UNDERSTANDING THE SELF
OVERVIEW OF THE SELF
Self-Discovery - process of learning, understanding, or knowing more about yourself and
who you are, becoming aware of one's true potential, character, motives, and the like.
Self-Awareness - knowledge of yourself and your worth as a person. An example of
awareness is what you hope to gain from meditating. Self-awareness is a result of doing
self-discovery.
Nature vs Nurture
●Nature- is often defined as genetic or hormone-based behaviors, traits, and dispositions.
It refers to all the genes and hereditary factors that influence who we are—from our physical
appearance to our personality characteristics.
●Nurture- refers to all the environmental variables that impact who we are, including our
early childhood experiences, how we were raised, our social relationships, and our
surrounding culture.
Self vs Identity
●Self - based on the lexical definition, "the person that someone normally or truly is or the
entire person of an individual".
●Identity - based on the lexical definition, refers to "the qualities, beliefs, characteristics that
make a particular person or group different from others or the distinguishing character or
personality of an individual".
●Personality - refers to the patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that make one unique
from others.
THE PHILOSOPHICAL SELF
Philosophy- is the study of acquiring knowledge through rational thinking and inquiries that
involves answering questions regarding the nature and existence of man and the world we
live in. It originated from the Greek words Philo- (loving) and Sophia (knowledge, wisdom).
At its simplest, philosophy means "loving knowledge" or "loving wisdom." The term
philosophy as originally used by the Greeks meant "the pursuit of knowledge for its own
sake."
The Philosophy of the self has been defined through distinct philosophical lenses:

Empiricism - derives explanations of the self from sensory and bodily responses. We
know things because we have experienced them through our bodily senses.

Rationalism - there is innate knowledge; they differ in that they choose different
objects of innate knowledge. Rationalism explains self from the standpoint of what is
"ideal" and the "truth", not rooted in what is felt by the senses nor our body.

Dualism - In the modern world "dualism" most often refers to "mind-body dualism,"
or the idea that the mind is separate from the body.
The Philosophical Perspective on Self: Various Philosophers
SOCRATES: "The unexamined life is not worth living” Know Yourself
Notes:
Daimonion Realm
 Physical
 Ideal

Know Thyself is the most important task one can undertake is to examine oneself, for
it alone will give one the knowledge necessary to answer the question 'how should I
live my life.'

He is principally concerned with man. He was the first philosopher who engages in
systematic questioning about the self. “Every man is composed of body and soul.” –
i. e. dualism [Man is composed of two important aspects of his personhood]

known as the "father of Western philosophy" was believed to be the first thinker to
focus on the full power of reason on the human self - our existence in the universe,
who we are, who we should be, and who we will become.

the self exists in two parts: the physical body and the soul.
- physical body is a tangible aspect of us. It is mortal (it dies), constantly
changing, imperfect, transforming, disappearing.
- Our soul, which Socrates believed to be immortal, is eternal, perfect, or ideal.
PLATO: “The first and the best victory is to conquer self." The Ideal Self, perfect self
Notes:
Tripartite Soul

He was a student of Socrates

Plato is a dualist; there is both an immaterial mind (soul) and a material body, and
it is the soul that represents the self. Plato believed the soul exists before birth
and after death. For him, one should care about his soul rather than his body.
The soul (mind) is divided into three parts:
1. Rational Soul/ Logical - this is the part that thinks and plan in the future “the
conscious mind” it decides what to do, when to do it and the possible results
one could have depending on their actions.
2. Spiritual Soul/ Emotional – this part of the soul can be attributed to the
courageous part of a person, one who wants to do something or to right the
wrongs that they observe. Spirited souls are very competitive and is very
active, his competitiveness drives one to expect positive results and winning.
3. Appetitive Soul/ Desire – Plato’s idea of the appetitive soul is the part of the
person that is driven by desire and need to satisfy oneself. This satisfaction
both involves physical needs and pleasures and desires. As long as the person
find an object or situation good or satisfying, the Appetitive soul can drive the
person to lean towards those objects and situations.

Plato was one of the first philosophers who believed in an enduring self that is
represented by the soul. He argued that the soul is eternal and constitutes to exist.
ARISTOTLE: “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom."
Notes: Body and Soul are not separated
 Eudaimonia = Happiness
Three Types of Soul
1. Vegetative Soul – Physical body that can grow
2. Sentient Soul – Sensual desires, feelings, and emotions
3. Rational Soul – What makes human

the human person is a "rational animal". In other words, for Aristotle, the human
person is simply an animal that thinks.
ST. AUGUSTINE: “Accepting God is the path to know thyself."
Notes:
 Christianity – He believes in God
 To know yourself as good (Seeking Good)
 Love and justice as the foundation of the individual self

St. Augustine’s reflections on the relations between time and memory greatly
influenced many fundamental doctrines of psychology.

Time is something that people measure within their own memory. It is not a feature
or property of the world, but a property of the mind.

He believed that the times present of things past, present, and future coexist in the
soul; the time present of things past is memory; the time present of things present is
direct experience; and the time present of things future is expectation.

The existence of past and future for St. Augustine is only possible through memory
and expectation.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS: "The soul is what makes us humans"
Notes:
 He believes in Devine Revelation
 Human soul is restless and imperfect until it rests in God.

"We don't encounter ourselves as isolated minds or selves, but rather always as
agents interacting with our surroundings."

Aquinas begins his theory of self-knowledge from the claim that each one of our selfknowledge depends on our experience of the world around us. He rejects a view that
was popular at the time, i.e., that the mind is "always on," never sleeping,
subconsciously self-aware within the background. Instead, Aquinas argues, our
awareness of ourselves is triggered and shaped by our experiences of objects in our
surroundings.
RENE DESCARTES: "I think, therefore I am."
Notes:
 Cogito, Ergo, Sum
 “I doubt, therefore I exist:”
 Mind-body dichotomy
 You cannot rely to yourself
 The self then for Rene is also a combination of two distinct entities:
-
COGITO the thing that thinks, which is the mind
-
EXTENZA of the mind, which is the body, i.e., like a machine that is attached to
the mind.

For Descartes, this is the essence of self— you are a "thinking thing" (I exist because
I think: I think, therefore I exist).

Descartes declares that the essential self, or the self as a thinking entity, is radically
different from the self as a physical body.

The thinking self—or soul—is a non-material, immortal, conscious being, independent
of the physical laws of the universe. The physical body is a mortal, non-thinking
material that is fully governed by the physical laws of nature.

Further, your soul and your body are independent of one another. Each one can exist
and function without the other.
JOHN LOCKE: “The Self Is Consciousness”
Notes:
 The self is our consciousness
 You need to rely to your senses
 It is our experiences matter the most

John Locke is known for his theory that the mind is a tabula rasa, a blank slate. Locke
believed that we are born without thoughts, or our mind was empty, and that
knowledge is instead determined only by experience.

Consciousness is the perception of what passes in a Man's own mind. He concluded
that personal identity is not in the brain but in one's consciousness.

He supports that consciousness can be transferred from one substance (body and
soul) to another. This philosophy can be understood easily in his illustration of "The
Prince and the Cobbler". It supports the possibility that the same person may appear
in a different body at the time of resurrection and yet still be the same person.
DAVID HUME: "There Is No Self"
Notes:
 Our self is just a bundle of impressions
 It is just an illusion

For Scottish philosopher David Hume, there is no self as a mental entity for "what we
call a mind is nothing but a heap or collection of different perceptions..." The self is a
bundle of impressions.

There is no stable thing called self, for the self is nothing but a complex set of
successive impressions or perceptions. Thus, we cannot observe any permanent self
because we continuously undergo change.
IMMANUEL KANT: "We Construct the Self'
Notes:
 We have the inner and outer self
 Consciousness is formed by one's inner self and outer self; · The inner self includes
rational reasoning and psychological state while the outer self includes the body and
physical mind.
GILBERT RYLE: "I act, therefore I am”
Notes:
 Bundle of behavior
 Day-to-day life

A British philosopher that opposed Rene Descartes that the self is a thinking thing.

People learn that they have their own minds because they behave in certain ways.

The self is a combination of the mind and the body. For him, the mind is not the seat
of self but the behavior, opposing Descartes' immaterial mind in a material body. The
self is the way people behave.
PAUL CHURCHLAND: "The Self Is the Brain"
Notes:
 Brain is important than mind

Paul & Patricia Churchland are both neuroscientists. It is the physical brain, not the
imaginary mind, that gives us our sense of self. To Churchland, the self is the brain.
MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY: "The Self is An Embodied Subjectivity"
Notes:
 The subjectivity of self
 You will you trust
 Phenomenologist

The French phenomenological philosopher distinguished the body into two types: the
subjective body, as lived and experienced, and the objective body, as observed and
scientifically investigated.

The former is the body as-it-is-lived. "But I am not in front of my body, I am in my
body, or rather I am my body."

He regarded self as embodied subjectivity. It sees human beings neither as
disembodied minds (existing without body) nor as complex machines, but as living
creatures whose subjectivity (consciousness) is actualized in the forms of their
physical involvement with the world.

To sum it up, Merleau-Ponty's, "I am my body" cannot simply be interpreted as
advocating a materialist, behaviorist type position. He accepts the idea of mental
states, but he also suggests that the use of the mind is inseparable from our bodily,
situated, physical nature.
SELF, SOCIETY AND CULTURE
5 CHARACTERISTISTICS OF THE SELF
1. SEPARATE - it is meant that the self is distinct from other selves. The self is always
unique and has its own identity. One cannot be another person. Even twins are
distinct from each other. (We are different to each other)
2. SELF-CONTAINED & INDEPENDENT - because it can exist its distinctness allow it
to be self-contained with its own thoughts, characteristics, and volition. It does not
require any other self for it to exist. (We can exist without others)
3. CONSISTENT - because it has a personality that is enduring and therefore can be
expected to persist for quite some time its consistency allows to be studied,
described, and measured, consistency also means that a particular self traits,
characteristics, tendencies, and potentialities are the same. (Personality lasts longer
and injuring)
4. UNITARY - in that it is the center of all experiences and thoughts that run through a
certain person it is like the chief command post in an individual where all processes,
emotion, and thoughts converge. (We experience our own self)
5. PRIVATE - Each person sorts out information, feelings, and emotions, and though
processes within the self. This whole process is never accessible to anyone but the
self. This last characteristic of the self being private suggest that the self is isolated
from the external world. (We cannot see, or we cannot know others’ mind)
THE SELF IN SOCIETY
-
Yourself is influenced by the society
-
According to Social Constructivist, we are not constant or consistent in our self.
-
Our self could not be injuring
-
Social constructionist perspective argues for a merged view of the person and
their social context where the boundaries of one cannot easily be separated from
the boundaries of the other.
-
Social constructionists argue that self should not be seen as a static entity that
says constant through and through. Rather, the self must be seen as something
that is in unceasing flux, in a constant struggle with external reality and is
malleable in its dealings with society.
THE SELF IN CULTURE
Remaining the same person and turning chameleon by adapting to one's context seems
paradoxical. A French Anthropologist MARCEL MAUSS has an explanation for this
phenomenon. According to Mauss, every self has two faces: personne and moi.

Moi - refers to a person's sense of who he is, his body, and his basic identity, his
biological governess. Moi is a person's basic identity personne on the other hand, is
composed of the social concepts of what it means to be who he is. (Basic Identity
and Physical Aspect is given)

Personne - has much to do with what it means to live in a particular institution, a
particular family, a particular religion, a particular nationality and how to behave given
expectations and influences from others. (Social Aspect, could be adjusted)
THE SELF IN FAMILY

Family - they the one who mold our self

They are being our first teacher and how they disciplined us.
GENDER AND THE SELF

Sex – Biological Identity (Male and Female)

Gender- You can decide what you can be in the society (LGBT)

Gender is an identity that is learned and embraced by the individual.

GENDER is one of those loci of the self that is subject to alteration, change, and
development.

GENDER must be personally discovered and asserted and not dictated by culture
and the society.
SELF AS COGNITIVE CONSTRUCT
o "Self" is "the sense of personal identity and of who we are as individuals
o Other concept similar to self are IDENTITY is composed of personal characteristics,
social roles, and responsibilities, as well as affiliations that define who one is
o Self-concept is what basically comes to your mind when you are asked about who
you are
o Self-identity and self-concept are not fixed in on-e time frame, and they are not
fixed for life nor are they ever-changing at every moment.
WILLIAM JAMES
 I - the thinking, acting, and feeling self (Inner Self)
 Me - physical characteristics and psychological capabilities that makes who you are
(Experience in external world)
3 Sub-categories of Self
1. Material Self - is constituted by our bodies, clothes, immediate family and home. It is
in this that we attached more deeply into and therefore we are most affected by
because of the investment we give to these things. (Possession, owned by yourself)
2. Social Self - is based on our interactions with society and the reaction of people
towards us. It is our social self that thought to have multiple divergence or different
version of ourselves. It varies as to how we present ourselves to a particular social
group. (Different characteristics depends on whom you interact with)
3. Spiritual self - is the most intimate because it is more satisfying for the person that
they can argue and discriminate one’s moral sensibility, conscience and indomitable
will. (Values or beliefs in life, religion)

He was one of the earliest psychologists to study the self and conceptualized the self
as having two aspects the "I" and the "me".
CARL ROGER
 I – Act and decide
 Me – is what you think or feel about yourself as an object
3 Concept of Self
1. Perceived Self (Self-worth - how the person sees self & others sees them)
2. Real Self (Self Image - How the person really is) Impulsive
3. Ideal Self (How the person would like to be) Deciding and Thinking

Carl Roger had come up with his conception of self through the intervention he used
for his client, the Person-centered therapy.

Carl Roger captured this idea in his concept of self-schema or our organized system
or collection of knowledge about who we are
GEORGE HERBERT MEAD: Social Self
 I - is the reaction of the individual to the attitude of others, as well as the manifestation
of the individuality of the person.
 Me - are the characteristics, behavior, and or actions done by a person that follows
the “generalized others” that person interacts with.

Self is not biological but social. Self is something that is developed through social
interactions. The self is developed as one grows and ages.

Symbolic Interactionism – human could be developed or can be created through
human interaction.
3 Reasons why self and identity are social products:
1. We do not create ourselves out of nothing.
2. Whether you like to admit it or not, we actually need others to affirm and reinforce
who we think we are, we also need them as reference points about our identity.
3. What we think is important in our social or historical context.
CARVER & SCHEIER
Two types of Self
1. Private - internal standards and private thoughts and feelings.
2. Public - your public image commonly geared toward having a good
presentation of yourself to others.
Three Self Schema
1. Actual Self - who you are at the moment.
2. Actual Self - who you like to be.
3. Ought Self - who you think you should be.
SOCIAL COMPARISON THEORY - You will know yourself if you compare it to others

we learn about ourselves, the appropriateness of our behaviors, as well as our
social status by comparing aspects of ourselves with other people

it entails self-evaluation

Downward Social Comparison - comparing yourself to those who worse off than
you.

Upward Social Comparison - comparing yourself to those who better off than
you.
SELF-EVALUATION MAINTENANCE THEORY - which states that we can feel threatened
when someone out-performs us, especially when that person is close to us.
NARCISSISM - is a trait characterized by overly high self-esteem, self-admiration, and selfcenteredness.
The Self in Western and Eastern Culture
Western culture - basically is about the focus on oneself and personal needs. Western
culture is predicated on putting egoism or individualism first. (You are distinct from others)
Eastern culture - is about focusing on others and the feelings of others. Eastern culture is
about collectivism. (Other person are part of yourself)
Individualism - orientation concerned with the independence and self-reliance of the
individual. Individualistic cultures put more emphasis on promoting the individual and the
immediate family's welfare. It gives more emphasis on freedom and choice.
Collectivism - orientation characterized by belongingness to larger groups or collectives.
Collectivistic cultures give more importance to loyalty to the in-group, which in turn takes
care of the individual's welfare. It gives more importance on relationships, roles, duties,
obligations, and the preservation of culture and tradition. It prioritizes the needs and goals
of society over the needs and desires of every individual.
The Difference Between Western and Eastern Thoughts
Confucianism

can be seen as a code of ethical conduct, of how one should properly act according
to their relationship with other people; thus, it is also focused on having a harmonious
social life.
 Identity and self-concept of the individual are interwoven with the identity and status
of his/her community or culture, sharing its pride as well as its failures.

anchored in the golden rule of "Do not do to others what you would not want others
to do to you". A good relationship with other people is a virtue. Similarly, we treat them
the way we want them to treat us.
 Self-Cultivation – is seen as the ultimate purpose of life but the characteristics of a
chun-tzu a noble character
 Subdued Self - wherein personal needs are repressed [subdue] for the good of
many, making Confucian society also hierarchal for the purpose of maintaining order
and balance in society.
Taoism

Founded by Lao Tzu

believes that simplicity, spontaneity, and harmony with nature should govern one's
life. An individual should live in his heart, accept himself, fully understand himself,
accept himself, and live at peace.
 The ideal self is selflessness, but this is not forgetting about the self, it is living a
balanced-about prejudices and egocentric ideas and thinking about equality as well
as complementarily among humans as well as other beings. There is no self.
 Taoism is living to the way of Tao (Universe)
 They reject the hierarchy and strictness of Confucianism.

The concepts of "yin" and "yang" are central to understanding the nature of reality
and our place within it. The terms refer to complementary forces or principles that
exist in the universe, and which interact to create and maintain balance.

Yin is often associated with feminine qualities such as receptiveness, gentleness, and
darkness.

Yang is associated with masculine qualities such as assertiveness, brightness, and
movement.
Buddhism

Founded by Siddhartha Gautama

Buddh means “Awake”
 The self is seen as an illusion, born out of ignorance, of trying to hold and control
things, or human centered needs; thus, the self is also the source of all these
suffering.
 There is no permanent self, we are changing.
 Nirvana (Peace and happiness)
o a place in Buddhism that there is no pain.
The Physical Self
The Physical Self - is defined by the physical characteristics that are visible. These
characteristics are the defining traits and features of the body. Sex, height, weight,
complexion, hair, and facial features are among the common, physical features identified
when one is asked to describe another person.
The “I" Self and "Me" Self-Theory

The "I" is the phase of the self that is unsocialized and spontaneous. It is the acting
part of the self, an immediate response to other people. It represents the self that is
free and unique. It is the subjective part of the self.

The "Me" is the self that results from the progressive stages of role playing or roletaking and the perspective one assumes to view and analyze one's own behaviors. It
represents the conventional and objective part of the self.
The Impact of Culture on Body Image and Self-Esteem

Self-esteem - is all about how much you feel you are worth — and how much you
feel other people value you. It is how you value and respect yourself as a person.

Body image - is how you view your physical self — It refers to how individuals
perceive, think, and feel about their body and physical appearance.

Appearance - refers to everything about a person that others can observe, such as
height, weight, skin color, clothes, and hairstyle. Through appearances, an individual
can show others the kind of person he or she is.