Self and Identity: Condensed Notes (Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, East/West Thought, Physical Self)

Lesson 1: Philosophy

Philosophy: mother of all disciplines; study of knowledge through rational inquiry about nature and existence; self defined as a unified being tied to consciousness, awareness, and agency.
Socrates: know thyself; ignorance as starting point; Socratic Method; happiness as life goal.
Plato: follower of Socrates; Father of the Academy; soul divided into Appetitive, Spirited, and Rational parts; mind–body distinction; virtue tied to truth and wisdom.
St. Augustine: God-centered self; relation with God shapes existence; cautions against uncritical acceptance of ideas; self understood through divine relation.
Descartes: mind–body dualism; methodical doubt; cogito ergo sum; emphasis on mind over senses.
John Locke: tabula rasa; self shaped by experience; nurture and environment matter.
David Hume: empiricism; self as changing bundle of impressions; no permanent, by- nature fixed self.
Immanuel Kant: synthesis of empiricism and rationalism; transcendental apperception as basis for self; consciousness organizes experience.
Sigmund Freud: psychoanalysis; psyche with Id, Ego, Superego; levels of consciousness (conscious, preconscious, unconscious); behavior driven by past experiences and inner conflicts; dream theory and sexual drives.
Gilbert Ryle: critique of mind–body dualism; ‘ghost in the machine’; self as observable behavior rather than a separate mind.
Paul Churchland: eliminative materialism; self grounded in brain processes; brain as the self in movement.
Maurice Merleau-Ponty: phenomenology; body and mind are inseparable; perception guides action; Gestalt-like emphasis on whole experiences.
Thomas Aquinas: hyle (matter) and morphe (form); soul animates the body; essence of being attributed to the soul; human distinctiveness.
Summary: Self-knowledge and self-understanding relate to happiness; diverse views on self, yet common theme that self-knowledge supports meaningful life.

Lesson 2: Sociology

George Herbert Mead: Symbolic Interactionism; Self develops through social interaction; two components: Self-awareness and Self-image; I and Me; generalized others.
Henri de Saint-Simon: early French socialism; society guided by science; industrial order where industrial leaders direct society.
Emile Durkheim: sociology as a science; sociology of knowledge; collective representations; language as a social product; social statistics.
Albert Bandura: Social Learning Theory; self eﬃcacy as belief in one's capabilities; identity shaped by modeling and social expectations; four sources of self-efficacy: Mastery Experience, Vicarious Experience, Social Persuasion, Psychological/Cognitive responses.
Karl Marx: theory of self-estrangement (alienation) from work, others, and self in capitalist society.
Max Weber: rationalization; capitalism as an outcome of Protestant ethic; ‘iron cage’ of modernity; bureaucratic and rational social order.
Lewis Henry Morgan: Theory of Social Evolution; kinship/as a basis of social structure; connection between technology, family, property, governance, and intellectual development.
Summary: Key sociological perspectives on the self include Mead’s social construction, Durkheim’s collective representations, Bandura’s social learning and self-efficacy, Marx’s alienation, Weber’s rationalization, and Morgan’s evolution of social forms.

Lesson 3: Anthropology

Marcel Mauss: two faces of self – Moi (biological givenness, body) and Personne (social identity within institutions, family, religion, nationality); Total Social Phenomenon: all sectors cooperate for balanced living.
Language and culture: language is intertwined with culture; learning language involves understanding societal customs; culture shapes self.
Clifford Geertz: culture as a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms; analyze differences between cultures; culture shapes behavior and human nature.
Summary: Self is embedded in culture; Moi and Personne distinguish biological identity from social identity; language and culture are central to shaping the self.

Lesson 4: Psychology

Psychology: study of mind and behavior; psyche (soul/mind) + logos (study); focus on who we are, why we act/think, and potential.
Key concepts: self-identity, self-concept, self-development, self-representation.
William James (1890): two aspects of self – I (self in action) and Me (the self as object); I is spontaneous, Me is organized by social attitudes; attitude changes can alter life.
Carl Rogers: I vs Me; Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR); self-actualization; self-schema; self-concept.
Carver & Scheier: Private self (internal standards) vs Public self (public image); self-consciousness; deindividuation in crowds.
Sigmund Freud: psychoanalysis; unconscious drives shape personality; id, ego, superego; levels of consciousness (conscious, preconscious, unconscious); dreams reveal unconscious wishes; true self vs false self.
Self-concept components: Self-Image (real self), Ideal Self, Ought Self; self-esteem as evaluation of self-worth; incongruence occurs when ideal/real/ought diverge.
Self-esteem: importance for motivation and relationships; signs of healthy vs. low self-esteem.
Self-actualization: Maslow’s hierarchy; reaching full personal potential.
Summary: Psychology explains self through identity, perception, and motivation; I/Me distinction, self-schema, and the impact of social factors on self-concept and self-esteem.

Lesson 5: The Self in Western and Oriental Thought

Edward T. Hall: learning about oneself through culturally different perspectives; self is shaped by culture.
Methods to study self: literature, socialization, art, clothing reflect cultural self.
Western vs Eastern values:
- Western: emphasis on personal rights, truth, equality; individualism.
- Eastern: emphasis on social responsibility, balance, harmony; collectivism and hierarchy.
Self-descriptions vs Self-evaluations: Westerners tend to describe personal attributes; emphasis on individual achievements; tendency to maintain a modest profile.
Confucianism (Ruism): harmony in social life; filial piety; core values: Ren (benevolence), Yi (righteousness), Li (propriety), Xin (integrity); 3 essential core values and 5 virtues detailed.
Taoism (Daoism): harmony with the Tao; 3 Treasures (Jing, Qi, Shen); Yin-Yang; self as extension of cosmos; balance with environment.
Buddhism: impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), non-self (anatta); goal to transcend attachment and attain Nirvana; seed of enlightenment in every being.
Summary: Western thought emphasizes rational-empirical approaches; Eastern thought emphasizes social responsibility, balance, and harmony; self-concepts reflect cultural values and interdependence with community.

Lesson 6: Physical Self

Physical self: the body as tangible, observable; body interfaces with environment.
Beauty concepts: Marwick (1988) – physical beauty is often “skin deep” but contested as a social construct; beauty valued independently of intellect or character.
Multidimensional beauty: physical looks, artistic looks (dress, makeup), personal looks (appearance, aura), performance (voice, attitude), personality, relational and social skills.
Cultural variation in beauty norms:
- Africa: overweight bodies celebrated in some cultures (Mauritania).
- Brazil: emphasis on fit, toned bodies; beauty practices widespread.
- Asia/Africa: skin lightening trends.
Kantian aesthetics: beauty as disinterested, universal judgments; beauty can apply to living beings and works of art; judgments are not objective but universal.
Physical beauty and identity: appearance contributes to personal identity; cosmetic surgery can reshape self-perception; identity is not determined solely by appearance; deep connections exist between physical and existential experiences.
Self-esteem related to body: levels of self-esteem (inflated, high, low) influence confidence and relationships; healthy self-esteem supports goal pursuit and resilience.
Signs of healthy vs. low self-esteem: positive outlook, assertiveness, acceptance of strengths/weaknesses vs. self-doubt, fear of failure, need for constant validation.
Summary: Physical beauty is socially valued and culturally relative; beauty judgments are relational and embedded in personal identity; appearances influence self-esteem but do not solely define the self.