understanding the self

Philosophy

the academic study of anything.

Philo

love

sophia

wisdom

Plato

•Separation of the body and soul.

•The soul has three parts: rational, spiritual soul, appetitive soul.

•The true self is the rational soul.

Appetitive soul (APPETITE)

bodily desire, located at the abdomen

Spiritual soul (WILL)

feelings and emotions, located at the middle (heart)

Rational soul (INTELLECT)

located at the brain, reflection and analyzing capable of discerning the good and the bad

Self for plato

rational and immortal

Aristotle

•The human person is a rational animal

•The human person is a composite of body and soul

•The soul has three levels: vegetative, sensitive, and rational.

Self for Aristotle

a unified creature

Hylomorphic sense of self

every physical object has matter and form.

Vegetative soul

is present in plants, able to grow, reproduce, and feed itself

Sensitive soul

is present in animals, able to feel

Rational soul

is present in humans, able to think/reason, able to reflect

Privation

explains the existence of things which “may not really be existing”

True Self (St. Augustine of Hippo)

is to have knowledge and acceptance of God’s love

Essence

What makes a thing what it is.

Purpose

Why a particular thing exists

Inductive Method

Attaining certainty through investigation and experimentation

Cartesian Dualism

The material body and the non-material mind

Mind (Rene Decartes)

superior to the body

Human Beings (Thomas Hobbes)

are naturally greedy and unruly

Authentic Person (Jean Paul Sartre)

is someone who is truly free

Existence (Jean Paul Sartre)

precedes essence

Authentic Person (Søren Kierkegaard)

leap of faith

Aesthetic stage

This moment when the addict enjoys a lower form of pleasures

Ethical stage

the drug addict goes to a rehabilitation center. He realizes that he needs to be a responsible citizen in the country. On the moment that the addict convert becomes conscious of the laws and respect other people

Religious stage

When this person believes in God

Authentic Person (Friedrich Nietzsche)

is to become an Übermensch

camels “beast of burden”

we follow whatever our faith or culture tells us

lion “conqueror”

the moment we start questioning our society or religion, and also kill the dragon

child “creator”

we create our own rules in life

Übermensch

growing and actualizing our potentials

Dasein

being-in-the-world; being-in-itself; beingthrown-in-the-world; being-unto-death

Throwness

being born into conditions that are not products or our choices

Being-in-itself

being a separate individual apart from everyone else

Being-unto-death

Born to die

Nirvana (Siddhartha Gautama Buddha)

The highest form of enlightenment

Middle way

Giving up riches in life and moderating your needs

The four noble truths

There is suffering in the world, There is a reason for this suffering, There is an end to this suffering, We can end this suffering through the noble eightfold path

The eightfold path

right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right efforts, right mindfulness, right concentration

3 Core Values OF Self-Improvement

￭Filial Piety

￭Humaneness

￭Ritual Consciousness

filial piety

respect for elders is a superior custom than any law in society

Self for K’ung Fu-Tzu (Confucius)

an ETHICAL PERSON and a

RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN

anthropology

studies human diversity across physical, cultural, linguistic, and historical aspects

culture in shaping the Self

Through enculturation, acculturation, assimilation, and social identity formation

enculturation

The process of internalizing and adopting one’s culture from birth, influenced by family, language, and environment

collective identity

Shared patterns of behavior within a cultural group

personal identity (anthropology)

identity formed from self-awareness during enculturation and distinguishing oneself from group traits

rejecting negative collective traits

leads to a stronger sense of personal identity

acculturation

Adopting cultural practices when exposed to a different culture

cultural baggage

Cultural traits, like accent or traditions, that you carry with you across cultures

culture shock

Disorientation experienced when encountering a new culture

assimilation

Adapting to a dominant culture, making it part of one’s identity

reverse culture shock

Re-examining your own culture after returning from another, which can cause alienation or discomfort

key idea of the anthropological perspective on the self

Self balances collective belonging with personal individuality

Personality

is the enduring qualities or characteristics that define an individual.

Attitude

is a person’s way of thinking or feeling about a particular person, topic, or place

Self in psychology

is the essence of a person, a broader concept that includes both personality and attitude

William James’ two aspects of the Self

The “I” (Pure Ego – thinker, actor, feeler) and the “Me” (Empirical Self – material, social, and spiritual self)

Material Self

It includes possessions, body, clothes, family, home, and places we belong to

Social Self

How we act in different social situations, having as many social selves as people who recognize us

Spiritual Self

The innermost part of who we are, including values, conscience, and personality

Carl Rogers’ Real Self

is how you see yourself based on your conscious experiences

Ideal Self

The person you want to be, influenced by parents, role models, or society

Cognitive Dissonance

Discomfort caused by holding contradictory thoughts, beliefs, or behaviors

Self being proactive and agentic

taking control of circumstances and being capable of achieving desired outcomes

four components of Human Agency

Intentionality, Forethought, Self-Reactiveness, and Self-Reflectiveness

wide gap between Real Self and Ideal Self

Incongruence occurs, which can lead to distress or mental health issues

Sociology

study of complex web of human social relationships discussing the diversity of topics - from culture, religion, family, to social classes -focuses on how institutions and social structures affect peoples personal lives

Structural Functionalism

Sees society as a living organism with different parts that function to support the whole structure.

Conflict Theory

Changes that occur in the society are products of the clashing of two or more social classes.

Symbolic Interactionism

Explains the self through the concept of identity.

First underlying assumption in symbolic interactionism 

We act based on the meanings we attach to things.

Second underlying assumption in symbolic interactionism

Each one of us attaches different meanings to things

Third Underlying assumption in symbolic interactionism

The meanings we attach to things change over time

Counter-Identity

Is when we act a particular role expected in society

Looking Glass-Self

Explains how people act and react based on how they see themselves in society

Impression Management 

The goal-directed attempt to influence the perceptions of other people about a person, object, or event by regulating and controlling information in social interaction

Sociological Imagination

Connects personal issues to public concerns. In other words, it is “thinking outside the box” in evaluating yourself as a person in the wider scope of society

Identity crisis

The struggle to find individuality in a social group