LESSON 1: Understanding the Self PLATO

 “Moral Virtue is rooted in the intellect and leads

Self-understanding is Essential to happiness.”
A. Provides a Sense of Purpose  “Wisdom and knowledge lead to virtue which will
We are the only one responsible in determining lead to Happiness.”
our purpose in life.
Plato added that there are three components of the
B. Leads to Healthier Relationships soul:
Understand who we are and what we truly want
from a relationship that we can be more 1. Rational - Forged by reason and intellect that
intentional with our words and actions. has govern the affairs of the human person.
2. Spirited - Which is in charge of emotions.
C. Helps harness your natural strength 3. Appetitive - In charge of base desires like
We come up with a realistic and meaningful eating, drinking, sleeping, and having sexual
action plan to pick a playing field that is better intercourse, is controlled as well.
suited to our strengths. We stop punishing
ourselves for our shortcomings and learn to work  Plato emphasizes that “ Justice in the human
around them. person can only attained if the three parts of the
soul are working harmoniously with one another.
D. Promotes Confidence
Do what our heart desires and stay resilient in ST. AUGUSTINE
the face of adversity, for we very well know that  Christian philosopher and bishop of Hippo in
what we do is not about us, it is about the vision Northern Africa.
that we believe in, that vision that things can be  The body is bound to die on earth
done differently.  The soul is to anticipate living eternally in a
reality of spiritual bliss in communion with God.
Philosophy of the Self  Love of God, faith in Him, and understanding of
Philosophy is often called the “mother of all His Gospel will ultimately lead to happiness.
disciplines,’ encompassing the entire breadth of  Saint Augustine identified the two fold process
inquiry about humans and the universe they inhabit. comprised of Self- presentation leading to Self-
realization.
Self as “ a unified being, essentially connected to  Understanding the self and formation of identity
consciousness, awareness and agency ( or at is achieved through the process of “Introspection
least, with the faculty of rational choice).” or self-analysis.”

SOCRATES Thomas Aquinas

 was the first philosopher who ever engaged in a  Man is composed of two parts: matter and form.
systematic questioning about the self; the true  Matter, or hyle in Greek, refers to the “common
task of the philosopher is to “know oneself”. stuff that makes up everything in the universe.”
 described as the “ Father of Western philosophy”  Form, or morphe in Greek refers to the “essence
 For Socrates, every man/woman in composed of of a substance or thing.”
body and soul  Matter and form combine to create formed
 All individuals have an imperfect, impermanent matter or substance- that is all familiar things we
aspect, refers to the body. see in the universe.
 And a soul that is perfect and permanent.  Example a sculptor takes block of marble (which
 Michael Jackson’s transformations dramatize itself embodies both matter and form) and then
philosophical questions about identity gives it further form of shaping it into the formal
 "Knowledge is the personification of good while design he or she has in his mind.
ignorance is that of evil." - Socrates
 Self knowledge is the ultimate virtue. As the
ultimate virtue, it will lead to ultimate happiness.
 “An unexamined life is not worth living.”
RENE DESCARTES IMMANUEL KANT
 French philosopher considered the founder of  German philosopher considered by many to be
modern philosophy the greatest thinker of the 18th century.
 For Descartes, this is the essence of your self –  He asserted that it is the human mind which
you are a “ Thinking thing,” a dynamic identity creates experiences.
that engages in all of those mental operations  “Reason is the final authority of Morality.”
we associate with being a human self.  Inner Self - Includes rational reasoning and
psychological state
 The Thinking self or soul is a nonmaterial,  Outer Self - Includes the body and physical
immortal and conscious being, independent of aspect where representation occurs.
the physical laws of the universe.
 The physical body is a material, moral, and non GILBERT RYLE
thinking entity, fully governed by the physical  a British philosopher whose book , The Concept
laws of nature. of Mind, has a dramatic impact on Western
thought.
 “I think, therefore I am.”
 is the first principle of Descartes’s theory of “ The Self is How You Behave”
knowledge because he is confident that no He thought of his approach as a logical
rational person will doubt his or her own behaviorism, focused on creating conceptual clarity,
existence as a conscious, thinking entity – while not on developing techniques to condition and
we are aware of thinking about our self. manipulate human behavior.

DAVID HUME He stated that “ A person therefore lives through

 Men can only attain knowledge by two collateral histories:
experiencing. 1. Public – consisting of what happens in and his
 Scottish philosopher whose skeptical body.
examinations of religion, ethics, and history 2. Private – consisting of what happens in and to
his mind.
According to David Hume If we carefully examine
the contents of our experience, there are two Patricia Churchland
distinct entities:  “A fully matured neuroscience will eliminate the
1. Impressions –- are the basic sensations of our need for the beliefs since they are not real.”
experiences, the elemental data of our minds :  To understand the mind, we must understand the
pain. Pleasure , heat cold, happiness grief, fear brain
and so on these impressions are lively and vivid.  “The physical brain gives us a sense of self.”
2. Ideas -– are copies of impression, and as a
result they are less lively and vivid. Include JOHN LOCKE
thoughts and images that are build up from our  He considered the “Father of Liberalism” as he
primary impressions through a variety of had posited the “theory of mind” which is a
relationships. breakthrough in the origin of modern
understanding of the concept of identity and self.
 Self, is simply “a bundle or collection of different  “The Self is found in the consciousness. He
perception, which succeed each other with an identified the brain as comprising the
inconceivable rapidity, and are in a perpetual flux consciousness which has one’s identity.”
and movement.”
 According to Hume, it’s like a theatre, where MERLEAU-PONTY
several perceptions successively make their  Primacy of Perception – where he said that “
appearance, pass, repass, glide away, and there is harmony between what we aim at and
mingle in an infinite variety of postures and what is given , between intention and
situations.” performance.
 He claimed that ‘Consciousness is primarily not
a matter of “I think that” but “ I can”.
LESSON 2: The Self, Society, and Culture Vygotsky
The theory of the Social Self
Self -- is based on the perspective that the self
- Separate emerges from social interactions, such as
- Unitary observing and interacting with others, responding
- Private to others' opinions about oneself, and
- Self-contained internalizing external opinions and internal
- Consistent feelings about oneself.
- Independent
Harry Stack Sullivan
Separate Self-System
 It is mean that the Self is distinct from other  A consistent pattern of behavior that maintains
selves. people’s interpersonal security by protecting
 It is always unique and have its own identity them from anxiety.
 One cannot be another person.  As children develop intelligence and foresight,
they become able to learn which behaviors are
Self-Contained related to an increase or decrease in anxiety.
 Because in itself it can exist.  This ability to detect slight increases or
 Its distinctness allows it to be self-contained with decreases in anxiety provides the self-system
its own thoughts, characteristics and volition . with a built-in warning device.

Independent Mead
 It does not require any other self for it to exist. Acquiring a Self, the Process of Self-Constitution
The Self is a product of socialization. According to
Consistent George Herbert Mead, an American sociologist
 Means that a particular self’s traits, and the Father of sociological tradition called
characteristics, tendencies, and potentialities are symbolic Interactionism, our concept of the self is
more or less the same. acquired through the use of symbolic gestures.

Unitary Development of Self

 It is the center of all the experiences and  Language develops self by allowing individuals to
thoughts that run through a certain person. respond to each other through symbols, gestures,
 It is like the chief command post in an individual words, and sounds. Language conveys others'
where all processes, emotions, and thoughts attitudes and opinions toward a subject or the
converge. person.
 Play develops self by allowing individuals to take
Private on different roles, pretend, and express
 Each person sorts out information self is isolated expectation of others. Play develops one's self-
from the external world. It lives within its own consciousness through role-playing.
world.  Games develop self by allowing individuals to
understand and adhere to the rules of the activity.
Marcel Mauss Self is developed by understanding that there are
French Anthropologist and Sociologist rules in which one must abide by in order to win
the game or be successful at an activity.
Two Faces of the Self
1. Personne - has something to do with what it Personification – People acquire certain images of
means to live in a particular institution, a themselves and others
particular family, religion and nationality. Good Me - Personification consists of
2. Moi - refers to a person’s sense of who he experiences that are rewarded, which a child
is, his body and his biological givenness. would sense a noticeable decrease of anxiety
Bad Me - Consists of experiences that are
punished and cause greater anxiety to a child.
Significant Others - They are the individuals to A Socio-Cultural View of Knowing Oneself
whom a person is intimate with immediate family Karen Horney attributed social and cultural
members, relatives, peer group, and friends. conditions, most especially early childhood
Generalized Others - The attitude of generalized experiences, to be largely responsible for the
other is the attitude of the whole community formation of one’s personality.

Two Sides of Self: Me & I Karen Horney Theorized three interaction styles
The 'me' is considered the socialized aspect of that individuals use to cope
the individual. 1. Moving towards people – which is
The 'me' represents learned behaviors, attitudes, characterized by compliance. These people
and expectations of others and of society. become very dependent on others, and seek
The 'me' is considered a phase of the self that is affection, acceptance, and approval.
in the past. 2. Moving against people – emphasizes hostility
and aggression. They have a tendency to bully
The ‘I’ is considered the unsocialized self. others, take advantage of others, or push
The ‘I’ – which responds on on going, moment to people around.
moment basis to the “ me” as well as those 3. Moving away from people- highlights isolation.
constantly emergent circumstances within which People who move away from others desire
particular social, interactive conduct unfolds. privacy, independence, and self-sufficiency.
The ‘I' is considered the present and future phase
of the self. Horney describes two views of the Self:
1. The real self – is a person’s actual and current
Culture being, the mix of a person’s strategies,
According to Edward Tylor (1871), “ culture is the strivings, strengths, and weaknesses.
complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, 2. The ideal self – is an imagined fantasy that
law, art , moral, custom, and other capabilities and promises a sense of positive identity, thus it is
habits acquired by man as a member of society. called the “impossible self”.

The Self and the Development of the Social World Identity Formation
- Schwatz, White, and Lutz Identity - is something that moves and grows
“Language as both a publicly shared and privately throughout life as people confront new challenges
utilized system in the site where the individual and and tackle different experiences in the family, circle
the social make and remake each other.” of friends, community and society.

Mead and Vygotsky Famous Theories of Identity Formation

Development of the Social World 1. Eric Erickson – Identity versus Role Confusion
Human persona develop with the use of a. During this stage, adolescents search for a
language acquisition and interaction with sense of self and personal identity through
others. an intense exploration of personal values,
beliefs and goals.
Self in Families 2. James Marcia – Four Statuses of Identity
1. Human persons learn the ways of living and a. Identity Foreclosure: Adolescents have
therefore their selfhood by being in a family. blindly accepted and committed to values
2. It initiates what a person to become that and beliefs taught to them by their family,
serves as the basis of a person’s progress. community, or significant others without
exploring alternatives. They do not question
Gender and the Self the values that were taught to them.
1. One of those loci of the self that is subject to b. Identity Diffusion: Adolescents have not yet
alternation, change, and development. attempted to find their identity, nor do they
2. Gender has to be personally discovered and have a clear picture of what their identity
asserted and not dictated by culture and may be. They have not set any goals for
society. themselves.
 c. Identity Achievement: After a process of LESSON 3: The Physical Self
active exploration, adolescents have made
a strong commitment to a highly developed Leonardo da Vinci
set of beliefs and values. Learn how to see. Realize that everything
d. Identity Moratorium: Adolescents are connects to everything else.
actively experiencing a crisis which has led
them to explore their identity and values. I am not who I think I am.
However, they have not yet committed to I am not who you think I am.
any values or beliefs and are instead I am who I think you think I am.
experimenting.
3. Charles H. Cooley – “Looking-glass self” Physical Self is the concrete dimension, the
a. is a social psychological concept, in 1902, tangible aspect of the person that can be directly
stating that a person's self grows out of observed and examined.
society's interpersonal interactions and the
perceptions of others. Physical Self/Body is an initial source of sensation
i. You imahine how you appear to the and necessary for the origin and maintenance of
other person personality – WILLIAM JAMES
ii. You imagine the judgement of the
other person
iii. You feel some sense of pride, The physical body is the core of human experience.
happiness guild, of shame - SIGMUND FREUD
4. George H. Mead – Taking the role of the other
a. This is seeing the world through another’s Bodily Organs are important in early developmental
eyes. life stages.
b. Walking in someone else’s shoes. later in life, physical & intellectual skills determine
c. Growing up version of having imaginary whether the individual will:
friends and talking to yourself. 1) achieve a sense of competence
5. Erich S. Fromm – Identity as one of the 2) choose demanding roles in a complex
psychological needs society.
a. refer to a need to develop one’s - ERIK ERIKSON
uniqueness.
b. The human need is for a sense of identity, 3 ways physical appearance impact self worth
or the capacity to be aware of ourselves as  How we view ourselves
a separate entity.  How we view others
c. I want to stress only the concept that  How we think others view us
identity is the experience which permits a
person to say legitimately “I”. THE SOCIOLOGY OF THE BODY (1990’S)
6. Rom Harre and Langenhove – Positioning “somatic society” - new found importance of the
Theory body in contemporary society
a. Identity is a product of positioning within a - BRYAN TURNER
discourse
b. Positioning as “ the discursive process The obsession to have a beautiful face & body
whereby people located in conversation as  Bulimia Nervosa - characterized by recurrent
observably and subjectively coherent binge eating with or without vomiting.
participants in jointly produced storylines.  Anorexia Nervosa - characterized by loss of body
c. The act of positioning refers to the weight and refusal to eat.
assignment of fluid parts or roles to  High Demand cosmetic surgery and skin
speakers in the discursive construction of whiteners
personal stories that make a person’s  Body Dysmorphic Disorder - People with BDD will
actions intelligible and relatively determinate not believe the compliments they receive, instead
as social acts. they try convince others of their ugliness.
 Many people especially women spend We also tend to collect and possess properties.
tremendous expenditure of time, effort & money The collections in different degree of investment of
to alter their appearances to resemble an ideal self, becomes part of the self.
image.
 Barbie doll depicted the perfect body image of
what a woman or girl should aim for – Ideal
Woman

*Beauty is in the eye of the beholder*

What you find beautiful in others sometimes reflect

the beauty in you or the beauty you want to see in
you.

We are NOT our bodies. We live in our bodies, our

bodies do not make up WHO we are
A. BODY.
 The inner most part of our material self.
LESSON 4: Material Self - Hair
- Brain
Belk (1988) stated that “we regard our possessions - Eyes
as parts of ourselves. We are what we have and - Muscles
what we possess.” - Bones
- Skin
There is a direct link between self-identity with what - Intestines
we have and possess. Our wanting to have and - Lungs
possess has a connection with another aspect of - Heart
the self, the material self.
We are directly attached to this commodity that we
A Harvard psychologist in the late nineteenth cannot live without.
century, William James, wrote in his book, The  we strive hard to make sure that this body
Principles of Psychology in 1890 that functions well and good.
understanding the self can be examined through its  We do have certain preferential attachment or
different components. intimate closeness to certain body parts
because of its value to us.
James described these components as:
✓ Its constituents - self are composed of the  Any ailment or disorder directly affects us
material self, the social self, the spiritual self and - Immune system
the pure ego. (Trentmann 2016; Green 1997.) - Nervous system
✓ The feelings and emotions they arouse – self- - Musculoskeletal system
feelings; - Excretory system
✓ The actions to which they prompt – self- - Reproductive system
seeking and self-preservation. - Endocrine system
- Respiratory system
According to William James primarily Material Self - Integumentary system
is about our bodies, clothes, immediate family, and - Cardiovascular system
home. - Digestive system

The more investment of self-given to the particular Mariah Carey who was reported to have placed a
thing, the more we identify ourselves to it. huge amount for the insurance of her vocal cords
and legs (sukman, 2016).
B. CLOTHING Material Self Presentation and Identity
- is a form of self-expression . We choose and wear • Semiology – the study of objects as signs.
clothes that are reflection of our self. (Watson • Sign – anything that conveys meaning. Everyday
2014). objects are not just things but a complex system
- The fabric and style of the clothes we wear brings of signs which allows one to read meaning into
sensations to the body, to which directly affect our people and places.
attitudes and behavior. • Semiotics – from the Greek work semeion, the
study of signs and texts. Examine how words,
C. FAMILY photographs, images and objects can work as a
- Our parents and siblings hold another great language to communicate a range of ideas,
important part of our self. associations and feelings.
- when their lives are in success, we feel their
victories as if we are the one holding the trophy. Elements of Signs
- when an immediate family member dies, part of Signifier - refers to physical form. The function of
our self dies too. objects in semiotic analysis.
ex. diamond ring
D. HOME Signified – a mental concept it refers to.
- is where our heart is. It is the earliest nest of our ex. engaged to be married
selfhood.
- Our experiences inside the home were recorded Theory of the Meaning of material possessions
and marked on particular parts and things in our (Dittmar, 1992, 2004)
home. 1. Instrumental functions- relate to the functional
properties of a product.
EX. A person bought a pick-up style of car
William James (1890) described self as “a man’s for family and business functions.
self is the sum total of all what he can call his 2. Social symbolic functions – signify personal
possessions then become a part or an extension of qualities, social standing, group affiliation and
self. “ gender role.
EX. Buying an iPhone instead of other
Having investment of self to things, made us mobile phones.
attached to those things. The more investment of 3. Categorical functions – the extent to which
self is given to the particular thing, the more we material possessions may be used to
identify ourselves to it. We had the tendency to communicate group membership and status.
collect and possess properties. EX. Buying or renting a condo unit in Makati
City
Roland Barthes 4. Self-expressive functions – reflect a person's
• The French critical and literary theorist, unique qualities, values or attitudes.
essayist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician. EX. There are people who may represent
Barthes' ideas explored a diverse range of themselves by collecting objects with a
fields and he influenced the development of Hello Kitty brand. Others, their favorite color
many schools of theory, including structuralism, through the color of their accessories.
semiotics, social theory, design theory,
anthropology and post-structuralism. The Role of Mass Media In Shaping Behaviors
• He was one of the first to observe the 1. Advertising Media
relationships that people have with objects, and - Media is such a part of our daily lives that we
in particular looked at objects as signs or things don’t even realize it’s influencing us in big and
which could be decoded to convey message small ways. Media use in advertising is
beyond their practical value. purposely designed to elicit a change in
consumer action, belief and perception. While
it’s generally known that we’re being swayed for
commercial reasons, the consuming public
allows these forays because media pays for
 shows on television or music on the radio as
well as the information and news we read in
newspapers and magazines.
2. Entertainment Media
- Media can shape who we are as both public
and private people. A celebrity wears a certain
clothes ensemble or mentions the designer,
manufacturer or store where it was purchased
and almost immediately, sales for that item
skyrocket.
- Celebrity endorses bring instant brand
awareness and receptivity even if indirect.
Advertisers pay to get their products
conspicuous placement in TV and movies
because they believe these seemingly non-
commercial associations will result in positive
uplift and eventually, sales.
3. Online Media
- The internet has added significantly to media’s
ability to influence consumers. There are
thousands of websites from both commercial
and private sources hawking everything for sale
under the sun.
Material Self – Spiritual Verse
Body – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of
the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from
God? You are not your own, for you were bought
with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Clothing – Luke 16:19-31
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple
and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every
day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named
Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed
with what fell from the rich man's table.
Family – Exodus 20:12
“Honor your father and your mother, that your
days may be long in the land that the Lord your
God is giving you.
Home – Proverbs 24:3-4
By wisdom a house is built, and by
understanding it is established; by knowledge
the rooms are filled with all precious and
pleasant riches.