The Self in Western and Oriental

The Self in Western and
Oriental/Eastern
Thought
LESSON 5 – “PEOPLE AROUND ME”
Western Concept of Self
 St. Thomas Aquinas – believed that the body constitutes individuality; the individual was the focus of
Renaissance thought, with Rene Descartes’ famous “I think, therefore I am” as the epitome of the
Western idea of self.
 Western tradition is “imbued with a style of thinking based on dichotomy and binary opposition”
 Four categories on how the term “self” is used in contemporary western thought accdg. To Frank
Johnson (1985)
 1. Analytical – “the tendency to see reality as an aggregate of parts”; the “self” is an observer separate
and distinct from external objects (Me versus Other)
 2. Monotheistic – involved the tendency toward unitary explanations of phenomena and a closed-system
view of “self” as modeled after a unitary, omnipotent power (“Man was created by God, in His image)
 3. Individualistic – is a quality of western thinking where self-expression and self-actualization are
important ways of establishing who one is,as well as in finding satisfaction in the world.
 4. Materialistic/Rationalistic – tends to discredit explanations that do not use analytic-deductive modes of
thinking
Eastern Concept of Self

Hinduism
 Vedas – the earliest religious writings in the East; formed he Hindu philosophy and dharma (the principle of
cosmic order)
 Brahman – described the true nature of humans which is the divine universal consciousness encompassing the
universe; is the Self that is all within us
 Main points is “change your perception of the world to perceive the Brahman in oneself and in others.
Buddhism
 Is composed of the teachings of Buddha; in Buddhist traditions, the “self” is not an entity, a substance, or
essence.
 Rather, the “self” is a dynamic process; is interdependent and ever changing
 The Buddha taught a doctrine called anatta, often defined as ”no-self or no-soul”
 Annata – a concept that the sense of being a permanent, autonomous “self” is an illusion;the teaching that
there is no eternal unchanging “self/soul” inhabiting our bodies or living our lives
 Buddhist tradition holds that the human being’s inborn erroneous view of “self” as an enduring entity is
the cause of his/her suffering because he/she tries to hold on to that which is in constant flux and has no
existence outside of shifting contexts.
 Buddhism takes a great interest in how people experience their “self” rather than just their abstract idea of
it.
 Confucianism
 The quest for the “self” in terms of substance, of spirit of body, or of essence does not exist; wrote about
the concept of “self” is that of personality
 The qualities that form a person’s character are not something that exists inherently rather it is formed
through upbringing and the environment
 Confucian philosophy presented the idea that every person is born with four (4) beginnings but these do
not comprise the concept of “self” but when perceived together, it could be explained in Western terms as
a “pre-self” or a “potential self”
 These four beginnings are:
• Heart of compassion that leads to Jen;
• Heart of righteousness that leads to Yi;
• Heart of propriety that leads to Li; and
• Heart of wisdom that leads to Chih.
 Jen, Yi, Li, and Chih are the perfection of the virtues that at the start were mere potentials
 Personality ( in the Confucian perception) is an achieved state of moral excellence rather than a given
human condition.
 Such achieved personality, or self, is not to be understood as primarily an individual entity; it is deeply
embedded within the family and society and only in that context that the self comes to be what it is.
Taoism
 Rejects a hierarchical view of self, society or cosmos; does not regard the “self” as an extension of social
relationships; rather the “self” is but one of the countless manifestations of the Tao
 It is an extension of the cosmos(or the universe seen as a well-ordered whole)
 Chuang-tzu (regarded as a mystic of unmatched brilliance in China), gave an explicit negation of the
centrality of the “self”; according to him, “The perfect man has no self; the spiritual man has no
achievement; the true sage has no name”.
 The ideal is, thus selflessness; in sum Chuang-tzu’s conception of selfhood entails conscious self-
transformation leading to the attributes of a balanced life in harmony with both nature and society.
 Nafs – Arabic word for the word “self” written in the Holy Quar’an; it pertains to the psyche (the totality
of the conscious and unconscious human mind) or the soul
 The Qur’an does not ascribe any property of goodness or evil to the “nafs/self”; instead the “nafs/self” is
something which has to be nurtured and self-regulated, so that it can progress into becoming “good” (or
conversely, ”evil”) through its thoughts and actions.
 The “self” in Islamic tradition is used both in the individualistic and collective sense.
 Individualism – refers to the extent that you value independence and personal uniqueness
 Collectivism – refers to the extent that we value our duty to groups to which we belong and to group
harmony
 Culture plays a very significant role in the development of the self-concept; it embodies specific values,
thoughts, or ideas that play a central role in determining a person’s sense of “self”
 The two dominant self-concepts are the individualistic self and the collective self
 Individualistic Self (Western countries)
 Individualistic cultures emphasize the moral worth of the individual; encourage asserting one’s goals and
desires; highly value independence and self-reliance; insist that the interests of he individual should take
precedence over the state or a social group; strongly oppose external interference by society or institutions
(such as the gov’t) upon one’s own interests
 Collective Self (Eastern culture practiced by culture in Asia)
 Based their values and self-concept in a collectivist view; emphasize the interdependence and harmonious
relatedness with one another (e.g. the family, co-workers, friends, etc.); it is of utmost importance to be
part of and maintain social networks, maintain good relationships, and fulfill obligations.
 Closing the gap (Western self-concept has been challenged that contemporary self-concept theories
attempted to close the gap between cultural concepts)
 Roy Baumeister (1986) proposed that self-concept could be organized in 3 aspects:
 1. Private – which refers to the mental processes that perceive one’s own traits or behaviors (e.g. I am
honest)
 2. Public – refers to the generalized view of oneself, such as the perception of how others view you
(e.g. People think I’m honest)
 3. Collective – refers to the view of self in a collective concept (e.g. My family expects me to be
honest)
 In an individualistic culture, the person would predominantly show the private self and will behave
according to personal beliefs, feeling, philosophy, etc.
 In a collectivist culture, the person would present the “collective self” more, and is most inclined to
behave according to rules, norms, and custom

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Eastern Concept of Self

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