
EASTERN
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
EASTERN AND WESTERN THOUGHT?
• in western thought it conduct scientific investigation to become
their bases to understand the self and developed theories and
differences among them.

• in eastern thought it raises questions about the ultimate meaning

of human life. They developed theories of self as they have
investigated what it means to be a human being.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
EASTERN AND WESTERN PHILOSOPHY?

• Western philosophy deals with individualism while Eastern

philosophy is related to collectivism. Both philosophies center on
virtues. Eastern philosophy takes more of a spiritual approach while
Western philosophy is more hands on.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EASTERN
AND WESTERN ONCEPT OF ME?

• Western philosophy acknowledges the existence of a human self,

while in eastern philosophy firmly denies the existence of a human
self.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
EASTERN AND WESTERN BELIEF VALUES?
• In eastern the belief values is in the presence of more than one God
or supreme power. In western belief values the followers of this
religion believe in only one God.
THANK YOU!