UNDERSTANDING THE SELF – COMPREHENSIVE EXAM NOTES

PHILOSOPHY – PERSPECTIVES ON THE SELF

  • Etymology & Scope

    • Greek roots: philos (love) + sophia (wisdom)

    • Investigates \text{existence}, \text{knowledge}, \text{truth}, \text{morality} and the nature of man via rational inquiry (NOT the scientific method).

  • Ancient Greek Lineage

    • Socrates

    • Dual-component self:

      • Body – tangible, changing, mortal.

      • Soul – immortal, source of innate goodness.

    • Method: Introspection (“Know thyself”) → self-awareness ⇒ virtuous action (evil = ignorance).

    • Plato

    • Theory of Forms: physical reality ≈ imperfect copies of perfect, eternal Ideas.

    • Tripartite soul:
      \text{Soul} = \text{Appetite} + \text{Spirit/Will} + \text{Reason}

    • Harmony attainable only when Reason rules.

  • Medieval Synthesis

    • St. Augustine: integrates Plato with Christian theology.

    • World of Ideas = God.

    • Body perishable; Soul perfect & saved through seeking God.

  • Modern / Enlightenment

    • R. Descartes – Rationalist.

    • Methodic doubt → “\boxed{\text{Cogito ergo sum}}”.

    • Mind ≠ body; mind (= thinking thing) superior.

    • British Empiricists

    • J. Locke: mind = tabula rasa; self = continuity of conscious memories.

    • D. Hume: no permanent self; only a “bundle of perceptions.”

    • I. Kant: innate a-priori categories organize experience → transcendental ego unifies consciousness.

  • 20ᵗʰ-Century Physicalists

    • G. Ryle: rejects mind/body dualism (“ghost in the machine”); self = patterns of behavior.

    • P. Churchland: eliminative materialism; self = the brain (neurochemical processes).

  • Phenomenology / Existentialism

    • M. Merleau-Ponty: inseparable mind-body; self = sum of lived experience; free will creates meaning.

SOCIOLOGY & ANTHROPOLOGY – THE SOCIAL SELF

  • Sociological Development (G. H. Mead)

    • Preparatory/Imitation → Play → Game stages.

    • Emergence of I (spontaneous response) and Me (internalized social expectations). Balanced integration = healthy self.

  • Anthropological Insights

    • C. Geertz: culture = control mechanism; meaning via “thick description.”

    • *P. Covar’s Tambalang Lapit:

    • Labas (visible) – Loob (inner) – Lalim (depth).

    • Total Filipino personhood = biological givenness + cultural immersion.

  • Kapwa & Sikolohiyang Pilipino (V. Enriquez)

    • Kapwa (“shared-self”):

    • Ibang Tao → Pakikitungo, Pakikisalamuha, Pakikilahok, Pakikibagay, Pakikisama.

    • Hindi Ibang Tao → Pakikipag-palagayang-loob, Pakikisangkot, Pakikipagkaisa.

  • Sex–Gender–SOGIESC

    • Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Sexual Characteristics.

    • Genderbread Person – spectrum, not binary.

PSYCHOLOGY – THE INDIVIDUAL SELF

  • Biological Basis

    • Neurons transmit action potentials; neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, etc.) modulate behavior.

  • Developmental Theories

    • Freud – Psychosexual: Oral → Anal → Phallic → Latency → Genital. Unresolved conflicts = fixations.

    • Erikson – Psychosocial: 8 life-span crises (e.g., Trust vs Mistrust; Identity vs Role-Confusion).

  • Dynamic Psyche

    • Conscious / Pre-conscious / Unconscious.

    • Structural model: \text{Id (pleasure)} \;\; \text{Superego (morality)} \;\; \text{Ego (reality)}.

  • Jungian Archetypes

    • Persona, Shadow, Anima/Animus, Self.

  • William James – I vs Me

    • Material, Social, Spiritual components of the Me; I = knower/agent.

  • Humanistic Views

    • K. Horney: Real vs Ideal self; incongruence ⇒ self-hate.

    • C. Rogers: self-concept (self-image, self-esteem, ideal self); \text{Congruence} \rightarrow \text{self-actualization}.

  • Meaning-Making (V. Frankl)

    • Logotherapy: find meaning via (1) creative work, (2) experiencing love/beauty, (3) attitude toward unavoidable suffering.

EASTERN THOUGHT – COLLECTIVE & TRANSCENDENT SELVES

  • Cultural Orientation

    • Individualism (autonomy) vs Collectivism (group harmony).

  • Traditions

    • Hinduism: \text{Atman} = \text{Brahman}; cycle of waking–dreaming–deep sleep; liberation via realizing true Self.

    • Buddhism: Four Noble Truths; Eightfold Path; Anatta (no-self); goal = Nirvana.

    • Confucianism: Ren (humaneness), filial piety, Five Cardinal Relationships; self embedded in social roles.

    • Taoism: living in accord with \text{Tao}; wu-wei (non-striving); virtues: compassion, moderation, humility.

THE PHYSICAL & SEXUAL SELF

  • Growth Influencers

    • Heredity, Nutrition, Environment, Socio-economic status, Health habits, Culture, Love.

  • Body Theories

    • Physiognomy: character from facial features.

    • Morphopsychology / Somatotypes (Sheldon): Endomorph – Mesomorph – Ectomorph.

  • Sexual Development

    • Puberty triggers testosterone/estrogen; male XY vs female XX; conditions: cryptorchidism, hermaphroditism, phimosis.

  • Human Sexual Behavior

    • Solitary (masturbation), Sociosexual (petting, coitus).

    • Sexual response cycle: \text{Excitement} \rightarrow \text{Plateau} \rightarrow \text{Orgasm} \rightarrow \text{Resolution}.

  • STDs

    • Bacterial: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Chancroid.

    • Viral: HPV, HSV.

    • Parasitic: Trichomoniasis.

  • Contraception

    • Natural: abstinence, calendar method, BBT, cervical mucus, symptothermal, withdrawal.

    • Artificial: pills, patch, ring, implants, injectables, IUD, barrier (condoms, diaphragm), sterilization.

MATERIAL SELF & MATERIALISM

  • James’ Layers: Body → Clothes → Immediate Family → Home.

  • Extended Self (Belk): possessions (now also digital assets) incorporated into identity.

  • Materialism Traits

    • Self-centeredness, success = wealth, happiness via buying.

    • High materialism ↔ lower well-being, self-esteem; can substitute for deprivation.

  • Happiness Findings

    • Experiential purchases yield more lasting satisfaction than material goods (Van Boven).

SPIRITUAL SELF

  • Religion vs Spirituality

    • Religion: organized beliefs, myths, rituals, sacred symbols; community & social control.

    • Spirituality: individual quest for meaning, self-healing, transcendence (not tied to doctrine).

  • Philippine Indigenous Beliefs

    • Anitism / Animism: spirits in nature; Babaylan = shaman, ritual leader.

    • Dungan (Visayan): life-force that can leave body; linked to willpower & illness if disturbed.

POLITICAL SELF

  • Citizenship (1987 Const. Art IV): jus sanguinis, naturalization, etc.

  • Democracy

    • Elite vs Participatory; Filipino challenge = align institutions with cultural values.

  • Political Culture

    • Subjective (beliefs, emotions) & Objective (symbols, practices).

    • Identity politics: voters prefer shared language, province, persona.

  • Digital Age Engagement

    • Youth online activism; need critical evaluation of information (#Halalan2022 vigilance).

DIGITAL SELF – ONLINE IDENTITY & WELL-BEING

  • Digital Citizenship: safe, responsible, empowered ICT use.

  • Motives for Online Self-presentation

    • Meet expectations, boost esteem, belongingness, freedom, ideal self.

  • Psychological Phenomena

    • Impression management & selective self-presentation.

    • FOMO & Social-media envy → lower self-esteem.

    • Online disinhibition (benign vs toxic) → cyberbullying, trolling.

  • Smart Sharing Checklist

    1. What image do I project?

    2. Permanence of post?

    3. Oversharing?

    4. Empathy test (would I like this said about me?).

    5. Billboard test.

MANAGING & CARING FOR THE SELF

Learning to Be a Better Student

  • Information-Processing Model

    • Sensory Memory → (Attention) → Short-Term/Working Memory → (Encoding) → Long-Term Memory → Retrieval.

  • Metacognition

    • Self-appraisal + Self-management.

    • Techniques: skimming, elaborative interrogation, self-explanation, summarizing, rehearsal, self-testing.

  • Self-Regulated Learning Cycle (Zimmerman)

    • Plan → Monitor → Reflect.

Goal-Setting for Success

  • Locke & Latham – 5 Principles

    1. Clarity

    2. Challenge

    3. Commitment

    4. Feedback

    5. Task complexity (support & time).

  • SMART Framework
    \text{Specific} – \text{Measurable} – \text{Achievable} – \text{Relevant} – \text{Time-bound}.

Stress & Mental Health Care

  • Physiology

    • Stressor → HPA Axis → \uparrow Cortisol → Fight/Flight.

    • Chronic high cortisol damages hippocampus & vessels.

  • Mindset Matters (Keller et al.): perceiving stress as harmful ++ mortality risk 43\%; positive view buffers harm.

  • Self-Care Domains

    • Physical (sleep, nutrition, exercise).

    • Emotional (journaling, therapy).

    • Social (support network).

    • Cognitive (mindfulness, breaks).

  • Self-Care Bingo Ideas: hydrate, deep-breathing, tidy space, 10-min walk, gratitude list, digital detox, creative hobby, professional help.

Key Equation Examples

  • Tripartite soul balance: \text{Reason} > (\text{Appetite} + \text{Spirit}) for virtue.

  • Erikson identity crisis resolve: \text{Successful Resolution} \rightarrow \text{Virtue (e.g., Fidelity)}.

  • Information retention: \text{Practice} + \text{Spaced Repetition} \Rightarrow \Delta \text{Strength of LTM}.

Quick Reference Tables

Aspect

Western Focus

Eastern Focus

Self-concept

Independent, unique

Interdependent, relational

Source of meaning

Personal achievement

Social harmony, duty

Ideal virtue

Autonomy, authenticity

Moderation, compassion

| Freud vs Erikson |
| Stage | Freud (psychosexual) | Erikson (psychosocial) |
| 1 | Oral (0-1) | Trust vs Mistrust |
| 2 | Anal (1-3) | Autonomy vs Shame |
| … | … | … |

Remember:
Self-knowledge + Cultural insight + Strategic self-management = Empowered, integrated SELF.