Psychological Perspective of the Self

Vocabulary flashcards covering psychological and philosophical theories of the self, including Western theorists and Eastern perspectives.

Psychology

The study of mind and behavior, encompassing biological influences, social pressures, and environmental factors affecting how people think, act, and feel.

Sigmund Freud

The 'Father of Psychoanalysis' who postulated three layers of self within us and emphasized the importance of the unconscious.

Id

The 'makahayop' aspect of self; the first part to develop and the seat of all desires and wants, operating entirely on the pleasure principle without moral awareness.

Ego

The 'makatao' aspect of self operating on the reality principle; it regulates the id's urges and discerns right from wrong based on context.

Super-Ego

The 'maka-diyos' aspect of self, referred to as the 'voice of God', which strives for perfection and decisions in accordance with moral and social standards.

Pleasure Principle

The operating principle of the Id, demanding immediate satisfaction of wants and desires without regard for morals or social norms.

Reality Principle

The operating principle of the Ego, which functions in reality to regulate how many of the id's urges are expressed.

Voice of God

A descriptor for the Super-Ego, representing its aim to act in accordance with moral perfection and societal standard.

William James

Theorist who categorized the components of the self into two main divisions: the 'I' and the 'Me'.

The 'I' (William James)

The thinking and reflecting self that knows who one is and what one has accomplished in life.

The 'Me' (William James)

The empirical self and separate individual that does the acting, referred to when speaking of personal experience.

Empirical Self

William James's designation for the 'Me' aspect of the self, which acts in the world and carries personal experience.

Material Self

A sub-category of the 'Me' consisting of physical or tangible possessions belonging to a person, such as body, family, clothes, or money.

Social Self

A sub-category of the 'Me' that marks who a person is within a specific social situation.

Spiritual Self

A sub-category of the 'Me' representing a person at their core, including personality, values, and conscience.

Real Self

Who an individual actually is, encompassing how they think, feel, look, and act in reality.

Ideal Self

An idealized image of how a person wants to be, developed over time based on learning and experiences.

Alignment of Self

The congruence between the real self and the ideal self, which produces a sense of mental well-being or peace of mind.

Incongruence

The lack of alignment between the real self and the ideal self, resulting in mental distress or anxiety.

David Lester

Psychologist who proposed that the self consists of three related, separable domains: experiential self, private self-consciousness system, and public self.

Experiential Self

The first domain in Lester's model; described as the 'theater of consciousness' and first-person felt experience tied closely to memory.

Theater of Consciousness

David Lester's description for the experiential self, representing raw first-person felt experience.

Private Self-Consciousness System

The second domain in Lester's model; acts as the internal 'narrator' that verbally explains events, also called the autobiographical self.

Autobiographical Self

Another name for the private self-consciousness system that narrates individual experiences to make sense of life.

Public Self (Persona)

The third domain in Lester's model; the external image projected to others which interacts with how people view the individual.

Donald Winnicott

Psychoanalyst who suggested that the self is divided into a True Self and a False Self.

False Self

According to Donald Winnicott, a construct whose primary function is to hide and protect the true self.

True Self

The genuine core of identity that is shielded and protected by the false self in Winnicott's theory.

Benefits of Knowing Yourself

Outcomes including happiness, less inner conflict, better decision-making, self-control, resistance to social pressure, tolerance, and vitality.

Eastern Thoughts (Aims)

Philosophies aimed at transformation in consciousness, emotions, feelings, and relationship to others and the world.

Relational Self (Eastern Perspective)

The view that self is considered not in isolation, but in direct relation to others, society, and the universe.

Practicality of Eastern Theories

Eastern theories offer practical techniques for self-cultivation rather than relying on scientific methods of investigation.

Four Major Eastern Philosophies

The primary Eastern traditions covered in the lecture: Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Taoism.

Budh

The Sanskrit root word for Buddhism, meaning 'awake'.

Siddharta Gautama

The founder of Buddhism, commonly known as the Buddha.

Five Aggregates / Parts of Individual

The five parts composing an individual in Buddhism: matter, sensation, perception, mental constructs, and consciousness.

Matter (Buddhism)

The first of the five physical and mental components that compose the individual in Buddhist thought.

Sensation (Buddhism)

The second of the five components comprising individual human existence in Buddhism.

Perception (Buddhism)

The third of the five parts that make up an individual according to Buddhist teaching.

Mental Constructs (Buddhism)

The fourth of the five parts composing the individual in Buddhism.

Consciousness (Buddhism)

The fifth of the five parts composing the individual in Buddhism.

No-Self Concept (Buddhism)

The teaching that there is no permanent self or soul; all else is illusion and nothing is permanent except change.

Anicca

Buddhist term literally meaning impermanence; the principle that everything in life is continuously changing and nothing lasts forever.

Nirvana (Buddhism)

A state of ultimate transcendence devoid of self-reference, achieved through meditation.

Meditation (Buddhism)

The primary practical discipline used in Buddhism to reach the state of Nirvana.

Aryans

An ancient group of people whose religious practices formed the historical roots of Hinduism.

Brahman

The true ultimate reality in Hinduism; acquiring knowledge of Brahman is the true goal of man.

Law of Karma

The most vital doctrine in Hinduism, stating that past actions inevitably return to affect the individual.

Karma through Reincarnation

The belief that karma does not stop at physical death; its consequences carry forward into subsequent incarnations of the soul.

Atman

The immortal soul in Hinduism that undergoes cycles of reincarnation across multiple lifetimes.

Cycle of Rebirth

The repeated process of reincarnation experienced by the Atman until liberation is reached.

Nirvana / Non-Birth (Hinduism)

The ultimate state attained when the Atman is finally liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth.

Confucianism

A system of thought and ethical behavior originating in ancient China focused on social roles and self-cultivation.

Golden Rule (Confucianism)

The ethical maxim: 'Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you.'

Self-Realization (Confucianism)

The individual's supreme mission in Confucian philosophy, achieved primarily through self-cultivation.

Self-Cultivation (Confucianism)

The practice of knowing one's social role and acting accordingly to refine moral character.

Moral Character Perfection

In Confucianism, the continuous effort to improve oneself in both thought and action at every opportunity.

Taoism

A Chinese philosophical movement attributed to Lao Tzu, regarding the self as an extension of the cosmos.

Lao Tzu

The founder of Taoism.

The Tao

Nature viewed as the underlying foundation of all existence, of which the self is one of many limitless expressions.

Perfect Man (Taoism)

A selfless individual who possesses no self, thereby living a balanced life in harmony with nature and society.

Self Aspect (Eastern vs. Western)

Eastern views the self as interdependent and relational; Western views the self as independent and individualistic.

Knowledge Aspect (Eastern vs. Western)

Eastern knowledge is holistic, intuitive, and experiential; Western knowledge is analytical, rational, and scientific.

Worldview Aspect (Eastern vs. Western)

Eastern worldview stresses unity and harmony with nature; Western worldview stresses dualism and control over nature.

Goal of Life Aspect (Eastern vs. Western)

Eastern goal of life is liberation, harmony, and selflessness; Western goal of life is freedom, success, and self-expression.