UNDERSTANDI

NG THE SELF
 PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF
SOCRATES
- understanding a subject through posting a question and answer which
eventually leads to further questions (Socratic method)
- “Know thyself” an ancient greeting of the highly civilized Greek which
would mean gaining information of one’s self that are measurable
- “I know that I Do Not Know” a discovery about the self may foster
- “An unexamined life is not worth living”
- believes on the dualism of reality
PLATO
-supported the idea of his teacher but although being influenced by his teacher, Plato did
have a difficulty viewing the “soul” as an immortal entity that is unchanging
- Tripartite soul: 1) appetitive soul 2) spirited soul 3) mind
ST. AUGUSTINE
- also adapted both Socrates and Plato’s vision of the dualism of reality in the
medieval period, the Physical Realm and Ideal Realm.
- he adapted the metaphysics of Christian belief to explain his philosophy
- if from Plato, the immortal soul achieves eternal realm through intellectual
enlightenment, for St. Augustine, the immortal soul strive to achieve God
through faith and reason and our physical world is a proving ground for our
eternal destinies
- he posited that development of the self is achieved through self-presentation
and self-realization.
AQUINAS
- man is made up of two parts: matter and form
- Matter refers to the “common stuff that makes up everything in
the universe.” Form refers to the “essence of a substance or thing
- the concept of the self is that we don’t encounter ourselves as
isolated minds or selves but rather always as agents interacting with
our environment
- our self-knowledge is dependent on our experience of the world
around us
DESCARTES
- he based his discussion and knowledge of human existence through rational inquiry and real world
experimentation
- claimed that we cannot really rely on our senses because our sense perceptions can often deceives us
-In Descartes’s view, the body is nothing else but a machine that is attached to the mind. The human person
has it but it is not what makes man a man
- he became famous to his principle, “cogito, ergo sum”
-We need reason in order to evaluate our thoughts and actions. We need reason to live fully the demands,
challenges and call of our religion. We need reason in order to exist and to continue to survive the generations to
come by protecting our environment. We need reason in order to protect ourselves from our being savage to
one another. We need reason in order to build and live out our peace.
LOCKE
- he opposes the idea that reason is the only way of looking at the self
- for him, the self is comparable to an empty space and such empty space will be provided with sense data,
through the encountered experiences of an individual. The process of reflection and analysis undergone by these
data will lead to what is known as sense perception
HUME
- posited that knowledge can only be possible if it is sensed and experienced
- our ideas regarding the self is based on impressions that are temporary, thus, for him, there is no persisting
self (all we know about ourselves are just bundles of temporary impressions)
KANT
- his philosophy regarding the Transcendental Unity of Apperception discussed that the self is also outside the
body and goes beyond the limit of what we are experiencing
- “space and time” as part of the self
FREUD
- regarded the self as the “I” that ordinarily constitute both the
mental and physical actions
- the “I” is a product of multiple interactions, systems, and
schemes as it undergoes the process of continual change
 TOPOGRAPHICAL
MODEL OF THE MIND

STRUCTURAL MODEL
OF PERSONALITY
RYLE
- he postulated that one can never find the thinking I since it is just “a ghost in the machine” and the mind is
never separated from the body
- for us to understand the self, overt behaviors should be manifested. Thus, the statement “I act therefore I
am” and “you are what you do” are based on the manifested one’s physical activities and behavior which means
that the kind of mind an individual possessed depends on how it is expressed through words and actions
- we will only be able to understand the self based from the external manifestation – behaviors, expressions,
language, desires, etc. the mind, therefore, is nothing but a disposition of the self.
PAUL AND PATRICIA CHURCHLAND
- proposed that to understand the self, one must consider studying the neurological aspect of the self,
“Eliminative Materialism”, where activities happening with an individual is explained through understanding the
existing condition of the brain and how it work
- stresses that all a person has is the brain, and so if the brain is gone, there is no self. The physical brain
and not the imaginary mind, gives people the sense of self.
MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY
- The Phenomenology of Perception has raised the idea that the body and mind are
intertwined and cannot be separated from each other as all experiences are embodied.
- an individual’s body will serve as the individual’s opening towards that person’s
existence to the world
- the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty is based on Wolfgang Kohler and Kurt Koffka’s
gestalt psychology and neurobiology as well.
- he notes that everything people are aware of is contained within the
consciousness. Consciousness is a dynamic form responsible for actively structuring
conscious ideas and physical behavior. He is convinced that consciousness, the world
and the human body are intricately intertwined in perceiving the world
 SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF
I. THE SELF AS PRODUCT OF MODERN SOCIETY AMONG OTHERS
With the modern society people is facing at present, life becomes urbanized. And with such
situation, people tend to be more impersonal and leads to destruction of the traditional way of life.
From the limitations imposed by the society before, people nowadays are already free to seek their
own identity. Thus, they get “delocalize.” such instances that Clifford Geertz believes that struggle
for individuality can already be possible. And having a delocalized self as a product poses certain
problems such as:
1. the authenticity of self is threatened as a result of the new found freedom
2. according to Marx, human beings are being haunted and gets alienated to their own self as
an effect to the images they created
3. the objectification of the body removes human qualities in man
4. dehumanization of self
 II. MEAD’S THEORY OF THE SELF

George Herbert Mead is known for his theory of the social self which stands on the point that
the self is not initially there at birth. Instead, it arises out of one’s social communication,
activities such as observing and interacting with others, responding to others’ opinions, and
internalizing external opinions and internal feelings about oneself.

“I”
- Represents the self as subject and
the individual’s impulse
“me”
- Considered to be the socialized component of
the individual that represents the learned
behaviors, expectations and attitude of others
organized into a social self
 (0-2yrs old)
Children imitate the language used by
people around them. (symbols,
gestures, words, and sounds for
children are mere words and sound
that does not have meaning)
**language conveyed on them are
screened as eventually these language
could already be understood as a
child grows older

(7yrs onwards)
Self is developed when a child understands that
rules of the game are existing and that these
rules should be followed to possibly win the
game.
The game stage results to what Mead identifies
as one side of the self, the “me” or generalized
other.
(3-6yrs old)
Play develops one’s self-
consciousness through role playing.
-allowing children to take on
different roles, pretend, and express
expectations of others.
During role-play, a child is able to
internalize the view of others and
develop an understanding of how
other people feel about themselves
and others in different situations.
III. THE LOOKING GLASS SELF
Social interaction plays an important role to
individual’s understanding of self, thus, behavior
and a person’s self-esteem may be dictated by
how they will predict how others perceived them.
- looking glass self pertains to an individual’s
development of self-concept based on their
observation of how other people sees them. The
social interaction people have are used as
“mirror” to measure their own worth, values, and
behavior.
Not all feedback made by others carries the same weight, how one perceived the self
will depend on the context of the interaction and the nature of the people involved.

LABELING BIAS
-occurs when we are
labeled, and others’ views
SELF-LABELING
and expectations of us are
-occurs when one take into
affected by that labeling At times, labels appear to
their self-concept those
be exaggerated that it goes
labels, and evaluation made
beyond the usual, and
by others for them
INTERNALIZED
PREJUDICE happens
when people instill such
label unto themselves
which may lead to poor
self-concept
 ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF

Anthropology is the study of all aspects of the human condition. This includes human history, the
present human condition and even future possibilities. Anthropology is also considered as
“the science of humanity,” which studies human beings in aspects ranging from the biology and
evolutionary history of Homo sapiens to the features of society and culture that decisively distinguish
humans from other animal species.
Anthropology considers human experience as an interplay of “nature’ referring to the genetic
inheritance which sets the individual’s potentials, and “nurture” referring to the sociocultural
environment ( Haviland, Prins, Walrath &McBride, 2013). Therefore it could be understood that both
biological and cultural factors have significant influence on the development of self-awareness among
individuals.
The most important contribution of anthropology is providing insights into the nature of self based on
continuous understanding of the basic elements of culture. duals within society.
 THE CULTURAL CONSTRUCTION OF SELF AND IDENTITY

Culture is derived from the Latin word “cultura” or “cultus” meaning care or cultivation. Culture is analogous to
caring for an infant. Because an infant has a prolonged dependency, he or she has to be taken care of by the
people around him or her. The infant has to learn from them so he or she can better adjust while growing up in
his or her immediate cultural environment .
Identity refers to “who the person is,” or the qualities and traits of an individual that make him/her different from
others. There are many ways to distinguish people. An example Is identifying them in a geographical context or
based on where they come from. People from the West are different from the people of the East because they
are located in opposite sides of the world. Identity also refers to how a person sees and expresses oneself.
Cultural Identity is self-identification, a sense of belonging to a group that reaffirms itself. It consists of values,
meanings, customs and beliefs used to relate to the world. It reflects the common historical experiences and
shared cultural codes which give us as one entity a stable, unchanging, continuing frame of reference and
meaning. Cultural identity is dynamic and constantly evolving. It covers the entire life span of a human being
and changes every moment based on social context.
There are two ways in which the concept of self is viewed in the different societies.
1. Egocentric View
-The self is seen as an autonomous and distant individual
-Each person is defined as replica of all humanity but capable of acting independently from others
2. Sociocentric view
-The self is contingent on a situation or social setting
-This is a view of the self that is context-dependent which emphasizes that there is no intrinsic self that can possess enduring
qualities. (a person gets his identity from the group)

One’s identity is not inborn, it is something people continuously develop in life. For instance, rites of passage usually involve ritual
activities to prepare individuals for new roles from one stage of life to another such as birth, puberty, marriage having children, and
death. Arnold van Gennep believes that changes in one’s status and identity are marked by three-phased rite of passage: separation,
liminality and incorporation.
1. Separation phase. People detach from their former identity to another. Examples is in a wedding where the bride walking down the
aisle to be “given away” by the parents to the groom implies the separation from one’s family to become part of a new one.
2. Liminality phase. A person transitions from one identity to another. Example, the wedding ceremony itself is the process of
transition of the bride and groom from singlehood to married life.
3. Incorporation phase. The change in one’s status is officially incorporated. Example, the wedding reception and parties that
celebrate the wedding serve as the marker that officially recognize the bride and groom’s change towards being husband and
wife.
PROPERTIES OF CULTURAL IDENTITY
Jane Collier and Milt Thomas combined the ethnography of communication and social construction in order to frame the
properties of cultural identity. These properties refer to the manner in which members of a group communicates their identity.

1. Avowal and Ascription. These two concepts deal with what constructs or produces the cultural identity and the ways in
which these identities are communicated. Avowal is how one articulates or expresses his/her views about group identity. It is
how one presents oneself to another (those that we claim for ourselves). Ascription is how others perceive an individual. It is
how one refers to others (those that are placed on us by others). This may include stereotypes. Eg.How Asians are viewed
by Europeans.
 2. Modes of Expression. The use of core symbols (expressions of a group’s cultural beliefs and theories about the world
around them), names, labels and norms (expected standard of behavior) that a cultural community share and follow in order
to show that they belong to a particular group, demonstrates shared identity. Collier found out that there were some
similarities in cultural norms for members of each ethnic group and there are within group differences with regard to gender
and nature of relationship.
3. Individual, Relational and Communal Identity. There are three components to cultural identity. Individual refers to how
an individual interprets his cultural identity based on his experiences. Relational refers to how individuals interact with one
and another (what is the appropriate behavior) and communal identity is the use of communication in the creation,
affirmation and negotiation of shared identity.
4. Enduring and Changing Aspects of Identity. The cultural identity changes due to several
factors which are social, political, economic and contextual.
5. Affective, Cognitive and Behavioral Aspects of Identity. This refers to emotions fully attached
to cultural identity in particular situations.
6. Content and Relationship Levels . This refers to the interaction between two or more
individuals. The message exchange carries information/content. The participants of the conversation
interpret the choice and meanings of the words based on their experiences. The interactions also
show the relational level based on how a person delivers the message. This level of a message
implies a cultural interpretation of who is in control, their levels of closeness, what they feel about
each other, level of trust, etc.
7. Salience or Prominence. This is the degree to which an identity is demonstrated in a situation
and refers to how much a person’s cultural identity stands out and attracts attention. This is
influenced by the extent of similarity or difference between two individuals. The intensity differs
depending on context, situation topic and relationship. Prominence shows a strong
investment/involvement in an identity.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF
I. The Self As A Cognitive Construction
Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is a comprehensive theory about the development of human
intelligence. This theory deals with the nature of knowledge itself; and how humans gradually come to acquire,
construct, and use it. According to Piaget, cognitive development is a progressive reorganization of mental
processes resulting from biological maturation and environmental experience.
Three basic components to Piaget’s cognitive theory:
1. Schemas/schemes. These are mental organizations that individuals use to understand their environments and
designate action. The knowledge children acquire is organized into schemas (scheme) or groupings of similar
actions or thoughts.
2. Adaptation. It involves the child’s learning process to meet situational demand- assimilation which is the application
of previous concepts to new concepts; and accommodation which happens when people encounter completely
new information or when existing ideas are challenged.
3. Stages of Cognitive Development. They reflect the increasing sophistication of the child’s thought process.
• The material self according to James, is the component of “Me” that a person tends to be
most affected with, as he/she invests with things such as clothes, family, and home. (those
that we label mine)
• Man’s social self is assembled based on man’s interaction with the society and the reactions
of others that are analyzed in order to contribute to our idea of a social self. Thus, actions
manifested by people will depend on the social situation they are interacting with. With the
diverse social situations that an individual may encounter and participate in, it is then assumed
that one may manifest a number of selves depending on the situation.
• The spiritual self is said by James to be the most intimate self. It is who we are at our core
and something that is permanent: personality, core values, conscience, etc. James considered
the spiritual self to be the most intimate version because the satisfaction experienced when
one thinks of his/her “ability to argue and discriminate, one’s moral sensibility and conscience,
and of one’s indomitable will” (James 1890, 164) which is more pure than other sentiments of
satisfaction.
Real and Ideal Self Concept
• Karen Horney believed that people experience anxiety, and it is through such experience that they develop
strategies to be able to reduce and cope with the anxiety. Thus, people tend to create an idealized self - an
imaginary picture of self having an unlimited power or qualities which the actual self - who we actually are, has
failed to fulfill. Underlying both the idealized and actual self is the real self, which is revealed only when a person
starts to find ways to deal and resolve anxiety and conflicts. When gaps between the real and ideal self exist, an
unhealthy personality arises.
True Self and False Self
• Donald W. Winnicott explained his theory about the True Self (the unshaped you) and the False Self in the paper
he wrote in 1960. As he expounded, false self may develop to protect the inner, and more vulnerable true self. When
a child is reared in an environment with supportive caretakers and whose needs are satisfied then true self may
develop. However, there are instances that the environment does not have enough resources to gratify the needs of
the child for certain reasons. In this situation, a child may feel that his/her truest needs is unacceptable, becoming
unconsciously compliant and adjust his / her behavior. A false self may at times appear to be Healthy False Self -
that is becoming compliant but without the feeling that the true self is betrayed, and at times Unhealthy False Self -
that which promotes the feeling of being forced to comply with the demands of a situation.