Understanding The Self Reviewer

UNDERSTANDING THE SELF REVIEWER

One thing could be sure “Everything could be doubted.” DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHERS  Rationalism – reason is the foundation of knowledge. Socrates  Self are:  Greek Philosopher o Constant and not prone to change, not  His works were handed through his student Plato affected by time. and historian Xenophon o The immaterial soul remains the same.  Known for his method of inquiry in testing an idea o Immaterial soul is the source of identity. (Socratic Method)-asking of series of questions. Soul can exist without the body, because it is an Some of Socrates’ Ideas immaterial substance, but possesses a body and  Soul is immortal intimately bound.  The care of the soul is the task of philosophy DISTINCTIONS  Virtue is necessary to attain happiness SOUL BODY Philosophy had a very important role to play in the lives Conscious, thinking Material substance that substance that is change throughout time of the people. unaffected by time It can be doubted “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Only known to itself Made up of physical, Self-knowledge/examination of ones’ self Not made-up of parts quantifiable, divisible - Knowing oneself can hope to improve your life. parts. Two kinds of existence  

Visible – body Invisible – soul

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John Locke Self – include the memory of the thinking thing. A person’s memories provide a continuity of experience that allows him to identify himself as the same person Tabula rasa

Plato Student of Socrates Philosophical Method  o Collection and Division Soul is the most divine part of the body David Hume  3 Parts of the Soul  Was a fierce opponent of Descartes, Rationalism o The Appetitive (Sensual)  Made Empiricism – origin of knowledge is sense o The Rational (Reasoning) experience. o The Spiritual (Feeling) Bundle Theory – “self” or person (mind) as a bundle or Theory of Forms – physical world is not really the “real” collection of different perceptions that are moving in a world but exist beyond the physical world. very fast and successive manner.  Believed that human intellect and experiences St. Augustine of Hippo are limited; therefore, it is impossible to attribute  The Latin Father of the Church it to an independent persisting entity.  One of the Doctors of the Church  Two groups of mind’s perception.  Influenced by Plato and adopted the view “self” o Impression. These are directly is immaterial (but rational) experienced. Enters through the senses. Theory of Forms (Christian Perspective) o Ideas. These are mechanisms that copy - These forms were concepts existing within the and reproduce sense data formulated perfect and eternal God where the soul based upon the previously perceived belonged. impressions.  Self – inner and immaterial “I” that had selfknowledge and self-awareness Immanuel Kant  Human is both body and soul.  The human mind creates the structure of human experience. Rene Descartes  “Self” is transcendental, which means the “self”  French philosopher, mathematician and is related to a spiritual or non-physical realm. scientist.  “Self” is not the body, but it is outside the body.  First thinker to emphasize the use of reason to Knowledge bridges the self and material things describe, predict and understand natural together. phenomena based on observational and Apperception is the mental process by which a person empirical evidence. make sense of an idea by assimilating it to the body of  Doubt was a principal tool of disciplined inquiry. ideas he or she already possesses.  Method Two Components of Self o Hyperbolical/Metaphysical Doubt 1. Inner Self. This includes your rational intellect and o Also known as, Methodological psychological state, such as moods, feelings, Skepticism – being skeptical about the and sensations, pleasure and pain. truth of ones’ belief. 2. Outer Self. It gathers information from the  “Cogito ergo sum” – “I think, therefore I am” external world through the senses, which the o Everything perceived by the senses could inner self interprets and coherently. be not be used as proof of existence Self organizes information in three ways. because human senses could be fooled  

1. Raw perceptual inputs 2. Recognizing the concepts 3. Reproducing in the imagination

Mead and the Social Self. - George Mead is known for the theory “theory of the social self.” - Self is a product of social interactions. o It is not present at birth, rather developed over time. - Stages of Self-development o Language o Play o Game - Two sides of self o “Me” the product of what person has learned while interacting.  Learned behaviors, attitudes and expectations. o “I” the part that is unsocialized and spontaneous. Response to community’s attitude.  Impulses and drives.

Sigmund Freud  His most important contribution was psychoanalysis. Three levels of consciousness 1. Conscious 2. Pre-conscious/subconscious 3. Unconscious Psychoanalytic Theory  Is a personality theory based on the notion that unseen forces, controlled by the conscious and the rational thought, motivate an individual.  Three parts of the psyche/mind o Id – the pleasure principle o Ego – the reality principle o Superego – incorporates the values and morals of the society  Conscience The Self as a Cognitive Construction  Ideal Self – imaginary picture of Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Theory how you ought to be Basic Components o Schemas/Schemes Gilbert Ryle o Adaptation  He wrote The Concept of Mind (1949) where he o Stages of Cognitive Development rejected the notion that mental states are  Sensorimotor (0-2) separable from physical states.  Pre-operational (2-7)  Ryle’s point against the theory of Descartes are:  Concrete Operations (7-11_ o The relation between the mind and body  Formal Operations (12+) are not isolated o Assimilation – application of previous o Mental processes are intelligent acts, knowledge and are not distinct from each other. o Accommodation – encountering o The operation of the mind is itself an completely new information. intelligent act. Real Self and Ideal Self Concept (Carl Rogers)  Your own action define your own concept of Ideal Self. self. o Notions Influenced by your parents. o What you admire in others THE SELF AS THE PRODUCT OF MODERN SOCIETY AMONG o What the society sees as acceptable OTHER CONSTRUCTIONS o What you think is in your best interest.  Modernization has significantly changed the Real Self. society and, and this has affected how an o The person you actually are. individual builds and develop his/her self- Allport’s Personality Theory identity.  Proposed his personality trait theory asserting  Pre-modern society was centered on survival. that every person possesses traits  People was limited to traditions and culture. o Trait is your essential characteristic that  Modernization improved people’s living never, ever changes and sticks with you conditions. all your life. Key characteristics of modernity Domains of the Self 1. Industrialism 1. Experiential Self; 2. Capitalism 2. Private self-conscious 3. Institutions of surveillance 3. Public Self/persona 4. Dynamism TRUE SELF FALSE SELF George Simmel: Social Network and Social Groups Formed if mother is Formed because of positively responsive inadequate mothering of  Social Group. Having two or more people Based on spontaneous failures. interacting with one another. Based on being o Organic Group. Traditional (influenced authentic experience. Sense of being alive and completely obedient to by family) real. parent’s wishes.  Organic Motivation. You are With sense of integrity, of Is a mask/persona there because of family. connected wholeness o Rational Group. Modern Societies.  Rational Motivation. You are there because of free will.  Social Network. Connection or ties the members of the social group.