The Self in Western and Oriental/Eastern Thought

Vocabulary flashcards covering the Western and Eastern concepts of self, historical philosophical views, religious traditions, individualistic versus collectivistic self, and Roy Baumeister's aspects of self-concept based on the lecture notes.

Thomas Aquinas

A medieval philosopher and Saint who believed that the body constitutes individuality.

Rene Descartes

Philosopher whose statement 'I think Therefore I am' serves as the epitome of the Western idea of self.

Analytical (Western Category)

A contemporary Western view of the self defined as the tendency to see reality as an aggregate of parts.

Monotheistic (Western Category)

A contemporary Western view defined as the tendency toward unitary explanations of phenomena and a closed-system view of the self modeled after a unitary, omnipotent power.

Individualism (Western Category)

A contemporary Western view where self-expression and self-actualization are important ways of establishing who one is and achieving satisfaction in the world.

Materialistic/Rationalistic (Western Category)

A contemporary Western view that tends to discredit explanations using analytic-deductive modes of thinking.

Hinduism

Contains the earliest religious writings in the East forming Hindu Philosophy and dharma, which is the principle of cosmic order.

Vedas

The earliest religious writings in the East that formed Hindu Philosophy and dharma.

Brahman

Described in Hinduism as the true nature of human which is a divine universal consciousness encompassing the universe.

Buddhism

A doctrine defined as 'no-self or no-soul' composed of the teachings of Buddha, emphasizing that a permanent, autonomous 'self' is an illusion.

Anatta

A Buddhist doctrine meaning 'no-self or no-soul' emphasizing that the self is not an entity, substance, or essence, but a dynamic process.

Confucianism

A philosophy holding that personality is not something that exists inherently, but is formed through upbringing and the environment.

Jen

In Confucianism, the perfection of virtue coming from the heart of compassion that means goodwill, sympathy toward others, politeness, and generosity.

Yi

In Confucianism, the perfection of virtue coming from the heart of righteousness that means rightness and the respect of duty.

Li

In Confucianism, the perfection of virtue coming from the heart of propriety that means having the right to practice propriety in all that a person does.

Chih

In Confucianism, the perfection of virtue coming from the heart of wisdom that is expressed by putting jen, yi, and li into practice.

Taoism

A tradition that rejects the hierarchical view of the self, society, or cosmos, viewing the self as one of the countless manifestations of the Tao and an extension of the cosmos.

Chuang-tzu (Zhuang Zhou)

A thinker in Taoism who stated that 'The perfect man has no self, the spiritual man has no achievement, the true sage has no name.'

Nafs

The Arabic word for self in the Holy Qur'an pertaining to the psyche (totality of conscious and unconscious human mind) or soul.

Individualistic Self

A self-concept that encourages asserting personal goals and desires, values independence, and places individual interest above state or group interests.

Collective Self

A self-concept in collectivist culture emphasizing interdependence, harmonious relatedness, and the fulfillment of social obligations.

Private Self (Roy Baumeister)

One of Baumeister's three aspects of self-concept, referring to mental processes that perceive one's own traits or behaviors.

Public Self (Roy Baumeister)

One of Baumeister's three aspects of self-concept, referring to the generalized view of self such as the perception of how others view you.

Collective Self (Roy Baumeister)

One of Baumeister's three aspects of self-concept, referring to the view of self in a collective concept, such as family expectations.