Understanding the Physical Self and Philosophical Perspectives

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to the physical self, beauty standards, and philosophical perspectives on identity and self-awareness.

Physical Self

Refers to the body; includes both physical extremities and internal organs functioning together.

Adolescence

Stage of human development characterized by rapid physical changes starting at puberty.

Life Span

The development process from conception to death.

Heredity

The biological process of inheritance of traits from parents to offspring.

Body Image

How individuals perceive, think, and feel about their body and physical appearance.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

A mental disorder characterized by excessive focus on perceived flaws in physical appearance.

Puberty

The period of sexual maturation, accompanied by rapid physical growth and hormonal changes.

Growth Spurt

A period of unusually rapid increase in size and weight during adolescence.

Nature vs. Nurture

A debate concerning the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities (nature) versus personal experiences (nurture) in determining physical and psychological traits.

Self-Esteem

Overall subjective evaluation of one's own worth, often influenced by body image.

Physical Health

The state of physical well-being and freedom from illness or injury, closely tied to the physical self.

Adolescent Brain Development

Significant changes in brain structure and function during adolescence, affecting cognitive control and decision-making.

Sanguine Type

Personality type characterized by impulsiveness, cheerfulness, and optimism.

Melancholic Type

Personality type characterized by depression and pessimism.

Choleric Type

Personality type characterized by anger, irritability, and impulsiveness.

Ectomorphic

Body type characterized as tall and thin, often associated with introversion and artistic tendencies.

Phlegmatic Type

Personality type characterized by calmness, unexpressiveness, and thoughtfulness.

Mesomorphic

Body type characterized by a muscular and athletic build, often associated with assertiveness and adventurousness.

Endomorphic

Body type characterized by a heavier, rounder build, often associated with sociability and comfort-seeking.

Sheldon's Somatotypes

A classification system linking body types (somatotypes) to personality traits.

Temperament

An individual's characteristic emotional reactivity, intensity, activity level, and sociability.

Cultural Perception of Beauty

The varying definitions and standards of beauty across different cultures and eras.

Cogito Ergo Sum

Descartes' philosophical statement meaning 'I think, therefore I am,' emphasizing the importance of self-awareness in defining existence.

Tabula Rasa

Locke's concept of the mind as a 'blank slate' shaped by experiences.

Empiricism

Philosophical approach asserting that knowledge comes from sensory experience.

Self-Awareness

Understanding one's own values and strengths, foundational for personal growth.

Dualism

Philosophical concept that deals with the relationship between the mind and body as distinct entities.

Hylomorphism

Aristotle's theory that the soul and body are not separate, but together embody a living being's essence.

Morphic Essence

The essential nature of a substance as defined by Aristotle, distinguishing matter from form.

Self-Concept

The total sum of an individual's beliefs about their own personal attributes.

Identity

The qualities, beliefs, personality, looks, and expressions that make a person or group.

Rationalism

Philosophical approach asserting that knowledge comes primarily from reason and logical deduction.

Mind-Body Problem

The philosophical question concerning the relationship between mental phenomena and physical phenomena.

Consciousness

The state of being aware of one's own existence and surroundings.

Personal Identity

The philosophical question of how one remains the same person over time despite changes.

Existentialism

A philosophical movement emphasizing individual existence, freedom, and responsibility.

Authenticity

The degree to which one is true to one's own personality, spirit, or character.

Self-Determination

The process by which a person controls their own life and chooses their own actions.

Free Will

The capacity of agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded.

Psychoanalysis

Freud's psychological theory focusing on the unconscious mind and its influence on behavior.

Id

In Freudian theory, the primitive and instinctual component of personality.

Ego

In Freudian theory, the realistic component of personality that mediates between the id and superego.

Superego

In Freudian theory, the moral component of personality, representing internalized ideals.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious strategies used by the ego to protect itself from anxiety (e.g., repression, projection).

Unconscious Mind

The part of the mind not in focal awareness but influencing behavior and feelings.

Behaviorism

Psychological approach focusing on observable behaviors and their conditioning.

Humanistic Psychology

Psychological perspective emphasizing human potential, self-actualization, and free will.

Self-Actualization

In humanistic psychology, the fulfillment of one's talents and potentialities.

Hormonal Changes (Puberty)

The significant fluctuations in hormone levels (e.g., estrogen, testosterone) during puberty that drive physical development.

Secondary Sexual Characteristics

Physical traits that distinguish the sexes but are not directly involved in reproduction (e.g., breasts, facial hair).

Prefrontal Cortex

The front part of the frontal lobe, crucial for planning, decision-making, and impulse control, which matures during adolescence.

Social Comparison Theory

The idea that individuals determine their own social and personal worth by comparing themselves to others.

Media Influence on Body Image

The impact of representations in media (magazines, TV, social media) on an individual's perception of their own body.

Hippocrates' Four Humors

Ancient Greek theory positing that bodily fluids (blood, yellow bile, black bile, phlegm) determine health and temperament.

Conscientiousness

A Big Five personality trait characterized by being organized, responsible, and disciplined.

Neuroticism

A Big Five personality trait characterized by emotional instability, anxiety, and moodiness.

Openness to Experience

A Big Five personality trait characterized by imagination, curiosity, and a willingness to try new things.

Extroversion

A Big Five personality trait characterized by sociability, assertiveness, and energetic behavior.

Agreeableness

A Big Five personality trait characterized by kindness, empathy, and cooperativeness.

Epistemology

The branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge, its methods, validity, and scope.

Metaphysics

The branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space.

Collective Unconscious

In Jungian psychology, a reservoir of experiences and knowledge shared by all humans, inherited from our ancestors.

Archetypes

In Jungian psychology, universal, archaic patterns and images that derive from the collective unconscious and are the psychic counterpart of instinct.

Psychosexual Stages

Freud's theory proposing that personality development occurs through a series of stages, each focused on a different erogenous zone (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital).

Operant Conditioning

A type of learning where behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired: a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.

Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's theory that human needs can be organized into a pyramid, with basic physiological needs at the bottom and self-actualization at the top.

Saint Augustine

Early Christian theologian and philosopher whose writings influenced the development of Western Christianity and philosophy, emphasizing the quest for self-knowledge as a path to God.

John Locke

English philosopher, a prominent empiricist, who proposed the mind as a 'tabula rasa' (blank slate) at birth.

Sigmund Freud

Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, renowned for theories on the unconscious mind, psychosexual development, and defense mechanisms.

Gilbert Ryle

British philosopher, a leading figure in the ordinary language philosophy movement, best known for his critique of Cartesian dualism and the concept of the 'ghost in the machine'.

Maurice Merleau-Ponty

French phenomenological philosopher who emphasized the primary role of the body in human experience and perception, arguing against mind-body dualism.

Socrates

Classical Greek philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, known for the Socratic method and the dictum 'Know Thyself'.

Plato

Ancient Greek philosopher, student of Socrates, and teacher of Aristotle, known for his Theory of Forms, the concept of the tripartite soul, and his writings on justice and ideal states.

Aristotle

Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great, known for his empirical approach, hylomorphism, ethics, and logic.

Thomas Aquinas

Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Catholic priest, highly influential in the Scholastic tradition, known for his synthesis of Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology.

René Descartes

French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist, often called the 'Father of Modern Philosophy,' known for his statement 'Cogito, ergo sum' and his theory of mind-body dualism.

David Hume

Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist, known for his philosophical empiricism, skepticism, and his 'bundle theory' of the self.

Immanuel Kant

German philosopher whose comprehensive and systematic work in epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics profoundly influenced all subsequent philosophy, known for transcendental idealism and the categorical imperative.