UNDERSTANDING THE SELF * ST.

AUGUSTINE (354-430 CE)

- saint and a philosopher of the church
- follows the idea that God encompasses us all
- his idea of a man and how to understand who we
are as a person is related to our understanding of
PHILOSOPHY who we are
- Greek word Philos and Sophia (Love for wisdom) - he relates our existence to God being modeled in
- study of acquiring knowledge through national his likeness
thinking - he emphasized that we may not be able to give
our agreement to everything other people tell us
- integrated the teaching of the church in his
* SOCRATES (470-399 BC) philosophy and established our sense of self with
- “father of western philosophy” God
- underlies in importance of the notion -- knowing - people need to establish their relationship with
oneself God through being virtuous
- for him, men’s goal in life is to obtain happiness
- believes that the possession of knowledge is a
virtue and that ignorance is depravity * RENE DESCARTES (1596-1650)
- believes that the answer to our pursuit in knowing - “founder of modern philosophy”
ourselves lies on our own abilities and wisdom - believed in modern dualism or the existence of
body and mind and its implication to one’s existence
Socratic Method/Socratic Conversation - a person is comprised of mind and body
- method of questioning oneself
- persons assumes the role of both the teacher and
the student Thinks and question/doubt Perceives from the
what the body has experienced different senses

* PLATO (428-348 BC) - explained that because we cannot always trust

- believed in the division of a person’s body and our senses and in turn what we perceive as who we
soul which forms the person as a whole are or the essence of our existence
- presented the idea that one’s soul is divided into - implies that being in a constant doubt regarding
3 different part one’s existence is proof that a person actually exist

PLATO’S 3 PARTS OF THE SOUL Methodical Doubt

- continuous process of questioning what we
1. Appetitive Soul perceive
- driven by desire and need to satisfy oneself - accepting the fact that doubting, asking questions
- satisfaction both involves physical needs, pleasure, are a part of ones’ existence
and desire

2. Spirited Soul
- one who wants to do something or to right the
wrongs that they observe
- very competitive and is very active

3. Rational Soul
- “driver of our lives”
- part that thinks and plan for the future
- decides what to do, when to do it and the possible
results one could have depending on their actions
* JOHN LOCKE (1632-1704) * SIGMUND FREUD (1856-1939)
- English philosopher, Physician - Austrian Philosopher, Physician
- “father of classical liberalism” - “father of psychoanalysis”
- his works on this subject matter paved the way - known for his work on human nature and the
to several revolutions to fight the absolute powers unconscious
- his work on the self is most represented by the - believed that man has different constructs of
concept of Tabula Rasa (Blank Slate) personality that interacts with each other
- believed that the experiences and perceptions
of a person are important in the establishment of
who that person can become ASPECTS OF PERSONALITY
- stated that a person is born knowing nothing and
is susceptible to stimulation and accumulation of 1. ID
learning from the experiences, failures, - also known as the “child aspect of a person”
references, and observations - satisfaction one’s need and self-gratification

2. SUPEREGO
- conscience of one’s personality
* DAVID HUME (1711-1776) - involved in the notion of right or wrong that is
- Scotish Philosopher imparted to us
- focused his work in the field of Empiricism,
Skepticism, and Naturalism 3. EGO
- believes in the concrete evidences and - known as the Police/Mediator between id and
observable experiences that meld a person superego
- “self is only the accumulation of different - operates within the boundaries of reality, primary
impression” function is to maintain the impulses of the ID to an
- “there is no permanent self” acceptable degree
- reiterated when saying that there should be no
permanent concept of the self
FREUD’S LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS

* IMMANUEL KANT (1724-1804) 1. CONSCIOUS

- German Philosopher - minority of our memories are being stored
- known for his works on Empiricism and - memories that are in the conscious is easier to
Rationalism be tapped/accessed
- responded to Hume’s work by trying to establish
that the collection of impressions and different 2. PRE-CONSCIOUS
contents is what it only takes to define a person - middle part of the entirety of our consciousness
- “the awareness of different emotions that we - memories stored in this area can still be
have, impressions and behavior is only part of accessed but with a little difficulty
our self”
3. UNCONSCIOUS
Transcendental Apperception - majority of our memories since childhood are
- essence of our consciousness that provides the deeply stored
basis for understanding
- this idea goes beyond what we experience but * He believed that we are a by-product of our
still able to become aware of experiences in the past

* Our actions are driven by the idea of resisting

pain are molded from our need for pleasure.
* GILBERT RYLE (1900-1976)
- Behavioristic approach to self * MAURICE MERLEAU-PONTY (1908-1961)
- French Philosopher
- EXISTENTIALISM AND PHENOMENOLOGY
Self is the behavior presented by the person, his
notion of dualism is that the behavior that we show, - self is regarded as the body and mind that are
emotions and actions are the reflection of our mind not separate entities, but rather those two
components are one and the same this idea is
- he does not believe that the mind and body, called PHENOMENOLOGY OF PERCEPTION
though some say can coexist, are two separate
entities
- once we encounter others, their perceptions of 3 DIVISIONS OF PHENOMENOLOGY OF
what we do, how we act, and the way we behave PERCEPTION
will then result to the understanding of other
people 1. The Body
- both receives the experiences as well as
integrates such as experiences in the different
* PAUL CHURCHLAND (1942) perception
- Canadian Philosopher
- “people should improve their association and 2. The Perceived World
use of word in identifying the self” - accumulation of perception as integrated by the
- “self is defined by the movements of our brain” experiences of the body

CHURCHLAND’S IDEA 3. The People and the World

- enable one to not only be able to integrate the
Eliminative Materialism other objects in the world but also to be able to
- main philosophy of churchland experience
- opposes that people’s common sense
understanding of the mind is false

Neurophilosophy
- believed that to fully understand one’s behaviour,
one should understand the different neurological
movement of the brain that pertains to
different emotions, feelings, actions, and
reactions
 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF MEAD’S THREE ROLE-PLAYING STAGES OF
SELF DEVELOPMENT

1. The Preparatory Stage (Birth - 2 Y/O)

- the infant simply imitates the actions and
SOCIOLOGY behaviors of the people that the infant interacts
- study of how human society is established, its with
structure and how it works, the people’s interaction - their actions are only the reflection of what they
with each other can remember

* It is also important to understand that the 2. The Play Stage (2-6 Y/O)
establishment of the self based on structures could - time where children begins to interact with other
give us a better understanding of who we are - where the child practices real life situations
through pretend play
- occurs through the preliminary experiences that
serves as practice for the child
* GEORGE HERBERT MEAD
- American Sociologist 3. The Game Stage (6-9 Y/O)
- “father of American pragmatism” - ability of the children to recognize the rules of
- one of the pioneers in the field of social the game
psychology - be able to identify their roles and the roles of
the others that is playing with them
- learns the implication of their actions as well as
SOCIAL SELF the understanding
- For him, the notion of a person with regards to
who they are develops from one’s social interaction
with people SOCIALIZATION
- The self is through the construction and - lifetime endeavor
reconstruction of the idea of who we are as a person - people one interacts with will change throughout a
person’s life

TWO COMPONENTS OF THE SELF

1. ME
- characteristics, behaviour, and actions done by a
person that follows the generalized other
- behavior of the person with reference to their
social environment
- how others see you

2. I
- manifestation of the individuality of the person
- one’s response to the established attitude
- how you see yourself
 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF THE SELF EMBEDDED IN THE CULTURE

* KOTTAK (2008)
- culture refers to customary behavior and beliefs
ANTHROPOLOGY that are passed on through enculturation
- systematic exploration of human biological and
cultural diversity Enculturation
- social process which culture is learned and
transmitted
4 SUBDISCIPLINES OF ANTHROPOLOGY
Culture
1. Cultural Anthropology - social process learned and passes from
- describes, analyzes, interprets and explains social generation to generation
and cultural similarities and differences - shared, symbolic, natural, learned, integrated,
- explores diversity of the present and past encompassing and maladaptive and adaptive

ETHNOLOGY
- requires fieldwork to collect data * Social orders are coordinated and designed
- uses data to collected by a series of researchers through predominant monetary powers, social
examples, key images and core values

2. Archeological Anthropology
- reconstructs, desrcibes, and interprets human * CSORDAS (1999)
behavior and cultural patterns through material - human body is not essential for anthropological
remains study
- paradigm of embodiment can be explored in the
understanding culture and the self
3. Biological, or Physical Anthropology
- focuses on these special interest * GEERTZ (1973)
- human revolution as revealed by the fossil, human - culture as a “system of inherited conceptions
genetics, human growth, and development expressed in symbolic forms”

4. Linguistic Anthropology * The interpretation of the symbols in each culture

- studies language in its social and cultural context is essential which gives meaning to one’s action.
across space and over time
- studies how speech changes in social situations and > One must need to comprehend those meanings
over time > One must disconnect the components of
culture
 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF SUB CATEGORIES OF THE SELF:

MATERIAL SELF
- attributed to an individual’s physical attributes
and material possessions that contribute to one’s
PSYCHOLOGY self-image
- derived from two Greek words, psyche
meaning soul/mind; and logos meaning study SOCIAL SELF
- study of souls but now it is the study of mind - who a person is and how he or she acts in social
- about either the cognitive and affective situation
representation of one's identity
- is the science of mind and behavior SPIRITUAL SELF
- most intimate and important part of the self
- includes the person’s purpose, core values,
THE SELF AND IT SELVES conscience, and moral behavior
-
William James (1842-1910)
- a psychologist CONCEPTION OF SELF
- introduced in his document “The Principles of
Psychology (1890)” a numerous concepts and Carl Rogers
distinction of self - came up with his conception of self through
- main concepts of self are the “Me-self” and the the intervention he used for his client called the
“I-self” Person-centered therapy
- people must be fully honest with themselves in
THE “I” SELF order to have personal discovery on oneself
- self that knows who he or she is which is also
called the Thinking Self
- soul of a person or the mind which is also called THREE SIDES OF A TRIANGLE
the Pure Ego
a. The Perceived Self (Self Worth)
THE “ME” SELF - how the person sees self & others sees them
- empirical self which refers to the persons
experience b. The Real Self (Self Image)
- how the person really is
Three categories of understanding self
according to James: c. The Ideal Self
- how the person would like to be
 Its constituents
 The feeling and emotions they
arouse – self-feelings;
 The actions to which they prompt –
self-seeking and self- preservation.
 CONCEPT OF UNIFIED AND MULTIPLE SELF
Kenneth Gergen
 As Daniel CW (2016) wrote in his - individual has many potential selves
article ― ”Psychoanalysis vs Postmodern
Psychology” he has emphasized how Freud Albert Bandura’s (Proactive and Agentic Self)
perceived person as a unified beings and
Gergen’s concept of multiple selves Proactive
- constructive
 In Freud’s concept, he argued that mind is - optimistic that it can get through whatever
divided into three connected but distinct parts. adversities it may encounter
The Id, Ego, and Super Ego
Agentic
 According to Kenneth Gergen, proponent of - self is one who takes charge of his choices and
Post modern Psychology the individual has many actions
potential selves - - self-reflective and self-regulating

Sigmund Freud Donald Winnicott’s (True Self and Fake Self)

The mind is divided into 3 connected but True Self

distinct parts: - rooted from early infancy is called the simple
being
ID - based on spontaneous authentic experience
- the center of primitive, animalistic impulses and feeling of being alive, having ―real self
(sex, food & comfort) following the pleasure
principle Fake Self
- our defense façade
SUPEREGO - overlaying or contradicting the original sense
- the center for ethical imperative of self

EGO
- the moderator between these two which was
driven by rationality principle

2IMPORTANT DIVISIONS OF MIND

Conscious
- thoughts that we are aware of

Unconscious
- thoughts that we are not aware of
 Self Esteem
UNDERSTANDING THE SELF - show us and explains how people deals with their
physical self
- his or her interpretation of himself will be how
people act in the community
- vital on how we form positive and healthy
PHYSICAL SELF relationships with people around us
- body which we interface with our environment
and fellow being
- tangible aspect of the person that can be  People from different culture have opted to
directly observed and examined change their features in attempt to meet the
cultural standards of beauty, as well as their
religious and/or social obligations
William James
- body as initial source of sensation and necessary  They modify and adorn their bodies as part of
for the origin and maintenance of personality the part of complex process of creating and
- element of spiritual hygiene of supreme re-creating their personal and social identity
significance to be accepted by society and to be able to
accept them self. This includes body painting,
Sigmund Freud tattooing, jewelries and adornments.
- construction of self and personality makes the physical
body the core of human experience
DIFFERENT KINDS OF SELF-ESTEEM
Wilhelm Reichargued
- mind and body are one  Inflated Self-Esteem
- part of physical processes - holds high regards of themselves better
- psychological processes than the other to the point of under
estimating them

 According to Erik Erikson, the role of bodily High Self-Esteem

organs is especially important in early - positive self-esteem, which make the
developmental stages of a person life. person be satisfied of themselves

Low Self-Esteem
Carl Jung -person do not value themselves and do not
- argued that the physical body and the external trust their possibilities
world can be known only as psychological
experiences  Most of the times, this self-esteem are
define by what physical attributes they
have.
 B.F. Skinner, says that the role of the body  Beauty as define by the society, culture
is of primary importance or traditions, is what matter to the
person.
 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF Male Reproductive System
- chief role of the male in the reproductive process
is to produce sperm and the hormone
testosterone

PHYSICAL BODY
- core of human experience as form of PARTS OF MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
construction of self and personality
1. Testis
> Freud maintained that nature of the - most important part of male reproductive organ
conflicts among id, ego and superego changes - source of Spermatozoa (male germ cell)
overtime as a person grows from child to adult
2. Scrotum
> There are psychosexual stages that focus: - sac of skin where the two testes are enveloped
oral, anal, phallic and genital
3. Prostate Glands
- gland that carries out both urine and seminal fluid
HUMAN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR - connected by sperm ducts from sperm ducts
- complex and complicated, thus, it is not all joining into a single tube called urethra
different from other specimens (Feldman,2010)
- activities to arouse the sexual interest of 4. Penis
others or to attract their partners - where the ejaculation occurs by sending sperm
cells from testis and secreting them out
1. Men’s Sexual Behavior
- at puberty, the testes begin to secrete 5. Sperm
androgens (male sex hormones) which produce - male gametes
secondary sex characteristics like growth of - one that is necessary for the egg to develop and
bodily hair and change in tone of voice become a baby

2. Female Sexual Behavior

- starts at puberty where the two ovaries begin Female Reproductive System
to produce estrogens and progesterone (female - reproductive role of the female is much more
sex hormones) complex than the male
- occurs in cyclical manner where also brought
changes
PARTS OF THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE
3. Nonhuman SYSTEM
- period of ovulation is only when the ovulation
occurs to the female specieses receptive to sex 1. Ovary
- pair of small, oval organs which produces ova
(ovum; female germ cells)
Human Reproductive System - thousands of ova will mature and will be taken up
- organ system by which reproduces and bears to the fallopian tube through the uterus by the
live offspring time of puberty
- requires the union between the male and female
reproductive system to which it carries out to 2. Fallopian Tube
produce another life form - pair of thin tubes that leads from ovaries to the
uterus
 3. Uterus (WOMB) > Resolution Phase
- hollow pear-shaped elastic muscular structure - body slowly returns to its normal level of
where fertilized ovum (zygote) develops into a functioning
baby - swelled and erect body parts return to their
previous size and color
4. Vagina
- tube leading to outside of the body through an
opening called the vulva DIVERSITY OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

Heterosexuality
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF SEXUAL - sexual attraction and behavior directed to the
EXCITEMENT other sex
- involves kissing, petting, caressing, massaging and
SEXUAL EXCITEMENT other forms of sexual activities
- complex and multifaceted phenomenon that
involves intricate physiological processes within Homosexuality and Bisexuality
the human body
Homosexuals
Erogenous Zone - romantic and/or sexual attraction between
- specific area of the human body that is highly members of the same sex
sensitive to sexual stimulation
- can produce pleasurable sensations when Bisexuals
touched or stimulated - people who can be romantically or sexually
attracted to the same sex and the other sex

Sexual Response Cycle > Male homosexuals prefer the term Gay
- sequence of physical and emotional changes > Female homosexual prefer the term Lesbian
that occur as a person becomes sexually aroused
- participates in sexually stimulating activities,
including intercourse Transsexuality
- people who believed they were born with the body
4 PHASES OF SEXUAL RESPONSE of the other gender

> Arousal Phase > Men transsexuals believe that they are men in
- excitement stage a woman's body
- the body prepares for sexual activity by
tensing muscles and increasing heart rate and > Women transsexuals believe that they are
blood pressure women in a man's body

> Plateau Phase

- intensifies the responses from the excitement Transgenderism
phase - people who view themselves as a third gender
- body’s preparation for orgasm - they are transvestites (who wear clothes of the
other gender)
> Orgasm Phase
- climax of the sexual response cycle
- shortest of the phases and generally lasts only
a few seconds
 NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL METHOD OF
CONTRACEPTION

Natural Contraception
- type of birth control that depends on
observations of a woman’s body

Artificial Method
- diverse method of contraception used to
prevent conception of a woman
 UNDERSTANDING THE SELF > Accomplishments
- represent our achievements and successes in
various aspects of life

WILLIAM JAMES Awards - awards and recognition, whether in

- "Father of American Psychology" academics, sports, or the workplace
- a pioneering figure in the field of psychology Achievements - such as graduating from a
and philosophy during the late 19th and early prestigious institution etc
20th centuries
- one of James' notable concepts was the
"Material Self" > Body
- physical body is a foundational component of the
Material Self
MATERIAL SELF - encompasses an individual's physical appearance
- a fundamental concept that goes beyond an - health and fitness also play a role in this
individual's physical body component
- encompasses not only the physical aspects of
oneself but also includes possessions and
achievements acquired throughout one's life COMPONENTS OF THE MATERIAL SELF

COMPONENTS OF THE MATERIAL SELF

> Personal Belongings

- tangible items that we possess and use in our
daily lives

Clothes - clothes we wear are a prominent part

of our material self
Gadgets - modern age, our choice of gadgets,
such as smartphones, laptops, and wearable
devices

> Relationships
- crucial part of our Material Self THE EVOLUTION OF MATERIAL SELF
- they influence our identity and how we are
perceived Primitive Societies
- material self was primarily tied to essential
Family - family ties are a significant aspect of possessions such as tools, clothing, and shelter
our identity
Friends - friends we choose to associate with Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions
and the social circles we belong - people began to accumulate more material
possessions

Consume Culture
- material possessions, such as cars, appliances, and
fashion items, became symbols of status and
success
Modern Consumer Society
- 20th century and beyond, the material self has
continued to evolve with advancements in
technology and globalization

Digital Age
- the concept of the material self has extended
into the virtual realm

Sustainability and Minimalism

- seeking to define themselves through
experiences, values, and meaningful connections
rather than accumulating stuff

BALANCING THE MATERIAL AND NON-

MATERIAL SELF

> William James cautioned against

overemphasizing material pursuits, arguing
that it leads to a shallow existence. Instead,
he advocated for balancing the Material Self
with other dimensions of identity, such as
personal growth, relationships, and values

> According to James, a more profound and

authentic sense of self is cultivated by
valuing personal growth, relationships, inner
exploration, and a meaningful connection with
one ' s values and beliefs

IDENTITY FORMATION AND

PRIORITIZATION

> William James emphasized that prioritizing

aspects of identity that persist through time
is not only essential for personal authenticity
but also for building meaningful relationships,
maintaining inner harmony, and cultivating
resilience in the face of life ' s challenges