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Dualism

The belief that reality or existence is divided into two parts.

Socrates

Viewed the self as composed of body and soul, emphasizing that failing to preserve the soul through virtue is "to live but to die inside."

Plato

Supported the dual nature of body and soul, where the body acts as a temporary vessel.

Prison of the Soul

Plato’s concept describing the physical body as a cage or prison for the soul.

Rational Soul

Component of Plato's soul representing intellect and reason.

Spirited Soul

Component of Plato's soul representing emotions and passions.

Appetitive Soul

Component of Plato's soul representing basic physical desires and cravings.

St. Augustine

Believed man is of a bifurcated nature—body (mortal, physical) and soul (eternal in communion with God).

Thomas Aquinas

Defined man as composed of matter and form; the soul is what animates the body.

Matter (Hyle)

The "common stuff" that makes up everything in the universe (the physical body).

Form (Morphe)

The "essence of a substance or thing"; the soul that makes us human.

René Descartes

Conceived the human person as having a body (a machine) and a mind (what truly makes a man).

Cogito Ergo Sum

"I think, therefore I am"; every thought proves existence as a thinking thing.

David Hume

Believed the self is a "bundle or collection of different perceptions" in constant flux.

Impressions

Everything that originates from our senses; direct sensory experiences.

Ideas

Feeble images of thinking and reasoning based on our impressions.

Immanuel Kant

Proposed that humans have an inner and outer self that unify to give us consciousness.

Inner Self

Psychological state / Rational intellect.

Outer Self

Sense / Physical world.

Gilbert Ryle

Stated the self is not a hidden entity, but a convenient name for all the behaviors a person manifests in daily life.

Maurice Merleau-Ponty

Stated the mind and body are intrinsically connected and intertwined through embodied experience.

Sigmund Freud

Defined the self as the result of interactions among three components of the mind (Id, Ego, Superego).

Id

Component of Freud's mind operating on the Pleasure Principle.

Ego

Component of Freud's mind operating on the Reality Principle.

Superego

Component of Freud's mind operating on the Morality Principle.

Sociology

The scientific study of society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, and everyday culture.

Anthropology

The scientific study of humanity, encompassing human behavior, biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics.

Socialization

The process through which the development of the self occurs through social interaction (Mead).

Preparatory Stage

Mead’s Stage 1 (birth to ~2 years) where children mimic those around them without understanding.

Play Stage

Mead’s Stage 2 (~2 to 6 years) where children pretend without adhering to formal rules in organized games.

Game Stage

Mead’s Stage 3 (~7 years onwards) where children understand formalized rules and take into account the perspective of the generalized other.

Generalized Other

The viewpoint of the social group or society at large.

Clifford Geertz

Described culture as an essential condition for human existence and termed man an "unfinished animal" regulated by culture.

Edward B. Tylor

Defined culture as that complex whole including knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and habits acquired by man as a member of society.

"I" Self

The thinking, acting, and feeling self (William James).

"Me" Self

Physical characteristics and psychological capabilities that make who you are (William James).

Identity

Composed of personal characteristics, social roles, responsibilities, and affiliations that define who one is.

Self-Concept

What basically comes to mind when you are asked about who you are.

Self-Schema

A mental framework or organized system of knowledge about ourselves formed from past experiences.

Real Self

Who a person actually is today in terms of strengths and weaknesses (Carl Rogers).

Ideal Self

The person someone aspires to be in terms of qualities, abilities, and values (Carl Rogers).

Incongruence

Disparity or a huge gap between the real self and ideal self leading to disappointment.

Congruence

Alignment or small gap between the real self and ideal self leading to high self-esteem and self-actualization.

Self-Esteem

One's overall worth as a person.

Individualist Culture

Western mindset prioritizing individual interests, "I" identity, private resource ownership, low-context communication, and individual self-actualization.

Collectivist Culture

Eastern/Oriental mindset prioritizing collective interests, "We" identity, shared resources, high-context communication, social harmony, and consensus.