Understanding the Self Exam Reviewer Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the philosophical, biblical, psychological, anthropological, sociological, physical, and sexual views of the self from the exam reviewer.

Socrates' View of Self

Centered on the maxim 'Know Yourself', holding that virtue equals knowledge, to know the good is to do the good, and self-knowledge leads to self-mastery and a virtuous life.

Plato's Ideal Self

The concept that humans were all-knowing and perfect before birth, forgot this knowledge upon entering the world, and must recover wisdom through contemplation and doing good.

Cogito, Ergo Sum

René Descartes' key phrase meaning 'I think, therefore I am', establishing that identity is defined by reason and thinking as a entity distinct from the body (mind-body dualism).

John Locke's Personal Identity

The view that personal identity equals consciousness and memory (psychological continuity) rather than the body or soul, allowing a person to remain 'them' through life experiences.

Bundle Theory of Self

David Hume's theory asserting that there is no fixed or permanent self, only a constantly changing collection or bundle of rapidly shifting perceptions, thoughts, and feelings.

Immanuel Kant's Respect for Self

The view that humans are rational, free beings with inherent dignity who must always be treated as ends in themselves, never as tools for personal gain.

Created in God's Image (Genesis 1:27)

The biblical view that humans reflect God's nature through worth, dignity, reason, and free will, standing as the Crown of Creation tasked with caring for creation.

St. Augustine's View of Self

The perspective that love is the foundation of selfhood, where virtue is turning toward God and loving others, sin is turning away from love, and justice is love acting through the Golden Rule.

Four Levels of Law (St. Thomas Aquinas)

The moral framework comprising Eternal Law (God's governing wisdom), Natural Law (moral truth in human hearts), Human Law (societal rules for order), and Divine Law (Scripture).

Id

In Freudian theory, the primitive, unconscious component of personality present at birth that operates on the pleasure principle for immediate satisfaction.

Ego

In Freudian theory, the rational 'I' operating on the reality principle that acts as the referee balancing the desires of the Id and the morality of the Superego.

Superego

In Freudian theory, the moral conscience formed from internalized family and societal rules of right and wrong that judges individual behavior.

Freud's Five Psychosexual Stages

Personality developmental stages focused on specific erogenous zones: Oral (0-1 yr), Anal (2-3 yr), Phallic (3-6 yr), Latency (10-12 yr), and Genital (Puberty+).

Erikson's Psychosocial Stages

Erik Erikson's 8 lifelong social developmental stages (Trust vs Mistrust through Integrity vs Despair), where each stage presents a social crisis to resolve.

Edward Tylor's Definition of Culture

A complex whole including knowledge, beliefs, morals, laws, customs, and habits acquired by people as members of society; it is learned rather than innate.

Material vs. Non-material Culture

Material culture consists of physical objects and spaces (tools, homes, clothes), while non-material culture consists of abstract ideas, values, beliefs, language, and norms.

Egocentric Self

A view of selfhood where identity is rooted in the individual and independence ('I am who I am').

Socio-centric Self

A view of selfhood where identity is deeply rooted in relationships and community ('I am because we are').

Looking-Glass Self

Charles Horton Cooley's concept that self-image forms through imagining how we appear to others, imagining their judgment, and developing self-feelings based on that perception.

The 'I' and 'Me' (George Herbert Mead)

Components of the social self: 'I' is the spontaneous, unique, impulsive self, while 'Me' is the socialized self aware of societal rules and expectations.

Mead's Three Stages of Self-Development

Social development stages consisting of Preparatory (0-3 yr: imitation), Play (3-5 yr: pretend roles), and Game (8+ yr: understanding multiple roles and the Generalized Other).

Modern vs. Postmodern Self (Gerry Lanuza)

Modern self features a freely chosen, stable, authentic identity, whereas Postmodern self features a fluid identity characterized by constant change and reinvention.

Hyperreal Self

Jean Baudrillard's concept that identity in consumer culture is defined by what one buys and consumes, where products act as status symbols creating false needs.

Wilhelm Reich's Mind-Body View

The perspective that mind and body are one single entity, meaning all mental processes are physical and all physical processes are mental.

Halo Effect

A cognitive bias where attractive people are automatically judged as more intelligent, kind, and capable based solely on physical appearance.

Social Constructionism of Beauty

The theory that standards of beauty are created and defined by cultural norms rather than fixed biological factors.

Human Sexual Response Cycle

Masters & Johnson's four-phase physical response model consisting of Excitement, Plateau, Orgasm, and Resolution.

Sex vs. Gender

Sex is biological (chromosomes, anatomy, hormones assigned at birth), whereas Gender is social and psychological (inner identity, roles, and cultural expression).