UTS MIDTERM REVIEWER

WHAT IS THE SELF? ARISTOTLE

- Separate : unique from other self - body and soul are one NOT separate
-Self-contained : in itself can exist/doesn’t need - soul is the form of the body and uncapable of
other self to exist existing w/o the body
-Independent - soul is essence of the self
-Consistent : self’s traits, characteristics are -anything with life has soul
similar - 3 kind of soul accdg to him:
-Unitary: center of all experiences and thought - Vegetative: physical body
that run thru a certain person - Sentient: sensual desires, and emotions
-Private: each person sorts out information, - Rational: intellect, what makes man
emotions and thought processes within the self human

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: ST AUGUSTINE

“Everything that irritates us about others can - integration of Plato’s ideas+christianity
lead us to an understanding of ourselves” - believes mankind is created in likeness of God
-Carl Jung - self is known thru knowing God
PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF -the soul can be immortal through communion
Philosophy: Love of wisdom (“PHILO”: love with the divine
“SOHIA”: wisdom)
RENE DESCARTES
Key Philosophers: -”COGITO ERGO SUM”
SOCRATES: - act of thinking about self is proof there is one
- every man is dualistic - composes of body and - 2 distinct entities: 1) COGITO: mind
sould 2)EXTENZA: body
- 2 important aspects of personhood:
body- imperfect and impermanent JOHN LOCKE
Soul- perfect and permanent -self is our consciousness
Socrates’ 2 dichotomous realms: - human mind at birth is blank slate or TABULA
Physical realm: changeable, transient and RASA
imperfect - self is made primarily from sense experiences
-the body belongs to this realm
Ideal realm: -unchanging, eternal, and DAVID HUME
immortal -”there is no self”
- the soul belongs to this - self is a collection of different perceptions
- first thinker to focus on full power of reason - idea of personal ideantity is from imagination
on the human self: “who we are, who we
should, who we will become” IMMANUEL KANT
- preoccupation of bodily needs keeps us from - “we construct the self”
attaining wisdom -self is an organizing principle to our
- a person can be meaningful and happy if he is experiences
virtuous and knows self value best achieved - self is not only personality but also the seat of
when body is separated from the soul as much knowledge acquisition
as possible. - self makes own reality- a familiar and
predictable world
PLATO
- philosophy of self is a process of self- GILBERT RYLE
knowledge and purification of the soul -” the self is the way people behave”
- believes in the existence of the mind and soul
that are given in perfection with God PAUL CHURCHLAND
Parts of Soul(3): -”the self is the brain”
- Rational : reason and intellect - self is inseparable from brain and the body
- Spirited: emotion and passion -physical brain not imaginary mind gives sense
- Appetitive: basic needs of self
- genuine happiness is achieved if rational is in -mind does not exist
control of other parts
MAURICE MERLEAU PONTY - Goffman argues people are concerned w
-”The self is embodied subejctivity” controlling how others view them, a process
- all knowledge of self and the world is based on called Impression Management
subjective experiences
- Frontstage: people play diff roles throughout
daily and display diff kinds of behavior
INVICTUS poem by William Ernest Henley depending on situation
(put info from assignment answers) Backstage: people are free of the expectation
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: and norms that dictate front stage behavior
“ Understanding is love. If you cant understand - the self is a social construction dependent of
you cannot love. When you understand the situation
yourself, you love your self.”
- Thich Nhat Hanh AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION
-Family: introduce children to society’s
expectations
THE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF -School: teachers and other students are source
SOCIOLOGY: a social science that studies human of expectations(thinking and behaviour)
societies, interactions, and the procesees that -Peers: imp. Source of identity. Concepts of self,
preserve and change them social skills, values and attitudes are learned
-Media
SOCIAL SELF -Religion
- made thru social interaction QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
-process starts in childhood “Watch your thoughtd; they become words.
- the human capacity to be reflective and take Watch your words; they become actions.
role of others Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
GEORGE MEAD(The Social Self) Watch your character; it become your destiny.”
- Stages in Mead’s Theory on Self’s Dev’t - Lao Tzu
-Preparatory stage: children mimic others
-Play Stage: children pretend to play role PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE SELF
of a significant other Psychology: scientific study of the mind and
-Game stage: children play organized behavior; a multifaceted discipline
games and take on the perspective of - Self is the essence of a person: his thoughts,
generalized other. feelings and actions, experiences, beliefs,
-Generalized Other: perspectives and values, principles and relationships
expectation of a network of others(society) -Cognitive Construction: an approach focusing
-Dual Nature of the self: belief we experience on mental processes rather than observable
the self as subject”I” and object”me”. behavior

CHARLES COOLEY(The Looking-Glass self) -William James - one of earliest psychologist to

- notion that the self develops thru our study the self, conceptualized having 2 aspects:
perception of others’ evaluation and appraisal “I” and “me”
-people’s image of themselves is based on how “I”- the thinking, acting and feeling self
they believe others perceive them “me”- physical characteristics/psychological
capabilities making up a person
ERVING GOFFMAN(Constructing Situations and
Drama) Other concepts similar to self are IDENTITY AND
-people routinely behave like actors, everyday SELF CONCEPT
social life become theatrical -Identity: composed of characteristic, social
roles, and responsibilities that define who one is
Interaction Order- what we do in immediate -Self-concept: what comes to your mind when
presence of others you are asked about who you are
Dramaturgy- focuses on how indiv take on roles
and act them to present a favorable impression Sigmund Freud’s construction of self and
to their “audience” personality:
(3) Structures of personality
 -Id : pleasure-seeking, immature, -better decisions-making
impulsive, child-like and cannot delay -self-control
gratification -resistance to social pressure
-Ego : “I”, works on the reality principle, -tolerance and understanding of others
controls id and can delay pressure -vitality and pleasure
-Superego : the “conscience” and “moral
judge” of conduct QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“to be beautiful means to be yourself.
Symbolic Interactionism You don’t need to be accepted by others. You
-self is created thru human interaction need to accept yourself.”
- 3 reasons why self and identity are social - Thich Nhat Hanh
products
- we don’t create ourselves out of nothing The Self in Western and Eastern Thought
-We actually need others to affirm and
reinforce who we think we are Asian Philosophies and the “self”
- what we think is important to us may also 1) Confuscianism : a code of ethical conduct -
be infleunced by what is important in our how one should properly act accdg to the
social/historical context relationship with others
Self-Awareness - having a harmonious social life
-having clear perception of personality, - an individual’s identity and self-concept
strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, interwoven with the status of the community or
motivations and emotion culture, sharing its pride and failures
-allows you to understand other people, - self-cultivation as ultimate life purpose
how they perceive you, your attitude and your Chun-Tzu-man of virtue/noble char. Embedded
responses to them to social relationships
- also presents (3)3 other self : Actual, -this cultivated self is calles “subdued self”:
Ideal and Ought Self personal needs are repressed for the good of
many.
Social Comparison Theory
: we learn about ourselves, the appropriateness Taoism : living in the way of Tao or universe
of our behavior as well as our social status -rejects one definition,they adapt a free-
flowing, relative, unitary, paradoxical view of
Downward Social Comparison almost everything.
: more common type of comparing ourselves w/ -rejects hierarchy and strictness by
other confucianism, prefers simple lifestyle
Upward Social Comparison -ideal self is selflessness but not forgetting the
: comparing ourselves w/ those who are better self, living a balanced-life w/ society & nature.
off than us
Bhuddism
Self Evaluation Maintenance Theory :self is seen as an illusion of trying to hold and
: we can feel threatened when someone out control things/human-centered needs, the
performs us so we react in (3) ways: source of suffering
1. Distance from that person/ redefine
relationship with them Western Culture - “individualistic culture”
2. Reconsider the importance of the skill/aspect Eastern Culture - “collectivist culture”
which you were outperformed
3. Strengthen our resolve to improve certain Western C.
aspects of ourselves - may loose association to groups
Narcissism -
: a trait; overly high self-esteem, self-
admiration, self-centeredness
-often charismatic-knows how to take care of
their image

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOURSELF?

Benefits of self-image:
-Happiness