Chapter 9 The Spiritual Self William James

Chapter 9 The Spiritual Self William James’ take on spiritual self which is included to the other empirical
selves is defined as the inner most workings of the persons mind, the behavior, beliefs and even morals
that involves every aspect of the human as a person. Considering the will of the person, how they
distinguish between right and wrong and also one’s intellect are some of the manifestation of the
spiritual self of a person. According to James (1890) people will find more satisfaction in having been
able to show of the spiritual self like their intelligence, to have their wishes be done, and to act upon
their conscience than to count or show their possession, because he said that the spiritual self “is the
most enduring and intimate part of the self”. Manifestations of the Spiritual Self Person’s Will – Refers
to one’s wishes, these are the things that we want to see and achieve in our lives. Intelligence and
abilities – these are the perceived strengths of a person, the things that they have confidence in doing
and believe to have a certain level of mastery of. Ex. Morals – it is the definition of what is right and
wrong, distinguishing the things that are acceptable for a person, the society and at the same time the
determination of the possible effects of their actions to themselves, their environement and other
people. Values – is the person’s ability to distinguish what is important and what is not. With one’s
values system a person may be able to prioritize what they think are the tasks or things that the 52
need, what are things that should be done or resolve immediately and what are those that they can
delay without grave repercussions. With these in mind, the establishment of a person’s notion of what is
good, as well as, their ability to not only be able to stand on what they think is the right thing to do but
to be able to make life decisions based on such beliefs is what William James consider as the
manifestation of a person’s spiritual self. In the Philippines, our country is known to have a culture that
values the teachings of religion, where our notion of right and wrong is based on the teachings of the
church or any religion that the people are following. Having such guide, it is imperative for one to fully
understand the extent and be able to define the cohesiveness of their own beliefs to the teachings of
their religion, this will enable one to be able to understand further who they are, what they want to do,
and what are the things that they can and cannot do based on the acceptable behaviours that are being
taught in one’s religious orientation. People will act according to how they feel, what they believe in and
what they want to do or happen, but having the inability to understand that there may be some
difference on how others perceive and conflict may arise, since Williams also posits that if the one’s
beliefs, abilities as well as emotions are being criticized a person may feel that they are being questioned
as a whole which will result to negative reactions. For example, people tend to criticize other people
that are different from them (religion, race, gender, etc.) these criticisms may elevate to bigger
problems such as discrimination or division of groups, but if we think carefully we cannot expect others
to believe what we believe in, one cannot expect others to have the skills that they have, and an
individual cannot expect others to be able to think exactly like him, then we will have an easier time to
create an environment that promotes the individuality of every members of the society. The Practice of
Religion: Belief in Supernatural Being and Power Religion refers to beliefs and behaviors related to
supernatural beings and powers. Worldview is broader than religion. Worldview refers to the collective
body of ideas that members of a culture generally share concerning the ultimate shape and substance of
their reality. Religion also differs from spirituality, which is a concern with the sacred in an individual
manner. All cultures have religion, spirituality, a worldview and magic (Haviland, 2007).

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Chapter 9 The Spiritual Self William James’ take on spiritual self which is included to the other empirical

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