Understanding the Self - Prelim Notes Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key philosophical, sociological, anthropological, psychological, and physical perspectives on the self from GE 101 Prelim Notes.

Socrates' View of Self

Focuses on the directive to 'Know Yourself', asserting that virtue is innate in the mind and self-knowledge is the source of all wisdom that allows an individual to be their own master.

Plato's Ideal Self

Holds that man was omniscient before birth in the paradise of truth, and that forgotten knowledge can be regained through constant contemplation and doing good.

St. Augustine's View of Self

States that a virtuous life is a dynamism of love directed toward God and fellowmen, following the golden principle of justice to never do harm to another.

Cogito, ergo sum

Rene Descartes' principle meaning 'I think, therefore I am', establishing that the self is a thinking entity distinct from the physical body.

Personal Identity (Locke)

John Locke's concept that personal identity evolves over an individual's life through both unchosen factors (e.g., skin color, birthplace) and personal choices (e.g., beliefs, time management).

Bundle Theory of Mind

David Hume's theory asserting that there is no simple, unified self over time, but rather a bundle or collection of rapidly succeeding perceptions.

Kant's Respect for Self

Immanuel Kant's view that man freely directs himself and sets his own ends, emphasizing that no person should be used merely as a tool or device to accomplish another's private ends.

Freud's Three Parts of the Self

The psychological structure composed of the Id (internal desires: Eros and Thanatos), the Ego (reality), and the Superego (conscience).

Structuration

A sociological perspective stating that social life consists of human agency and social structures interacting, where repeated individual actions reproduce social forces and expectations.

Post-Traditional Society

A feature of modern society where social order is free of traditional beliefs and individuals must actively construct their own roles and identity.

Pure Relationships

Late-modern relationships constructed between equals based strictly on mutual emotional satisfaction, requiring ongoing negotiation rather than being bound by tradition.

Transformation of Intimacy

The shift in post-traditional society where personal relationships are consciously constructed, analyzed, or broken up for mutual emotional satisfaction rather than economic convenience.

Culture as a Text

An anthropological perspective viewing culture not as a causal force, but as a readable context in which people live out their lives and develop group identity.

"I" Self

William James' term for the self as the thinking subject or ego, which provides the continuity of past, present, and future self from consciousness.

"ME" Self

William James' term for the empirical self, encompassing the material, social, and spiritual aspects of an individual in a given situation.

Real Self vs. Ideal Self

Real Self refers to an individual's self-worth and who they truly are, whereas Ideal Self represents how an individual wishes to be based on societal standards and learned values.

True Self vs. False Self

True Self is rooted in instinctual and spontaneous experiences that give a feeling of being alive, while False Self is a defensive façade constructed to protect the individual.

Individualistic Self (Western Thought)

A perspective focused on independence, individual uniqueness, self-confidence, personal goals, and viewing oneself as a rational agent responsible for one's own actions.

Collective Self (Eastern Thought)

An interdependent perspective emphasizing harmony, group goals, duties, mutual dependence, and the belief that individual actions directly affect family and community.

Heredity (Nature)

The transmission of physical, mental, social, emotional, and moral traits from parents to offspring through genes at conception.

Environment (Nurture)

The sum total of external forces, agencies, and experiences—including family, school, and nutrition—that an individual undergoes from conception to old age.

Fertilization

The process where a male sex cell (spermatozoa) meets a female sex cell (ova) produced in the gonads (testes and ovaries) to form a zygote.

Zygote

The fertilized egg cell that contains all hereditary potentials from both parents and develops in the uterus during gestation.

Gestation Period

The duration of prenatal development in the uterus, lasting approximately $280\text{ days}$, $36\text{ weeks}$, or $9\text{ calendar months}$.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

The chemical code of heredity contained within genes that holds instructions for programming an organism's inherited traits.

Maturation

The unfolding of an individual's inherent, genetically determined traits over time.

Prenatal Period

The developmental stage spanning from conception to birth.

Infancy Stage

The developmental stage spanning from birth to the end of the second week.

Babyhood Stage

The developmental stage spanning from the end of the second week to the end of the second year.

Puberty (Preadolescence)

The developmental stage occurring between twelve to thirteen or fourteen years of age.

Senescence (Old Age)

The final stage in the life span, starting at sixty years of age and continuing until death.

Body Image

An individual's personal (internal) and societal (external) perceptions, feelings, thoughts, and visual awareness regarding their physical appearance.

Attractiveness Halo Effect Theory

A theory proposing that people automatically attribute positive traits—such as happiness, financial success, and intelligence—to physically attractive individuals prior to personal contact.

Self Image Problem

A psychological difficulty that occurs when an individual's actual physical appearance fails to match their internal standards of beauty.