Understanding the Self: Philosophy, Sociology, and Anthropology

Flashcard practice set based on lecture notes covering philosophical, sociological, and anthropological views of the self.

According to Thales, what is the fundamental element of all things and how did he view the Earth?

Thales asserted that water is the fundamental element of all things and perceived the Earth as a level disc floating atop an endless sea.

What did Anaximander propose as the original cause of the world instead of water?

Anaximander proposed the apeiron (indeterminate limitless) and endless motion as the original causes of the world.

What element did Anaximenes identify as the origin of everything?

Anaximenes believed that everything originates from air.

According to Anaxagoras, how were physical entities created from the universe's fundamental components?

Fundamental components initially existed as a blob that began spinning; rotation brought forth specific interactions among ingredients, creating all physical entities.

What is the etymology and original definition of the word 'philosophy'?

Derived from the Greek words 'philo' (loving) and 'sophia' (knowledge/wisdom), philosophy literally means 'loving knowledge' or 'loving wisdom,' originally referring to 'the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.'

Who is thought to have created the term philosophy around 570-495 BCE?

Pythagoras.

What did Socrates mean by the phrase 'The unexamined life is not worth living'?

He meant that self-knowledge, examining oneself, and analyzing the nature and values guiding one's life are essential, as knowing oneself is the only way to improve life.

What are the three parts of Plato's tripartite concept of the soul?

The Rational/Logical (reasoning/critical thinking), The Spirited (feelings/emotions), and The Appetitive (sensual desires like food, drink, and sex).

How did St. Augustine explain the bifurcated nature of man?

Man is divided into two parts: the body, which dwells in the world and dies on earth, and the soul, which can reach immortality and live eternally in spiritual bliss with God.

In St. Thomas Aquinas's view, what constitutes matter and form in a human being?

Matter is the common stuff that makes up everything in the universe (the physical body), while form is the essence of a thing (the soul) that makes us human.

According to Aristotle, what components make up the self?

The self is composed of Body and Soul, Mind and Matter, Sense and Intellect, and Passion and Reason.

What philosopher is known as the Father of Modern Philosophy and coined 'Cogito ergo sum'?

Rene Descartes.

Why did Rene Descartes claim that sensory perceptions cannot prove existence?

Because human senses can be fooled; therefore, everything perceived by senses can be doubted, leaving the existence of the thinking self as the only certainty.

What is David Hume's empiricist view of the self?

Hume believed all knowledge comes from senses and experiences; the self is not an entity beyond the physical body, but a collection of impressions and ideas.

How did Immanuel Kant describe the inner and outer self?

The inner self comprises our psychological state and rational intellect, while the outer self includes our senses and the physical world; both unify to form consciousness.

How did Gilbert Ryle define the self?

Ryle defined the self as a pattern of behavior, or the tendency and disposition for a person to behave in a certain way in certain circumstances.

What was Maurice Merleau-Ponty's perspective on the relationship between mind and body?

He argued mind-body bifurcation is invalid because the mind and body are inseparable and interconnected, with the body being the subject that embodies the self.

What is the primary difference in focus between psychology and sociology?

Psychology focuses on the individual and looks inward at mental/emotional processes, while sociology focuses on two or more people and looks outward at social institutions, cultural norms, and interactions.

What are the five psychosexual stages of development identified by Sigmund Freud?

Oral Stage (Birth to 1 year), Anal Stage (1 to 3 years), Phallic Stage (3 to 6 years), Latency Stage (6 years to puberty), and Genital Stage (puberty to adult).

How does Erik Erikson's development theory differ from Sigmund Freud's?

Freud focused on psychosexual development and basic human urges, whereas Erikson focused on psychosocial development across eight stages, highlighting social aspects.

What are the three components of Charles Horton Cooley's 'looking-glass self' theory (1902)?

First, imagining how we appear to others; second, imagining the judgment of that appearance; third, developing our self through the judgments of others.

In George Herbert Mead's Theory of the Social Self, what is the distinction between the 'Me' and the 'I'?

The 'Me' is the socialized product of learned behaviors, attitudes, and expectations from environment interactions, while the 'I' is the unsocialized, spontaneous part that responds to community attitudes.

What are the three levels of moral development in Lawrence Kohlberg's theory?

Pre-conventional (sensory experience), Conventional (awareness of others' feelings), and Post-conventional (abstract morality and recognizing legality vs. morality).

What gender bias did Carol Gilligan identify in Kohlberg's moral development theory?

Gilligan noted Kohlberg only studied male subjects; her research showed boys tend to have a justice perspective, whereas girls have a care and responsibility perspective.

In contemporary anthropology, what is the distinction between 'personhood' and 'the self'?

Personhood is a bundle of roles, norms, expectations, and obligations that situate a human in social life, whereas the self is an identification negotiating the tension between being a person and a unique human.

What are the four subfields of anthropology?

Archaeology, Linguistic Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, and Cultural Anthropology.

What does archaeology analyze to understand past human cultures and survival?

Archaeology analyzes material remains such as artifacts, animal bones, and human bones to understand how past humans adapted to environmental changes.

What is the focus of linguistic anthropology?

It is the interdisciplinary study of how language influences social life, social interactions, subcultures, and a group's worldview.

What areas are encompassed by biological anthropology?

It encompasses human paleontology, evolutionary biology, human genetics, comparative anatomy and physiology, primate behavior, human behavioral ecology, and human biology.

Why is culture important to self-concept according to cultural anthropologists?

Culture provides the environmental context and non-genetic ways for humans to adapt, significantly shaping an individual's self-concept, beliefs, and behaviors.