Self Concept in Philosophy, Anthropology, and Psychology (Lecture Notes)

A comprehensive set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering philosophy of self, major thinkers, psychological theories, and anthropological perspectives from the provided notes.

Philosophy

Love for Wisdom; study of fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, and the self.

Self

The concept of a person’s identity and consciousness; debated across disciplines as to what constitutes the 'self'.

Socrates

Early philosopher known for emphasizing knowing oneself; posited knowledge as virtue and ignorance as depravity; regarded as a martyr of education and philosophy.

Socrates SELF = SOUL

Socratic view that the self is the soul; existence of physical (changing) and ideal (unchanging) realms.

The unexamined life

Socrates’ famous claim that a life without self-questioning is not worth living.

Socratic Method

Questioning approach used by Socrates to stimulate critical thinking and self-reflection.

Plato

Prominent philosopher; founder of the Academy; proposed a tripartite soul: Appetitive, Spirited, and Rational.

Appetitive Soul

Part of Plato’s soul driven by desires and needs to satisfy oneself.

Spirited Soul

Part of Plato’s soul associated with courage and the drive to right wrongs.

Rational Soul (Plato)

Part of Plato’s soul that thinks, plans for the future, and makes decisions.

Aristotle

Student of Plato; argued that body and soul are inseparable; soul is the form of the body (the matter is the body) and both enable life.

Nutritive Soul

Aristotle’s soul shared by all living things; sustains growth via nutrition.

Sensitive Soul

Aristotle’s soul of perception; encompasses senses, memory, and desires.

Rational Soul (Aristotle)

Part of Aristotle’s view unique to humans; capacity for rational thought.

St. Augustine

Christian philosopher who emphasized God’s encompassing presence and a higher sense beyond bodily senses; skeptical of purely secular inquiry.

Descartes

French philosopher famous for 'Cogito Ergo Sum' (I think, therefore I am); questioned reliability of the senses.

Cogito Ergo Sum

Latin for 'I think, therefore I am'; foundational statement of self-conscious existence.

Tabula Rasa

John Locke’s concept of the mind as a blank slate at birth, knowledge built from experience.

Empiricism (Hume)

Knowledge comes from sensory experience; argues against a permanent, unchanging self.

Self (Hume)

Idea that the self is a bundle of perceptions and experiences with no fixed, permanent core.

Transcendental Apperception

Kant’s notion of a unifying awareness that synthesizes experience to form the self.

Self (Kant)

Self is constituted by the synthesis of experience, intuition, and imagination; a sense of identity that goes beyond raw data.

Ghost in the machine

Ryle’s critique of mind–body dualism; the mind is not a separate 'ghost' but expressed through behavior.

Eliminative Materialism

Churchland’s view that common-sense mental states are often incorrect; the brain and its processes define the self.

Phenomenology of Perception

Merleau-Ponty’s idea that mind and body are one; perception is embodied and integrated with experience.

Gestalt psychology

Theory that the mind perceives wholes and patterns rather than just parts; 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts'.

Sociology (Self Perspective)

Study of how society, structures, and interactions shape the development of the self.

George Herbert Mead

American sociologist who argued against biological determinism; self develops through social interaction; introduces 'I' and 'Me'.

I and Me (Mead)

Two components of the self: 'Me' = the generalized others and behaviors; 'I' = individual response and sense of individuality.

Mead’s Three Stages of Self Development

Preparatory Stage (birth–2): imitation; Play Stage (2–6): role-play with rules; Game Stage (6–9): understanding rules and roles; socialization lifelong.

Anthropology (Four-field)

The study of humans across four subdisciplines: sociocultural, archaeological, biological/physical, and linguistic anthropology.

Cultural Anthropology

Study of human societies and cultures; ethnography and ethnology examine cultural diversity.

Archaeological Anthropology

Reconstructs past behaviors through material remains and artifacts.

Biological/Physical Anthropology

Focuses on human evolution, genetics, development, and primate biology.

Linguistic Anthropology

Studies language in its social and cultural contexts and how it changes over time.

Enculturation

Process by which culture is learned and transmitted within a society.

Self Embedded in Culture

The concept that the self is shaped and formed within cultural contexts and norms.

Psychological Perspectives

Major schools of psychology: Structuralism, Functionalism, Psychoanalysis, Gestalt, Behaviorism, Humanistic, Cognitive, and Biopsychosocial.

Structuralism

Early school focusing on breaking mental processes into basic components; used introspection; led by Wundt and Titchener.

Wilhelm Wundt

Father of Psychology; founded structuralism and conducted experiments in the first psychology laboratory.

Introspection

Self-examination of conscious thoughts and feelings used to analyze mental states.

Functionalism

Psychology that studies mental processes by their function and purpose; behavior as adaptive; championed by William James.

William James

Often considered father of American psychology; described Me-self and I-self; identified material, social, and spiritual selves.

Material Self

Part of James’ concept: possessions and objects considered 'mine' and extensions of identity.

Social Self

Aspect of self defined by social roles and contexts; behavior changes with social situation.

Spiritual Self

Core, enduring aspect of self; often considered the most permanent.

Psychoanalysis

Freud’s approach focusing on unconscious desires and past conflicts as roots of behavior.

Id

Pleasure principle; seeks immediate gratification; irrational and in touch with primal desires.

Ego

Reality principle; executive function; mediates between id and external world.

Superego

Moral and ideal aspects of personality; governs conscience and ideals.

Carl Rogers

Humanistic psychologist who developed person-centered therapy emphasizing self-actualization and authenticity.

Person-Centered Therapy

Non-directive approach where clients solve their own problems with therapist support; focuses on self-worth and growth.

Perceived Self

Rogers’ concept of how one sees oneself and how others see them (self-worth, self-esteem).

Real Self

How a person actually is; true self-image.

Ideal Self

How a person would like to be; aspirational self.

Cognitive Psychology

Study of internal mental processes such as perception, memory, language, problem-solving, and thinking.

Biopsychosocial Model

An integrated approach to health that considers biology, psychology, and social environment.