UNDERSTANDING THE SELF REVIEWER The soul (mind) itself is divided into 3 parts: reason;

appetite (physical urges); will (emotion, passion, spirit.)

(GEN 002)
• The will is the source of love, anger,
indignation, ambition, aggression, etc. When
LESSON 1: From the Perspective of Philosophy these aspects are not in harmony, we experience
mental conflict. The will can be on the side of
SOCRATES either reason or the appetites. We might be
• father of Western philosophy, famously pulled by lustful appetite, or the rational desire
declared that "the unexamined life is not to find a good partner.
worth living." • To explain the interaction of these 3 parts of the
• He emphasized the importance of self- self, Plato uses the image is of the charioteer
reflection and critical thinking in the pursuit (reason) who tries to control horses
of truth and wisdom. (Socrates' Socratic representing will and appetites. Elsewhere he
Method) says that reason uses the will to control the
appetites.
• Socrates encouraged individuals to question
their beliefs, values, and assumptions, ARISTOTLE
challenging them to seek knowledge and self- • He believed that the self is a harmonious
understanding through dialogue and inquiry. integration of various faculties, reason,
• The goal of philosophy was to "Know thyself". emotion, and perception.
Knowing others is wisdom. Knowing the self is • He advocated for eudaimonia (HAPPINESS)
enlightenment. Mastering others requires force. , or flourishing, achieved through the balanced
Mastering the self requires strength. development of these faculties.
• "Self-knowledge alone eradicates misery". • Self-awareness is vital for moral and
Self-knowledge alone is the means to the intellectual growth, enabling individuals to
highest bliss." "Absolute perfection is the understand their strengths and weaknesses.
consummation of Self-knowledge." Knowledge
of oneself can be achieved only through the • Aristotle defined the soul as the essence of a
Socratic Method, that is to say, the dialogue living being but argued against its having a
between the soul and itself, or between a separate existence.
student and his teacher.
• For instance, if a knife had a soul, the act of
• Socrates is as often in the role of questioner, as cutting would be that soul, because 'cutting' is
an attendant emotional. Socrates’ questions the essence of what it is to be a knife. The soul
because he knows nothing, knows he knows is an activity of the body, it cannot be immortal
nothing, has nothing to learn. (when a knife is destroyed, the cutting stops).
For Aristotle, "humans have bodies for rational
PLATO activity," and the potential for rational activity
• He believed that the self is composed of two thus constituted the essence of a human soul.
parts: the rational soul and the irrational ST. AUGUSTINE
appetites. According to Plato, true knowledge
comes from the rational soul's pursuit of truth • Augustine integrated Christian theology with
and virtue, while irrational appetites can lead to philosophical inquiry to explore the nature of
ignorance and moral corruption. the self.

• Plato is a dualist; there is both immaterial • He viewed the self as flawed due to original
mind (soul) and material body, and it is the sin, a consequence of Adam and Eve's
soul that knows the forms. It is the soul that disobedience, but capable of redemption
apprehends the forms, existing both before birth through divine grace.
and after death. Plato asserts that the soul,
• Augustine emphasized the importance of
rather than the body, is the locus of true
faith, humility, and moral transformation in
knowledge, as it transcends the limitations of
understanding the self. He emphasizes the
the senses.
importance of faith, repentance, and adherence
to divine commandments.
 • Augustine acknowledged the struggle between will perceive their singing and stage performance. If he
earthly desires and spiritual fulfillment and believes others will see them as talented and confident,
emphasized the ongoing battle between the his self-esteem is high. Positive feedback during the
flesh and the spirit. His perspective underscores show reinforces boosting confidence further. However,
humanity's inherent frailty and sinfulness, if he imagines negative perceptions or receives critical
balanced by the hope of divine forgiveness and feedback, self-esteem may decrease. This shows how
redemption. the looking-glass self affects self-perception based on
imagined and actual social feedback.
DESCARTES
Three activities develop the self:
• Descartes proposed a dualistic view of the self,
distinguishing between mind and body. 1. Language develops self by allowing
individuals to respond to each other through
• Descartes' philosophy laid the groundwork for symbols, gestures, words, and sounds.
modern discussions on the nature of
Language conveys others' attitudes and
consciousness and personal identity. opinions toward a subject or the person.
• He famously asserted, "I think, therefore I Emotions, such as anger, happiness, and
am“ (Cogito, ergo sum) highlighting the confusion, are conveyed through language.
primacy of consciousness in defining the self. 2. Play develops self by allowing individuals to
This means that as long as you're thinking, you take on different roles, pretend, and express
know you exist. Although the mind and body
expectation of others. Play develops one's self-
are physically together as a whole, the mind and consciousness through role- playing. During
body are mentally independent and serve their role-play, a person is able to internalize the
own function. Man must use his own mind to perspective of others and develop an
investigate, analyze, experiment, and develop
understanding of how others feel about
himself. themselves and others in a variety of social
• He conceptualized the idea ‘decay of the body situations.
does not imply the destruction of the soul’ 3. Games develop self by allowing individuals to
understand and adhere to the rules of the
activity. Self is developed by understanding that
LESSON 2: Self from the Perspective of Sociology there are rules in which one must abide by in
Feral children are kids who grow up isolated from order to win the game or be successful at an
society. They might have been abandoned, lost in the activity.
wilderness, or raised by animals
Charles Cooley’s theory of the “looking glass self.” Lesson 3: Self From the Perspective of Anthropology
1. we imagine how others perceive us Anthropology is the scientific study of the origins of
2. we interpret the feedback we receive from humans, how we have changed over the years, and how
others, we relate to each other, both within our own culture and
3. based on these imagined perceptions and with people from other cultures.
interpreted feedback, we develop a self-
evaluation that shapes our sense of identity, FIVE SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
values, and beliefs about ourselves. 1. FAMILY
For example, let's say you're preparing for a - primary social institution.
school presentation. You might imagine how your Basic unit in the society, and the multifaceted
classmates and teacher will react to your presentation functions
skills, knowledge, and confidence. If you believe they'll It is one of the oldest social institutions on the
see you as knowledgeable and confident, your mirror earth.
reflects a positive self-image, boosting your self- The family significantly impacts one's identity
esteem. On the other hand, if you worry they'll see you by serving as the primary socialization agent,
as unprepared or nervous, your mirror might reflect self- teaching values, beliefs, and cultural practices.
doubt and lower self-esteem. It provides emotional support, a sense of
belonging, and influences behaviors through
Another example is, imagine a high school student role modeling and communication patterns.
is preparing for a talent show. He imagines how others
 2. EDUCATION • Assimilation
- The education system serves as a vital social
institution tasked with educating a society's - refers to the process by which individuals or
youth in essential academic knowledge, groups adopt the cultural norms, values, and practices
learning skills, and cultural norms. While of a dominant or host culture, often at the expense of
education systems exist in every country their own cultural identity.
worldwide, they exhibit differences. LESSON 4: Self from the Perspective of Psychology
by George Herbert Mead
3. RELIGION
-The religion functions as a social institution George Herbert Mead’s Theory of Social
that offers explanations and interpretations Behaviorism
for various aspects of life that may seem -George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) formulated the
mysterious. It provides understanding theory of social behaviorism to explain the influence of
regarding the causes of events and offers
social experiences on an individual's personality
insights into the concepts of birth and death. development. The theory of Social Behaviorism offers
4. GOVERNMENT valuable insights into how social interactions shape our
sense of self and identity. Mead's Theory of Social
- A government is an institution tasked with Behaviorism emphasizes the importance of social
formulating and enforcing societal rules and managing interaction in the development of the self. According
external relations with other societies. For a ruling body to Mead, the self is not innate but emerges through
to be recognized as a government, it must have the social experiences and interactions with others.
acknowledgment of the people it governs. Without this
recognition, an individual or group cannot wield power Symbolic Interactionism:
as the leading authority within a society. -At the core of Mead's theory is the concept of symbolic
5. ECONOMY interactionism, which posits that individuals develop a
sense of self through the interpretation of symbols and
-The economy functions as the institution overseeing gestures within social contexts. Through
the production and distribution of goods and services, communication and interaction with others, individuals
crucial for meeting the needs of individuals across learn to understand and interpret the meaning of
societies. While some may be self-sufficient, others rely symbols, such as language, gestures, and societal
on external sources. In such cases, an exchange norms, which shape their sense of self and identity.
medium, like currency in industrialized societies or
alternative goods/services in nonindustrialized ones, Role-Taking:
becomes essential. The economy affects one's identity This refers to the ability to understand and adopt the
by shaping access to resources, opportunities, and social
perspectives of others. Through role-taking, individuals
status. Economic conditions influence education,
learn to anticipate how others will react to their actions
employment, and lifestyle choices, impacting and adjust their behavior accordingly. Role-taking
individuals' sense of security and self-worth. allows individuals to develop empathy, perspective-
LEARNING A CULTURE taking skills, and a sense of social identity.

• Enculturation I and ME Self

-is the process by which individuals internalize

the cultural norms, values, beliefs, and behaviors of
their own society or community.

• Acculturation
- involves the exchange and integration of cultural
elements between different cultural groups. It occurs
when individuals or groups from one culture come into
contact with and adopt elements of another culture,
leading to cultural change and adaptation. The "I" represents the spontaneous and impulsive
aspect of the self,
the "Me" represents the socialized aspect shaped by
societal norms and expectations.
LESSON 5: Self from the Perspective of Psychology: B. Self-Regulation:
Humanistic Psychology
Controlling your own behavior to reach goals.
Albert Bandura
Setting Goals: Deciding what you want to achieve.
- famous psychologist who created the SOCIAL
Self-Monitoring: Keeping track of your progress.
COGNITIVE THEORY (SCT). this theory
explains how people learn and behave through Self-Evaluation: Checking if you are meeting your
a mix of their own thoughts, the actions they goals.
take, and the world around them.
Self-Reinforcement: Rewarding or correcting yourself.
Key Ideas of Social Cognitive Theory
c. Self-Reflective Capability:
a. Reciprocal Determinism
Thinking about your own thoughts and actions.
● Your behavior, your personal thoughts and feelings,
and your environment all influence each other. Self-Evaluation: Thinking about how well you did
something. Self-Efficacy Judgments: Thinking about
● Your actions are shaped by both what’s around you how well you can do something.
and what’s inside you.
d. Proxy Agency and Collective Efficacy:
b. Observational Learning (Modeling)
Proxy Agency: Getting help from others to reach your
● Learning by watching others. goals. Collective Efficacy: Believing that a group can
work together to achieve something.
● There are four steps:
1. Attention: Paying attention to what others are
doing.
2. Retention: Remembering what you saw.
3. Reproduction: Being able to do the same thing
yourself.
4. Motivation: Wanting to copy the behavior.
c. Self-Efficacy
● It is believing in your ability to do something.
● If you think you can do something, you’re more
likely to try and keep trying, even if it’s hard.
d. Outcome Expectations
● It is thinking about what will happen if you do
something.
● These thoughts help you decide whether or not to do
something.

Bandura's Concept of the Self

a. Self-System:
How you see, evaluate, and control your own behavior.
Self-Observation: Watching your own actions.
Judgmental Process: Comparing your actions to your
goals or standards.
Self-Response: Rewarding or punishing yourself based
on what you see