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Philosophy - greek Philo - loving and Sophia - o Rational soul (reasoning) the
knowledge/wisdom element that is the reason and
intellect to govern affairs, loves
- loving knowledge, loving wisdom
truth, hence, considered to rule
the other two parts.
o Spiritual soul (feeling) inclined
The Self from the Philosophical Perspective towards reason & understands
* Socrates – greek philosopher, the ‘Father of passion; in-charge of emotions:
Western thought’ love, anger, ambitions.

DUALISTIC PRINCIPLE (2 KINDS OF Plato defines that a moral individual is the one
EXISTENCE) who has ultimate management and control over
the spirit and appetite through rationality or
o Body (visible, always changing) reasoning.
o Soul (invisible, constant)
Balance between mind and body
Body + Soul = Man
* St. Augustine – St. Augustine of Hippo, one of
Socratic method ~ testing and idea that the Latin Fathers of the Church.
promotes critical thinking
He agrees with Plato that human beings is both
“The unexamined life is not worth living” body and soul – or bifurcate in nature.
- (i) The soul id immortal The Body - dies on earth + soul-lives eternally in
- (ii) The care of the soul is the task of spiritual bliss with "God" = Man
Philosophy HIS IDEA OF THE SOUL ARE THE FOLLOWING:
- (iii) Virtue is necessary to attain - (i) It is able to be aware of itself
happiness
- (ii) It recognizes itself s a holistic one
“Real self” the state of your inner being, or the
‘soul’ determines the quality of your life. - (iii) It is aware of its unity

The goal of life is to be happy St. Augustine believed that we human beings
should aim for the higher, divine and heavenly
“I know that I don’t know” matters because of our capacity to think beyond
* Plato – student of Socrates, the most and understand deeply complex truths through
important influence of the Westerm concept of our mind.
“Self” He also pointed out that human beings are
“Theory of Forms” the physical world is not really similar to God in a way that God has a mind and
the “ real” world that we are living in because the human beings also have a mind that is capable of
ultimate reality exists beyond the physical world. thinking and reasoning, to which if one ignores
to use his mind or not use it properly, then he
THE THREE COMPONENTS OF THE SOUL would lose his chance to reach real and lasting
happiness.
o Appetitive soul (sensual) food,
drink, sleep, sexual needs All knowledge leads to God

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* Rene Descartes – French Philosopher, Locke expounded Descartes description of the

mathematician & Scientist. ‘Father of Modern "Self" as a thinking thing to the self being a
Wester Philosophy’ "thinking thing with memories"

“Cogito ergo sum” “I think, therefore I am” this means that the person existing now is the
same person yesterday because he remembers
Cogito - the things that thinks, which is the mind
the thoughts, experiences, or actions of the past
Extenza - extension of the mind which is the self.
body
Body + Mind (ability to think + memories and
For Descartes ' view, the body is nothing else but experiences) = SELF / Personal Identity
a machine that is attached to the mind. The
Personal identity is the concept about oneself
human person has it, but it is not what makes a
that evolves over the course of an individual’ s
man, a man. If at all, that is the MIND.
life.
He believed that the thinking identity or the
He can be accountable for past behaviors BUT
mind, something immaterial, can exist without
only if he/she can remember. The state of a
the body. However, in this material world, the
person who cannot remember his past behaviors
thinking identity or mind possesses a body, thus
is the same as the state of the person who never
a “ self” is formed with its union.
committed the act, which meant the person was
Human Person/Self = Body (machine) + Mind ignorant.
(controls the body)
"Tabula Rasa " which means "Blank Slate ". We
THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE MIND AND are born into the world with a blank mind and it
THE BODY: is through life experiences and interactions that
it is filled with knowledge and thus forming our
The Mind personal identity.
o it is a conscious, thinking substance that * David Hume – Scottish philosopher, economist
is unaffected by time. & historian, Age of Enlightenment
o It is known only to itself (only you know
your own mental state and thoughts) Empiricism is the idea that the origin of all
o It is NOT made up of parts. It is both knowledge is sense experience. Sensing and
conscious and aware of itself. Experiencing everything is key in gaining
knowledge and forming ideas and concepts and
The Body not from the ability to think about it.
o It is a material substance that changes Self/ Human Person = combination of all
through time. experiences with a particular person
o It can be doubted. The public can correct
claims about the body. HE SEES THE SELF THROUGH TWO CATEGORIES:
o It is made up of physical, quantifiable,
o Impressions - These are the perceptions
divisible parts.
that are the most strong. They enter the
“I think, therefore I am” senses with most force. These are
directly experienced; they result from
* John Locke – philosopher & mathematician, inward and outward sentiments.
one of the influential Enlightenment Thinkers.

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o Ideas - These are the less forcible and You understand the outside world because
less lively counterparts of impressions. you already have an idea residing within you.
These are mechanisms that copy and These ideas are what connect you to the
reproduce sense data formulated based external world. Man is the only creature who
upon the previously perceived directs himself and his actions, who sets up
impressions. goals and desires for himself and purpose,
and who has the free will to act in pursuit of
He believed the "Self" was nothing but a series of
his desires and this is because of the ability
incoherent impressions received by the senses.
of the mind. And thus, it produces the "Self"
He also thought that "Self" is not just one
impression but a mix and a loose cohesion of TWO COMPOUNDS OF THE SELF:
various personal experiences and ideas.
o Inner Self - the "self" by which you
There is no unified or coherent organization of are aware of alterations in your own
mind and body that makes us the "self" but state. Your rational intellect and
rather a "self" is produced and exists because of your psychological state, such as
the combined experiences that an individual moods, feelings, and sensations,
went through. pleasure, and pain.
o Outer Self - Your senses and the
All knowledge is derived from human senses
physical world. It is the common
* Immanuel Kant – a central figure in modern boundary between the external
philosophy. He proposed that the human mind world and the inner self. It gathers
creates the structure of human experiences. information from the external world
through the senses, which the inner
He views the “self" as transcendental meaning it self interprets and coherently
is spiritual or in the nonphysical realm. expresses.
What bridges the "self" and the material things THE SELF ORGANIZES INFORMATION IN
or body is Knowledge. THREE WAYS:
Self = Body + Mind (impressions and experiences o Raw perceptual input
that are processed through mental o Recognizing the concept
understanding of what happened) o Reproducing in the imagination
TWO KINDS OF CONCIOUSNESS OF SELF He has a "unified" point of self-reference.
(rationality) Meaning you are conscious of yourself as the
o Consciousness of oneself and one ' s subject, and you are conscious of yourself as a
psychological states in inner sense common subject of different representations.
o Consciousness of oneself and one ' s Reason is the final authority of morality.
states by performing acts of Morality is achieved only when there is absence
apperception of war because of the result of enlightenment.
For Kant what truly exist are your ideas and
your knowledge of your ideas; that you
perceive the outside world through the self
with your ideas.

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The Self from the Philosophical Perspective II o Ego - The Ego functions in the Reality
Principle - meaning it regulates how
* Sigmund Freud – philosopher, physiologist &
many of the Id’s urges are allowed to be
psychologist. One of the most influential thinkers
expressed. While ID is irrational, the EGO
of the 20th century.
is able to decide what is right or wrong
His work on the self-focused on the "psyche" or based on the situation present. The EGO
"I" which is the totality of the human mind, both can think, observe reality and decide
conscious and unconscious. what is rational and realistic. It is the one
that allows our mind to act. It is the
He believes that the self is multi-layered, mediator between the Id and superego.
represented through “psyche” o Superego - The Superego functions on
THREE LEVELS OF THE PSYCHE: the Ideal Principle. It is the ethical
component of the personality and
o Conscious - deals with the awareness of provides the moral standards by which
present perceptions, feelings, thoughts, the ego operates. It is the CONSCIENCE
memories, and fantasies at any of one’s personality and has the
particular moment inclination to uphold justice and do what
o Pre-conscious/subconscious - related to is morally right, socially acceptable
data or information that can readily be actions.
brought to consciousness and are non- THE SUPEREGO CONSIST OF 2 SYSTEMS:
threatening  Conscience - If the ego gives in
o Unconscious - part of the mind or psyche to the id's demands, the
that contains the basic instinctual drives superego may make the person
of a person including sexuality, feel bad through guilt
aggressiveness, traumatic experiences,  Ideal Self -An imaginary picture
unfulfilled wishes and childhood desires of how you ought to be. It
that would be considered not represents career aspirations;
appropriate to talk about how to treat other people; and
He is known for his psychoanalytic theory, a how to behave as a member of
personality theory based on the idea that a society.
person gets motivated to act by unseen forces, The self's structure of the mind operates in the 2
controlled by the conscious, and the rational levels - the conscious and unconscious - where
thought. ego and superego is in the level of consciousness
Freud further structured the dimension (or and the id in the level of unconsciousness.
personality) of “Self” His idea is that the self is a by-product of our
o Id - It's the first part of the self to develop experiences in the past and that actions are
and the seat of all our desires and wants. driven by the idea of resisting or avoiding pain
It operates on the Pleasure Principle and are molded from our need for pleasure.
which means that all your needs should Preconscious (easily retrievable memories and
be met immediately. It wants instant information) + Conscious (Ego, Superego,
gratification and does not care about Present Moment, Awareness) + Unconscious (Id,
morals or societal norms. traumatic events, repressed moments) = Self or
"I”

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“Wish Fulfillment is the road to the unchanging soul/self cannot be experienced by

unconscious" the senses, therefore it does not exist.

* Gilbert Ryle – philosopher, & a professor Churchland stresses that all a person has is the
brain, and so if the brain is gone, there is no self.
For Ryle, he identified the distinction of the mind
The physical brain and not the imaginary mind,
and body a "category-mistake” because of its
gives people the sense of self. The mind does not
attempt to analyze the relation between” mind"
really exists because it cannot be experienced by
and "body ". For him, there is no really mind-
the senses.
body relationship.
Eliminative materialism which he states that the
He described the distinction between mind and
“mind" and its mental states do not exist. Rather,
body as the "dogma of the ghost in the
only the "brain” exists, producing
machine" where he explained that there is no
electrochemical signals this producing the “self".
hidden entity or ghost called " soul" (or mind or
self) in a machine called "body ". He proved his point by stating that when a
person is diagnosed with mental disorders, he is
For Ryle, what truly matter is the behaviors that
not "out of his mind" but rather, there is
a person manifests in his day-to-day life. He
something wrong with the brain activity. Thus,
suggested that the self is not an entity one can
the brain, not the mind, is responsible for the
locate and analyze but simply the convenient
self.
name that people use to refer to all the
behaviors that people make. Body + Brain Activity = Self

Ryle' s view on the " self" is through actions and "The physical brain and NOT the imaginary
behaviors. Thus, the statement "I act therefore I mind gives us our sense of self"
am " and " you are what you do " are based in
* Maurice Merleau-Ponty – was a philosopher &
the manifested one's physical activities and
author.
behavior which means that the kind of mind an
individual possessed depends on how it is He saw the "self" as an embodied subjectivity.
expressed through words and actions. From the word itself, embodied means to give a
body to, while subjectivity is the state of being a
An example is, you are an intelligent person
subject- meaning an entity that possesses
because of your smart and strategic actions. Or
conscious experiences, such as perspectives,
you are a kind person, because of your acts of
feelings, beliefs, and desires.
kindness. Your actions define your own "self" or
who you are. He believed that the mind and body are
connected - the mind is part of the body and
Overt Actions and Behaviors = Self or Man
vice-versa.
“I act, therefore I am”
He argued that the mind can only do its mental
* Paul Churchland – known for his studies in processing work and it needs the body to
neurophilosophy & the philosophy of mind. received certain experiences, act on its senses,
and communicate to the external world.
He believes that if something can be seen, felt,
heard, touched, or tasted - all experienced by the He notes that everything that people are aware
sensory, then it exists. But since the immaterial, of is contained within the consciousness.
Consciousness is a dynamic form responsible for

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actively structuring conscious ideas and physical plenty of possibilities and

behavior. He is convinced that consciousness, options out there.
the world, and the body are intricately  May have decreased in
intertwined in perceiving the world. traditions and support system,
such as family connections,
Living body + conscious mind with thoughts and
because of the increase in
its understanding of the surroundings + the
independence.
external world = Self or individual.
 Modernization has significantly
"Physical body is an important part of the self" changed society, and this has
affected how an individual
builds and develops his or her
---------------------------------------------------------------- self-identity.

Sociology – the study of social life, social change, KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF A MODERN SOCIETY:
& the social causes & consequences pf human
o Industrialism - The social relations
behavior.
implied in the extensive use of material
Sociologists, investigate the structure of groups, power and machinery in all processes of
organizations, and societies and how people production
interact to within these context. o Capitalism - A production system
involving both competitive product
The Self from the Sociological Perspective markets and the commodification
The Sociological Concepts affecting the Self (putting a price tag) of labor power.
o Institution of surveillance - The massive
* Modernization increase of power and reach by
o Pre-modern society institutions, especially in government.
 Concerned on one thing: o Dynamism - Most evident characteristic
SURVIVAL and that created a of modern society. Dynamism is
mindset that everything is characterized as having vigorous activity
LIMITED in options in their and progress.
choices. In a modern society, life is not a predetermined
 People behaved according to path with limited options, it is a society full of
social rules and traditions while possibilities.
the family and the immediate
environment provided Everything is subject to change, and changes
supervisions on how to get happen much more rapidly than ever before in
through life. human history. And with this rapid changes, it is
o Modern Society also affecting how one's self is being brought
 Significantly changed society by up, developed, and formed.
improving people's living * Social Groups and Social Networks
condition.
 There is freedom to choose George Simmel – a german sociologist,
where to live, what to do, and philosopher, & critic.
who to be with because of the

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He expressed that people create social networks o Made up of different people coming
by joining social groups. from different places
o You join a group because of common
Social Groups - Described as having two or more
interest and out of your free will and
people interacting with one another, sharing
choice. This is called rational
similar characteristics, and whose members
motivation.
identify themselves as part of the group.
 Positive effects: Freedom in
[ Ranz and Niana Family, Cardo Dalisay and terms of movement and
Family, BTS, Golden State Wariors ] interaction
 Negative effects: Can easily be
Social Networks - refers to the ties or
disbanded; no meaningful
connections that link you to your social group.
connection with others
The connection you have with your family is
blood relation; you are connected with your EXAMPLE: FB Groups, Mobile Games League,
barkada because of your friendship, and the Student, Organizations, Community Groups
connection you have with your classmates is
Our social interactions with our family, friends,
your common interest to learn.
community, and even our acquaintances (those
[ familial, blood-related, neighbors in the we are not close with) + modernization, has a
community, common interest in direct influence on how we feel, act, decide, and
music/basketball ] present ourselves to other.

Social Group * Mead and the Social Self

~ ORGANIC GROUP George Herbert Mead – was a sociologist from

the late 1800s
o Naturally occurring
o Highly influenced by family Well known for his “Theory of the Social Self”
o Formed in traditional societies based on the perspective that the self is a
o You join this group because your family product of social interactions + internalizing the
is part of it, in the first place. This is other people's views along with the one's
refer to as organic motivation personal view about oneself.
 Positive effects: rootedness -
He believed that the "self" is not present at birth,
gives you sense of
rather it is developed over time through social
belongingness
experiences and activities.
 Negative effects: Less freedom,
high social conformity (you need DEVELOPING THE SELF ACCORDING TO MEAD:
to follow the rules and expected Mead proposed that there are three stages of
to act and behave according to self-development
community standards.
o Language - Through shared
EXAMPLE: Extended Family, Religious group, understanding of symbols, gestures, and
Community Tribe sound, language gives the individual the
capacity to express himself or herself
~ ORGANIC GROUP
while at the same time understanding
o Often occurs in modern societies what the other people are conveying.

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o Play - At this level, individuals role-play The "I" is that part of the self that is unsocialized
or assume the perspective of others. and spontaneous. It is the individual's response
Role-playing enables the person to to the community's attitude towards the person.
internalize some other people's The "I" presents impulses and drives and enables
perspectives; hence, he or she develops him or her to express individualism and creativity
an understanding of how the other depending on the situation. It constructs a
people feel about themselves in a variety response based on what has been learned by the
of situations. "me". "I" represents the unique traits of a
o Game - The level where the individual person. It is your natural and real self in private.
not only internalizes the other people's
perspective and his own personal
perspective, he or she is also able to take
into account societal rules and follows it.
According to Mead, the self is fully
developed by understanding the rule,
and one must abide by it to "win the
game" or be successful.

In a nutshell, according to Mead, we are able to Because Mead's idea of the development of the
develop our "selves" when we learn how to self is anchored on social interactions and
effectively become a daughter/son, sis/bro, experiences, he defined that there are two sides
friend, student and a person in general living in of the self, which is the "I" and "Me". The "I" is
the society (game) by being sensitive to our really our inner and natural response to the
surroundings and the people around us and what experiences learned from the "me" self. The
our role is to them and the society (play) and that "me" self, on the other hand, is the self that we
starts by communication (verbal or non-verbal) show to the public as a response to what we
when people tell us what they expect from us and have learned from our interactions and
we as well express ourselves to them to find a experiences within the society. As you know in
common ground or understanding (language). public, we behave according to a "standard" and
"expectation" and that is the "Me" self exercising
* Two sides of self: “I” and “me” according to control of our being.
Mead

Mead sees the individual as an active process,

not just a mere reflection of society. He further ----------------------------------------------------------------
proposed two interactive aspects of the self: The The Self from the Anthropological Perspective
"I" and the "Me"
Anthropology – is the study of people, past and
The "ME" is the socialized aspect of a person. It present. It is the systematic study of humanity,
is the product of what the person has learned with the goal of understanding our evolutionary
while interacting with others and with the origins, our distinctiveness as a species, and the
environment. Learned behaviors, attitudes, and great diversity in our forms of social existence
even expectations comprise the "me". It is your across the world and through time. It also tries
image of yourself in public. to understand how people interact and develop
in different societies.

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We need to understand this.. hobbies, traditions, patterns, faith,

beliefs, etc.)
Since Anthropology is the science that deals with
the origins, physical and cultural development, In a nutshell: LeDoux see the self (both implicit
biological characteristics, and social customs and and explicit) as a product of the changes in the
beliefs of humankind by understanding this (1) genetics of our body (genes from our
concept we can see the important contributions ancestors, puberty), (2) what we learn and
it makes in forming who we are. Our physical self unlearn from the environment and interactions,
from our genes that has been passed down from what we consciously and unconsciously forget
our ancestors, how we are physically, and remember (the past or certain happenings),
emotionally, spiritually, and mentally developing (3) the stress in our lives that affect our physical
in this time and also our being a Filipino shapes and mental activity (if we are so stress we
who we are as a person. Through our sometimes eat a lot or forget to eat or we lose
understanding of the topic, we can see the sleep so this affects our body chemicals and
patterns of our behaviors are because of our brain), (4) ageing (we mature as we age), and (5)
family tradition and Filipino customs and that disease (when we have certain diseases and
can greatly explain we are who we are. illness, it will affect our body chemicals and
systems does affecting our self)
* The Anthropological Concepts affecting the
self Implicit Self + Explicit Self = The Total self

Joseph LeDoux – is a contemporary

neuroscientist

According to LeDoux, the development of the

self is framed, maintained, and affected
biologically, mentally, and socially.

He believes that "the self is not static; it is added

to and subtracted from by genetic maturation,
learning, forgetting, stress, ageing, and
disease."

He conceptualized the Implicit and Explicit This can also be likened to the Nature vs Nurture
aspects of the self. theory of self-development wherein we are a
product of Nature (this means the genes and
LEDOUX’S ASPECT OF THE SELF: hereditary factors passed down from our
~ Implicit Self ancestors) and Nurture (how we grew up with
the behaviors, traditions, cultural beliefs and our
o Not immediately available to the environment)
consciousness. (Such as your
personality, genes characteristics, and * Katherine Ewing – is an anthropologist and a
mood) professor.

~ Explicit Self She asserted the definition that the self is a

physical organism "possessing psychological
o You are consciously aware of this part of functioning and social attributes.”
the self (Such as your likes, dislikes,

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She also asserted that "self" is illusory (deceptive we present ourselves to others can be
or scam). She said that people construct a series determined by our culture and tradition.
of self-representation that are based on selected
* The Self embedded in Culture
cultural concepts of a person and selected
"chains" personal memories. Cultural anthropologists argued that the self is
culturally shaped and infinitely variable.
Meaning --> Selected chain of Personal
memories + Selected cultural concepts = Self Anthropology sees the "self" as not universal,
Representation but rather very different and unique from one
another because of the culture and traditions
But these self-representation depends on the
practiced all over the world.
context or situation
THERE ARE TWO WAYS HOW THE SELF IS
EWING’S SELF-REPRESENTATION
CONSTRUCTED ACCORDING TO CULTURAL
Selected chain of Personal memories ANTHROPOLOGISTS:

(Ex. I was able to survive Sendong and Yolanda o Independent constructs

Typhoon)  Self represents as unique,
separate, and distinct with
+
emphasis on differences in
Selected cultural concepts internal personality or traits,
interests, skills, and values.
(Ex. I know that, we, Filipinos are known to be
 The self-construct stresses the
resilient because even when we were damaged
importance of individualism and
by series of typhoons, we still bounce back)
independence.
= Self-Representation (Therefore, I am a strong  Characterized by "Individualistic
and resilient person) Culture" , such as in North
America and Europe
In a nutshell, Ewing said that the "self" is illusory o Interdependent constructs
or can be a "scam" because individuals tend to
 Self represents as family-
present or define themselves on selected life
oriented, strong in faith, and
happenings and also selected cultural concepts.
rooted in the role in the
Self-representation means that the "self" is
community and universe.
shaped and represented by the cultural mental
 This self -construct stresses the
entities or cultural habits that we take in as we
important connection between
grow up, depending on the situation we faced.
the individual, other people, and
LeDoux and Ewing the world.
 Characterized by "Collective
These anthropological concepts of the self- Culture" such as in Asia and
developed by Ewing and LeDoux emphasizes that India
we are products of our genes that has been
passed down from our ancestors, moreover, our These constructs are also known as "Self-
self is an organism with physical, emotional, Construals".
psychological, and social functioning distinct
from other organisms. We also learned that how

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Construal is an interpretation of the meaning of workings of the human brain to consciousness,

something; so when we say self-construal it memory, reasoning and language, to personality
means, the meaning of the "self” and mental health, and everything about the
human experience is part of the scope.
Catherine Raeff – psychologist and
anthropologist, believed that culture can We need to understand this..
influence how you view relationships,
Since psychology is the study of how you behave,
personality traits, achievement, and expressing
think, and feel, it is essential to learn more about
emotions.
this field so you get to understand how your
CULTURE INFLUENCES THE FOLLOWING: mindset, thoughts, and emotions affect your
behavior and contribute to shaping who you are.
~ Relationships
It just makes sense right? Understanding the
o Culture influences how you enter into reasons why you act in a certain way, why you
and maintain relationships. think these certain thoughts, and why you feel
certain emotions will definitely help you manage
~ Personality Traits and become better versions of yourself and
o Culture influences whether (and how) answer the question - Who am I?
you value traits, like humility, self- * The Domains of Psychology affecting the self
esteem, politeness, assertiveness, and
so on, as well as how you perceive A. THE SELF AS A COGNITIVE CONSTRUCT
hardship or how you feel about relying
What is “cognitive” ?
others.
o Cognitive or cognition pertains to the
~ Achievement
activities relating to, being, or involving
o Culture influences how you define conscious intellectual activity (such as
success and whether you value certain thinking, reasoning, or remembering)
types of individual and group
When we say cognitive construction it means
achievements.
one's building up of one’s self-concept
~ Expressing Emotions
o Self-concept - The representation of one
o Culture influences what will affect you ' s self that contains knowledge about
emotionally, as well as how you express the individual, including beliefs,
yourself, such as showing your feelings personality traits, physical
in public or keeping it private. characteristics, abilities, values, goals,
and roles, as well as the knowledge that
we exist as a human being.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Jean Piaget – a swiss clinical psychologist known
The Self from the Psychological Perspective for his work in child development

Psychology - is the scientific study of how people Developed the “theory of cognitive
behave, think, and feel. It includes topics, such as development” The theory of cognitive
how the brain works, how our memory is development is a comprehensive theory about
organized, people interact in groups, and how the development of human intelligence.
children learn about the world. . From the basic

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According to Piaget, cognitive development is a o Child uses language and symbols

progressive reorganization of mental processes including letters and numbers.
resulting from biological genetic maturation Egocentrism is also evident.
(our genes and body developing) and
~ Concrete Operations [ 7 – 11 ]
environmental experience (what we learn from
our surroundings and life experiences) o Child demonstrates conservation,
reversibility, serial ordering and a
THREE BASIC COMPONENTS TO PIAGET’S
mature understanding of the cause and
COGNITIVE THEORY:
effect relationship.
~ Schemas/schemes - These are the building
~ Formal Operations [ 12+ ]
blocks of knowledge. Schemes are mental
organizations that individuals use to understand o The individual demonstrates abstract
their environments and designate action. thinking at this stage.
~ Adaptation - It involves the child's learning B. HARTER’S SELF- DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS
processes to meet situational demands. There
are two types of adaptation processes: Dr. Susan Harter – is a psychologist, author, and
a professor
o Assimilation - is the application of
previous concepts to new concepts. For Her theory on the stages of development of the
example, a child who just learned the self-conept is similar to Piaget - starting from
word “fish,” shouts “fish!" upon seeing early childhood. But her theory expanded the
one. self-development concept until adulthood.
o Accommodation - happens when people 4 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-CONCEPT:
encounter completely new information
or when existing ideas are challenged. ~ Early childhood - Early childhood stage
For example, a child knows dogs and describes the "self" in terms of concrete,
cats. At school, he/she learns the word observable characteristics, such as:
“animals.” The child will then adjust her o Physical attributes ("I' m
understanding that dogs and cats are pretty/ugly/strong ")
both animals. People often have to form o Material possessions ("I have lots of toys
a new schema or alter existing mental ")
categories to accommodate new o Behaviors ("I love playing with my toys ")
information. o Preferences ("I like candies ") because
ACCORDING TO PIAGET, CHILDREN PROGRESS during this stage, the personality of the
THROUGH 4 STAGES IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER: child is still forming so the concept of the
self is physical.
~ Sensorimotor [ 0 – 2 ]
~ Middle of later childhood - In this stage, the
o Child learns by doing: looking touching, self is described in terms of trait-like constructs
sucking. Has a primitive understanding (e.g smart, honest, friendly, shy) because this is
of cause and effect relationships. the stage where children are slowly expressing
~Preoperational [ 2 – 7 ] who they are through their overt actions. This
concept of the self would require the type of

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hierarchical organizational skills characteristic of JAMES’ I-SELF AND ME-SELF:

logical thought development.
~ I – Self - is the pure ego. It is the subjective self.
~ Adolescence - This stage is where the It is the "self" that is aware of its own actions.
emergence of more abstract self-definitions, The "l-self" characteristically has four features.
such as inner thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and These are:
motives are rapidly developing. This is because
o . A sense of being the agent or initiator
of their major exposure already to different
of behavior. I believe my actions have an
factors and situations brought about by their
impact; that I cause an effect in my
socialization and modern society.
environment.
The use of the abstract words sensitive, o A sense of being unique. This is how I am
outgoing, cheerful, and anxious as a self-portrait different from everything in my
is consistent with Piaget's findings on environment; perceive there is only one
adolescent's ability to construct higher-order me.
abstractions and the ability to introspect and o A sense of continuity. I am the same
reflect who they are during this stage. The person from day to day.
concept of the self here is dynamic and at times o A sense of awareness about being
contradicting because of the changes one is aware. I understand what is going on in
experiencing during this stage. me and around me; and I know I
understand it.
~ Emerging Adults - During this stage, the
concept of the self is having a vision of a ~ Me – Self - The "me-self" is the self that is the
“possible self.” It is the “age of possibilities” object. It is the “self” that you can describe, such
(Amett, 2004a). as your physical characteristics, personalities,
social role, or relationships, thoughts, feelings.
In one Australian study (Whitty, 2002), early
James called it the empirical self. The dimensions
emerging adulthood (ages 17— 22) was found to
of the me-self include:
be a time of " grand dreams, ” of being wealthy
and having a glamorous occupation, but beyond o Material – physical appearance and
emerging adulthood (ages 28—33) the visions of extensions of it such as clothing,
a possible self-become more realistic as the immediate family, and home;
person is now in the age where he is capable of o Social – social skills and significant
managing himself to achieve his dream self and interpersonal relationships;
life. o Spiritual - personality, character,
defining values.
C. WILLIAM JAMES AND THE ME-SELF; I-SELF
D. CARL ROGER’S REAL AND IDEAL SELF
William James – a philosopher, psychologist &
university professor. Carl Roger – American psychologist, founder of
the Humanistic Approach to Psychology of
He is the author of “The Principles of Psychology”
Humanistic Psychology
Known as “The Father of American Psychology”
He coined the term “actualizing tendency”-
Developed the earliest self-theory psychological which refers to a person’s basic instinct to
analyses: “I-self” and “Me-Self” succeed at his or her highest possible capacity.

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* Personality Development and the Self- you have learned and experienced. The
Concept ideal self could include:
 Notions influenced by your
Humanistic psychology emphasized the active
parents;
role of the individual in shaping their internal and
 What you admire in others;
external worlds.
 What the society sees as
Rogers stressed that a person is an active, acceptable;
creative, experiencing being who lives in the  What you think is in your best
present and who thinks, feels, and responds to interest.
his or her environment. According to Rogers, all
The importance of Alignment
behavior is motivated by self-actualizing
tendencies and these tendencies drive you to Rogers emphasized the need to achieve
reach your full potential. consistency between the ideal self and the real
self. “If the way that I am (the real self) is
He believes that the world a person exists in is
aligned with the way that I want to be (the ideal
the center of constant changes, and the person
self), then I will feel a sense of mental well-
reacts to these changes.
being or peace of mind. In other words, when
As a result of this constant interaction with the your real self and ideal self are very similar, you
environment and others, an individual forms a experience congruence. High congruence leads
structure of the self or self-concept- -an to a greater sense of self-worth and a healthy,
organized fluid, conceptual pattern of concepts productive life”
and values related to the self. If the person holds
When there is a great inconsistency between
a positive self-concept, he or she would tend to
your ideal and real selves or if the way you are is
feel good about himself or herself and would
not aligned with what you want to be, then you
generally see the world as a safe and positive
experience a state Rogers called incongruence.
place. If the person holds a negative self-
He added that incongruence could lead to
concept, then he or she may feel unhappy with
maladjustment. Maladjustment is defined as
who he/she is.
the inability to react successfully and
ROGER’S REAL SELF AND IDEAL SELF: satisfactorily to the demands of one's
environment.
~ Real self
E. PERSONALITY THEORIES
o The REAL self is the person you actually
are. It is how you behave right at the It is very common that when a person is asked the
moment of a situation. It is who you are question "Who are you?" or "Who Am I?" - The
in reality - how you think, feel, or act at go to answer is your personality traits such as I
present. am kind, I am friendly, I am disciplined, I am
smart, among others. There are several
~ Ideal self
personality theories developed by different
o The ideal self is the person that you psychologists on how the self-concept is
would like yourself to be. It is YOUR structured this way.
concept of the “best me” who is worthy
of admiration. It is an idealized image of
self that has developed based on what

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~ Gordon Allport mind and body, having feelings that are

spontaneous and unforced.
He proposed the “personality trait” theory - He
o A child whose mother is positively
asserted that every person possesses “traits ”.
responsive and supports the child's
According to Allport, a "trait" is your essential
natural process of individuation will
characteristic that never, ever changes and sticks
grow up as an adult with a TRUE SELF
with you all your life. Moreover, these traits
with a stable self-image; views other
shape who you are.
people realistically; and accepts both the
~ Greg Henriques positive and negative side of every
person including himself/herself.
Proposed that human self has three related, but
separable domains. ~ False self

o Experiential self-theater of o The false self is the product of early

consciousness because it is the first experience. It is a defensive organization
experience its beingness ; closely tied to formed by the infant because of
memory. inadequate mothering or failures in
o Private self-conscious - the narrator or empathy.
interpreter; the self that narrates the o The false self is also based on being
unfolding events and at the same time completely obedient to the parents'
tries to make sense of the experience. wishes. Winnicott asserted that when
o Public self/persona - the image you the child is constantly expected to follow
project to the public; this is the image rules, a false self develops.
that interacts with other o The false self is a mask or a persona. It is
a form of defense that constantly seeks
F. DONALD WINNICOTT’S TRUE AND FALSE SELF to anticipate others' demands and
Donald Winnicott – English pediatrician and complies with them, as a way of
psychoanalyst. Introduced the concept of “False protecting the true self from a world that
self” and “True self” is felt to be unsafe.
o However, when the person has a false
He also proposed that the healthy core of a self but can still function both as an
healthy person’s self is hidden from the outside individual and in the society, then he or
world, uninfluenced by external (harsh) realities. she has a healthy false self. The healthy
WINNICOTT’S TRUE AND FALSE SELF: false self feels that it is still connected
with the true self. Thus, it can be
~ True self compliant without feeling guilty that it
abandoned its true self.
o True self flourishes in infancy if the
o On the other hand, there is also the
mother is positively responsive to the
unhealthy false self. An individual who
child's spontaneous expressions
may seem happy and comfortable in his
o Winnicott described true self as a sense
or her environment but actually feels
of “self” based on “spontaneous
forced to fit in and constantly needs to
authentic experience."
adjust his or her behavior to adapt to the
o The True Self has a sense of integrity, of
social situation is said to have an
connected wholeness. True self is a
unhealthy false self.
sense of being alive and real in one's

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---------------------------------------------------------------- dichotomy and binary opposition.” (Ha unsa daw

maam?) Meaning their idea about the self is
The Self from the Western and Eastern
similar to duality – heart and soul, mind and body
Perspective
There is a distinct line between the person
We need to understand this..
(observer) and his observed reality. Westerners
We are all individuals who think, feel, and behave often think that they can separate from reality
similar as that of the members of his or her based on their decisions and choices in life.
community. However, each community has its
4 CATEGORIES ON HOW THE TERM “SELF” IS
own standards, expectations, and rules that
USED IN CONTEMPORARY WESTERN
shape its members. If we divide the world into
DISCUSSION [FRANK JOHNSON]:
two thoughts, there is a distinct perspective from
the western versus eastern thought, from the ~ Analytical - The “self” is an observer separate
way we eat, how we live, the principles we abide and distinct from external objects (Me versus
by, and even how one sees one ’ s self. Learning Other mentality)
this will help us better understand and be
~ Monotheistic - Involved the tendency toward
compassionate with ourselves as we strive to
unitary explanations of phenomena and a closed
become better individuals.
system view of “self”. (Mentality that all must
A. WESTERN CONCEPT OF THE SELF believe that we come from one omnipotent
power or that evolution has happened because
Where are these “Western” countries?
of one single entity versus different factors
o United States combined)
o United Kingdom
~ Individualistic - Westerners prioritize self-
o Germany
expression, establishing who one is, self-
o Switzerland
actualization, and finding satisfaction in the
o Italy
world (The Me and my happiness mentality)
o France
o Canada ~ Materialistic/Rationalistic - Westerners
o New Zealand discredit explanations that do not use analytic-
o Australia deductive modes of thinking. They always use
logic to explain things more than believing on
These are some of the countries where Western
divinity or fantasy (ex. "All men are mortal. Jay is
culture, traditions, customs, and practices are
a man. Therefore, Jay is mortal.")
prevalent.
B. EASTERN CONCEPT OF THE SELF
The western concept of self is anchored on
ancient philosophers ' (remember our first Where are these "Eastern" Countries?
perspective?) beliefs that the body constitutes
o China
individuality.
o Philippines
The epitome of the Western idea of self-came o India
from Rene Descartes ’ famous line “I think, o Japan
therefore I am, ” o Iraq
o Turkey
The western tradition is generally acknowledged
o Thailand
to be “imbued” with a style of thinking based on

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o Afghanistan causes one ’ s suffering because the self

o Pakistan is constantly changing and we let the
o Egypt outside forces have an effect on us.

These are some of the countries where Eastern ~ Confucianism

culture, traditions, customs, and practices are
o The Confucian thought of “self” is similar
prevalent.
to psychology’s personality – or the
In the Eastern Concept, they focus to see the qualities that make up one’s being.
“self" as a dynamic process. It is interdependent o According to Confucian thought, the self
with a lot of factors and dimensions and it is and or the person’s character are not
ever-changing. something that exists inherently but
rather it is formed through upbringing
The Eastern concept of self is rooted in various
and the environment.
spiritual practices such as Hinduism, Buddhism,
o The Confucian thought presented that
Confucianism, Taoism, and Islam.
each one of us is born with four
~ Hinduism beginnings:
 A heart of compassion that leads
o The Earliest religious writings in the East
to full pontential called Jen;
are the Vedas- which formed the Hindu
 A heart of righteousness that
Philosophy and dharma – the principle of
leads to full pontential called Yi;
cosmic order
 A heart of propriety that leads to
o The Vedas illustrate the eastern mindset
full pontential called Li;
of a nondual universe but rather a
 A heart of wisdom that leads to
creation that is completely unified with
full pontential called Chih
the creator, with no distinction.
o When all of the four beginnings reach
o The Self or “Brahman” is the divine
full potential, one achieves a state of
universal consciousness encompassing
moral excellence. But differentiating to
the universe.
the Western concept of Self-
o “Change your perception of the world to
Actualization, this concept of self is
perceive the Brahman in oneself and in
deeply embedded within the family and
others.”
society and it is only within this context
~ Buddhism that the self comes to be what it is.

o Taught by Buddha ~ Taoism

o His premise is that the “ self” is a
o The idea of Taoism stems from Chuang-
dynamic process meaning it is
Tzu which rejected the views that self is
interdependent and ever-changing.
part of a hierarchy.
o His doctrine called “ anatta ” , defined as
o Chuang-Tzu said that “the perfect man
“ no-self or no-soul, conceptualize that
has no self; the spiritual man has no
the idea that the self is “ eternal” and “
achievement; the true sage has no
permanent” is false and an illusion.
name” – Thus his principle is focused on
o Because of the tendency for human
selflessness. In sum, Chuang Tzu’s
beings to “ stay the same ” and attached
conception of selfhood entails conscious
themselves to what they can ’t control, it
self-transformation leading to the

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attributes of a balanced life in harmony o Individualistic Selves are dominant in

with both nature and society. cultures in the USA, Australia, Great
Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, and
~ Islam
New Zealand. These cultures
o Written in the Holy Qur’an, the Arabic emphasizes the moral worth of the
word for “self” is Nafs. individual.
o Nafs pertains to the psyche (the totality o Individualists encourage asserting one’s
of the conscious and unconscious goals and desires; they highly value
human mind) or the soul. independence and self-reliance.
o The Nafs or self is the Quran does not o Individualistic cultures are oriented
define any property of it as goodness or around the individual: that a person
evil. Instead, the naf or self is something should be independent instead of having
that needs to nurtured and balanced so the mentality of identifying with a group.
that it can progress into becoming good They value personal goals over group
or evil through its thoughts and actions. interest most of the time.
o The self in the Islam sense is used in both o Societies that focus on the person create
individualistic and collective. an individualistic self-concept where the
person sees the personal difference of
C. INDIVIDUALISTIC VS. COLLECTIVE SELF traits and characteristics that distinguish
Individualistic Self and Collective Self are two the individual within his or her social
dominant self-concepts that is highly formed by context.
culture. Culture plays a very significant role in the o Individualistic orientation tends to rely
development of the self-concept. It embodies on interpersonal comparison and is
specific values, thoughts, or ideas that play a associated with the motive of protecting
central role in determining a person’s sense of or enhancing the person psychologically.
“self”. ~ Collectivism
Individualism - refers to the extent that you o Eastern culture practiced by countries in
value independence and personal uniqueness. Asia (like us in the Philippines) base their
Highly individualistic people value personal values and self-concept in a collectivist
freedom, self-sufficiency, control over their own view.
lives, and appreciation of the unique qualities o People in collectivistic culture
that distinguish them from others. emphasize interdependence and
Collectivism - refers to the extent that we value harmonious relatedness with one
our duty to groups to which we belong, and to another (family, co-workers, friends,
group harmony. Highly collectivist people define etc.)
themselves by their group membership and o It is of utmost importance to be part of
value harmonious relationships within those and maintain social networks, maintain
groups. good relationships, and fulfill
obligations.
~ Individualism o Patricia Licaucan, a Filipino psychologist
o “I am my own man” and “I am the and educator, determined that one of
master of my fate; I am the captain of my the strengths of the Filipino character is
soul” our deep love and concern for the family

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– not just your immediate family but D. THE SELF AS EMBEDDED IN RELATIONSHIPS
extending to your extended family such AND THROUGH SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT IN
as you grandparents, uncles, aunts, CONFUCIAN THOUGHTS
cousins, etc.
o The Confucian tradition as a way of
o The Filipino is dominantly a collective
thinking and lifestyle is still an
culture as one’s family is the source of
inspiration to many East Asian Societies.
personal identity, the source of
o The Confucian concept of Li often
emotional and material support, and the
rendered as “proper conduct” or
person’s main commitment and all
“propriety” was originally denoted as
responsibility.
court rites or rituals performed to
Some contemporary self-concept theories sustain social and cosmic order.
attempted to close the gap between cultural o In the Confucian sense, self-
concepts as it can’t be all black and white or development is a lifelong commitment
purely individualistic and collectivist orientation. to learning. However, it is not only
(Diba? Can you say you are purely collectivistic in about reading books or taking exams, it
nature as a Filipino?) is also about ritual practice. It involves
practicing discipline for the mind and
~ Roy Baumeister - proposed that self-concept
body to love life not as an isolated
could be organized in three aspects:
individual but as an active participant in
o Private – refers to the mental processes the living community.
that perceive one’s own traits or o The most important concept of the self
behaviors (ex. I am honest) in Confucian thought is the view that the
o Public – refers to the generalized view of “self” is the center of relationships. The
the self, such as the perception of how idea is that it is only by continually
others view you (ex. People think I’ m opening the self to others that the
honest) “self” maintains its wholeness and
o Collective – refers to the view of self in a identity.
collective concept (ex. My family and
friends expects me to be honest)

According to Baumeister, it is assumed that

these three aspects exists in every person.
However, a dominant aspect would probably
present itself depending on one’s culture. Thus,
in an individualistic culture, the person would
predominantly show the private self and will
have according to personal beliefs, feelings,
philosophy, etc. While in a collectivist culture,
the person would present “the collective self”
more and is thus more inclined to behave
according to rules, norms, and customs expected
of him/her.

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