Understanding the Self

Introduction to Understanding the Self

Social, Environmental, and other Life Factors (S.E.L.F.)
CHAPTER 1 LESSON 1

Nature vs. Nurture

Nature differs from Nurture, since in Nature, a person develops his/her characteristics biologically (something that
has developed starting from the birth of the child), while in Nurture, a person develops his/her characteristics through
the external factors, such as the environment and the society (family, friends, relatives, etc.).

*Nature- blueprint of the self; hereditary (the transmission of traits and characteristics from one generation to
another); characterization(similarities and differences); genetics.
* Arguments between Nature Vs Nurture are still unresolved.

Identity vs. Self

Identity, also, differs from Self, as what the readings say, Identities are “qualities, characteristics, beliefs, opinions,
etc., that make a person unique from others.” This is what is distinguishable by others, or what they perceive to us
through our actions. Self, on the other hand, is the “person of himself/herself, ” meaning, it is what the others didn’t
see in you, because this is personal character; this is what makes up a person.

Identity- distinguishes or compares one from another;

Self-total characteristics or qualities of a person both known and unknown to others.

According to Oyserman Elmore : “….identities make up one’s self concept variously described as what comes to
mind when one thinks of oneself.”

Dimensionalities of the
Self/Identity
There are 4 different dimensionalities of self,
namely social factor, environmental factor,
hereditary factor, and person-volition factor.

Social Factors
Social factors are the factors in the development of a person which includes all the people around us, like our family
members, relatives, friends, teachers or professors, and even strangers, that might create an impression on you or
affect your actions and thoughts in life.

Family –Nursery of human nature.

The formation of personality –Personality is the individual patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.

Environmental factors
Environmental factors are the factors in the development of a person that includes the environmental structure,
events, and such, which might give an impact on how a person could grow in all the aspects of his/her life.

Hereditary factors
Hereditary factors are the factors in the development of the person that includes biological changes and events,
such as growth in height, puberty (growing of pubic hair, deeper voices for male, broadening of hips and start of
menstruation for female, etc.) that usually affects the physical characteristics of a person. Heredity is relatively fixed
and permanent.

Person-volition factors
Person-volition factors are the inclination of a person to create a social construct (beliefs, values and morals) which
sets him apart from others.

Self in Philosophical Perspective

CHAPTER 1 LESSON 2
Self in philosophical perspective is defined as, “a unified being, essentially connected to consciousness , awareness ,
and agency(or, at least, with the faculty of rational choice).”

Philosophy is all about:

Finding answers to serious questions about ourselves and about the world we live in:
• What is morally right and wrong? And why?
• What is a good life?
• Does God exist?
• What is the mind?
and so much more Questioning existing knowledge and intuitions to get closer to the truth

What will you get out of Philosophy?

The skills are:

• Critical Thinking
• Argument Skills
• Communication
• Reasoning
• Analysis
• Problem Solving

What will you get out of Philosophy?

Which will allow you to:

• Justify your opinions
• Spot a bad argument, no matter what the topic is
• Explain to people why they are wrong and you are right
• Philosophy basically teaches you to think

Origin of Philosophy and Logic

• search for truth

• search is to look for something
• search for meaning
- importance
- significance
- value

- relevance
• philosophy ask a lot of questions
Classical Antiquity
SOCRATES: Know Yourself
Greek philosophy was started by Socrates, with his aphorism/principle of “know thyself, ” which is also inscribed in
the temple of Apollo at Delphi. Socrates believed that the real self is not the physical body, but rather the psyche (or
soul).
Body: imperfect and impermanent
Soul: perfect and permanent

Socrates' two (2) dichotomous realms

Physical realm
- changeable, transient and imperfect
- the body belongs to this realm Ideal realm

Ideal realm
- unchanging, eternal and immortal
- the soul belongs to this realm

Classical Antiquity
SOCRATES: Know Yourself
Philosophers agree that self-knowledge is a prerequisite to a happy and meaningful life. “An unexamined life is not
worth living.” He focused on the full power of reason on the human self: who we are, who we should be and who
we will become.

The soul strives for wisdom and perfection, and the reason is the soul’s tool to achieve an exalted state of life. Pour
preoccupation with bodily needs such as food , drink , sex , pleasure , material possessions and wealth keep us from
attaining wisdom.

A person can have a meaningful and happy life only if he becomes virtuous and knows the value of himself that can
be achieved through constant soul-searching. For him, this is best achieved when one tries to separate the body from
the soul as much as possible.

Classical Antiquity
PLATO: The Ideal Self, the Perfect Self
Plato, a student of Socrates, also studied and explained thoroughly what is the true essence of self, which is then
founded by his mentor. Plato suggested that the “self is fundamentally an intellectual entity whose nature exists
independent from the physical world.” “The soul is immortal.”

Philosophy of the self can be explained as a process of self-knowledge and purification of the soul. He believed in the
existence of the mind and soul. Mind and soul are given in perfection with God.

Soul has 3 parts

1. Rational Soul
■ reason and intellect
■ divine essence that enables us to think deeply, make wise choices and achieve a true understanding of eternal
truths.

2. Spirited Soul
■ emotion and passion
■ basic emotions such as love, anger, ambition, empathy and aggressiveness

3. Appetitive Soul
■ basic needs
■ includes our biological needs such as hunger, thirst and sexual desire.

These 3 elements of ourselves are in a dynamic relationship with one another, sometimes in conflict. When conflict
occurs, Plato believes that it is the responsibility of our Rational to sort things out and exert control, restoring a
harmonious relationship among the three elements of ourselves.

Plato believes that genuine happiness can only be achieved by people who consistently make sure that their Rational
is in control of their Spirits and Appetites.

Classical Antiquity
ARISTOTLE: The soul is the essence of the self
Aristotle, a student of Plato, explained thoroughly how we could see the essence of self. Aristotle suggested that the
ideal is subsumed in the phenomena. Aristotle called the ideal as essence, and the phenomena as the matter. He
emphasized that these 2 co-exist, and are dependent on one another.

Two lens of Philosophy of Self in Greek Times:

Rationalism – explains self from the standpoint of what is ideal and true, and what not is rooted with senses.
Empiricism – according to it, there is no such thing as innate knowledge; all knowledge are derived from experience
through five senses or what is perceived by our brain.

A student of Plato
• the body and soul are not two separate elements but are one thing
• the soul is simply the Form of the body, and is not capable of existing without the body
• The soul makes a person a person. The soul is the essence of the self.
• Aristotle suggests that the rational nature of the self is to lead a good, flourishing and fulfilling life.
• Without the body, the soul cannot exist. The soul dies along with the body

“Soul and body, I suggest react sympathetically upon each other. A change in the state of the soul produces
a change in the shape of the body and conversely, a change in the shape of the body produces a change in
the state of the soul.”

• Aristotle suggested that anything with life has soul

• His discussion about the self centers on the kinds of soul possessed by a man.
• He introduced the 3 kinds of soul

Aristotle: Kinds of Soul

1. Vegetative
- includes the physical body that can grow

2. Sentient
- includes the sensual desires, feelings and emotions

3. Rational
- is what makes man human. It includes the intellect that makes man know and understand things
 Modern Philosophy:
Immanuel Kant: Respect for Self
“We construct the self”
Man is the only creature who governs and directs himself and his actions, who sets up for himself and his purpose,
and who freely orders means for the attainment of his aims. This rule is a plain dictum of reason and justice: Respect
others as you would respect yourself.

• self is not just what gives one his personality but also the seat of knowledge acquisition for all human persons
• the self constructs its own reality creating a world that is familiar and predictable
• through our rationality, the self transcends sense experience

Rene Descartes: I think, therefore I am

(Cogito, ergo sum)
Self is a thinking entity distinct from the body. Although the mind and the body are independent from each other and
serve their own function, man must use his own mind and thinking abilities to investigate, analyze, experiment, and
develop himself.

The act of thinking about self - of being self-conscious - is in itself proof that there is self.

John Locke: Personal Identity

>Empiricists philosopher
>Personal identity(the self) is a matter of
psychological continuity.
>Personal identity is founded on consciousness
(memory) and not on the substance of either soul or
the body.
>Personal identity is the concept about oneself that
evolves over the course of an individual’s life.

• the human mind at birth is tabula rasa or blank slate

• he felt that the self is constructed primarily from sense experiences
• Locke theorized that when they are born, all babies know absolutely nothing
• he argued that the inside of a baby's brain was empty - ready to learn everything through experience

The self is consciousness

CONSCIOUSNESS
• necessary to have a coherent personal identity or knowledge of the self as a person
• what makes possible our belief, is that we are the same identity in different situations

David Hume: The Self is the Bundle Theory of Mind

>Empiricists philosopher
>Self is just the thing to which all
perceptions of a man are ascribed.
>Self is really just a bundle or collection of
different perceptions which succeed each
other with an inconceivable rapidity.

• self is simply a bundle or collection of different perceptions, which succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidly
and are in a perpetual flex and movement
• the idea of personal identity is a result of imagination
• There is no self

St. Augustine: Love and Justice as the Foundation of Individual Self

>Religious philosophy
>Believes that a virtuous life is dynamism of
love. It is a constant following of and
turning towards love while wicked life is a
constant turning away from love

• integrated the ideas of Plato and Christianity

• Augustine's view of the human person reflects the entire spirit of the medieval world
• the soul is united with the body so that man may be entire and complete
• believe humankind is created in the image and likeness of God
• therefore, the human person being a creation of God is always geared towards the good
• the self is known only through knowing God
• self-knowledge is a consequence of knowledge of God

Gilbert Ryle
>“The self is the way people behave”
>Self is not an entity one can locate and analyze
but simply the convenient name that people
use to refer to all the behaviors that people
make
>The self is the way people behave
>I act, therefore I can

Paul Churchland
>“The self is the brain”
>The self is inseparable from the brain and
physiology of the body
>all we have is the brain and so, if the brain is
gone, there is no self
>The physical brain and not the imaginary
mind, gives us our sense of self
>The mind does not really exist
>It is the brain and not the imaginary mind that
gives us our sense of self
>The self is the brain

Maurice Merleau Ponty

>“The self is embodied subjectivity”
>the mind-body bifurcation that has been
going on for a long time is a futile endeavor
and an invalid problem
>all knowledge of ourselves and our world is
based on subjective experience
>the self can never be truly objectified or
known in a completely objective sort of way
>the self is embodied subjectivity

Self in Scientific Perspective

CHAPTER 1 LESSON 3

Natural and social sciences encompass a number of disciplines that have deliberated on and
explained the concept and nature of the self.

Biological/Physiological Sciences
Neurophilosophy (attributed to Paul and Patricia Churchland) is concerned with the association of the brain and the
mind. In order to understand the workings of the human mind, people must first understand the brain, its functions,
and wave activity.
Maurice Merleau-Ponty- who aimed to unite idealism with empiricism.
Psychoneuroimmunology describes the shaping of the self as similar to how the human immune system functions.

Social Sciences
Social Cognitive Theory considers behavior as a function of the environment and internal attributes.
Humanistic Perspective draws its assumptions from the observed criticisms of psychoanalysis and behaviorism. It
believes that every individual has the ability to reach self-actualization and transcendence, and that each person is
inherently good or possesses something that is good.
Sociology is the study of the collective behavior of people within the society and focuses on social problems
encountered by individuals.
Anthropology is the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical
character, environmental and social relations, and culture.
Political Science (PolSci) is concerned with the participation of individuals in establishing a government and making
political choices.
Economics describes and analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economic
activities affect people’s value systems and sense of self.