●​ UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

1.​ Personality
2.​Roles
3.​World view
4.​Life stories

●​ SIGNS YOU HAVE LOW SELF ESTEEM

1.​ You lack self trust.
2.​You're constantly comparing yourself to others.
3.​You engage in people pleasing behavior.
4.​You feel little control over your life.
5.​You don't reinforce boundaries.

●​ HOW TO COMBAT LOW SELF ESTEEM

1.​ Take a social media break.
2.​Try to accept compliments.
3.​Journal your feelings.
4.​Consider seeing a therapist.
5.​Identify your positive traits.

●​ SOCRATES the father of ethics and inquiry. The first

philosopher engaged in a systematic questioning about
the self " knowing yourself ".

●​ WHAT IS SELF?
■​ ACCORDING TO STEVENS ( 1996)
SELF IS:
1.​ Separated
2.​Self Contained
3.​Independent
4.​Consistent
5.​Unitary
6.​Private

●​ SELF SIMPLY MEAN:

-​ Unique. Even twins have different DNA that made
their Identity
-​ Your existence: Does NOT require others for you to
exist.
-​ It has its own ( Personality) Enduring and
CONSISTENT
 -​ YOU have your particular self traits, characteristics, and
tendencies.
-​ Tendencies, to do right, wrong, and other attributes.
FREE WILLED individuals. Decisions etc.
-​ UNITARY: Centre of all experiences, CHIEF command
post where you process your Emotions ( Anger, pain,
joy, frustrations etc CONVERGE.
-​ PRIVATE: YOU sort information, feelings, and
emotions and your thought processes WITHIN yourself.
-​ NOTE: When you have problems, you “ may” ask for
help but YOU want to process it on your own.

●​ SELF and the EXTERNAL WORLD

-​ EXTERNAL REALITY/ WORLD: This AID oneself

to process, and have a CLEAR understanding of what it
might be and will be.
-​ SELF is: To a greater degree is at the MERCY of
EXTERNAL INFLUENCES.

●​ UNDERSTANDING the VIBRANT RELATIONSHIP

between the SELF and the EXTERNAL REALITY

-​ This PERSPECTIVE is known as SOCIAL

CONSTRUCTIVIST PERSPECTIVE

-​ According to STEVEN :
-​ They argue that: For a MERGE view of the “
person” and their ‘ SOCIAL CONTEXT” where
BOUNDARIES of ONE cannot EASILY be
separated from the boundaries of the other.

●​ VERY IMPT. SELF NOT BE SEEN AS STATIC

ENTITY

-​ WE GROW.
-​ WE BECOME DIFFERENT: When you go home to your
community you bring with you LITTLE by LITTLE a
change of who you are. ( The environment that shaped
you)
-​ MALLEABLE: Dealing with SOCIETY.
 -​ saying: Tell me your friends and I will tell you who you
are.

●​ PLATO CLAIMING HIS DIALOG. That SOCRATES

AFFIRMED that the UNEXAMINED LIFE is not worth
living.

●​ FRENCH ANTHROPOLOGIST

-​ CHAMELEON OR MORPHING based on the

environment we are in.
-​ Marcel Mauss. According to him, every SELF has
TWO FACES: PERSONNE and MOI
-​ MOI: Person sense of WHO he is, His body, and
basic identity, biological self.
-​ PERSONNE: What it means to LIVE in a
particular institution, family, religion, nationality.
-​ ALL THESE: DEMAND differentiation in action
and influence.

●​ SENSES OF THE SELF

-​ One should not Rely on any External Authority to tell
oneself what the standards of moral valuation are but
should instead turn inwards.

●​ THREE THEORIES OF ETHICS that CENTER ON

the SELF

1.​ SUBJECTIVISM: The THINKING person ( the

subject) is at the heart of all moral valuation.
-​ You are CONFRONTED with the situation and
BURDENED with the need to make a DECISION or
JUDGEMENT.

2.​PSYCHOLOGICAL EGOISM. The ego or self has its

desires and interests, and all our actions are geared
toward satisfying these interests.
 3.​ETHICAL EGOISM - Ethical egoism prescribes that
we should make our own ends, our own interests, as the
single overriding concern. We may act in a way that is
beneficial to others, but we should do that only if it
ultimately benefits us.

●​ SOCRATES BEING CURIOUS OF THE WORLD

-​ Soceates declared without regret that his being indicted

was brought about by his going around.
-​ Athens inquiry : challenging men and women to know
about themselves and about the world.

●​ ATHENS: THE BIRTHPLACE OF DEMOCRACY

■​ GOALS - Citizens SHOULD have a VOICE in
governing their SOCIETY.
■​ RESULT - VOICE.

●​ PLATO
-​ He was a student of SOCRATES. He learned that man
is a DUALISTIC in nature; BODY and the SOUL.
-​ SOCRATES, BELIEVE that all has IMPERFECT,
IMPERMANENT ASPECT OF HIM.
-​ The BODY while maintaining that there is a soul Is
perfect and permanent.

●​ THREE COMPONENTS OF THE SOUL (PLATO)

1.​ RATIONAL SOUL- Intellect has to GOVERN the

AFFAIRS of the human person
2.​SPIRITED SOUL- In charge of the EMOTION should
be kept at bay.
-​ Idiom: CONTROL something, and PREVENT it
from causing you problems.
3.​APPETITIVE SOUL. DESIRES like: Eating,
Drinking, Sleeping and having SEX . ( CONTROLLED)
●​ AUGUSTINE and THOMAS ACQUINAS

➢​AUGUSTINE VIEW
-​ His VIEW of HUMAN reflects the ENTIRE SPIRIT
of MEDIEVAL WORLD
-​ He agreed that man is BIFURCATED nature. He
infused Plato’s doctrine of Christianity
-​ An aspect of man dwells in the world and is
IMPERFECT and continuously YEARN to be with
the divine and other is CAPABLE of reaching
immortality.

-​ BELIEF that we DIE, and the soul anticipate to live

eternally communing with God.

●​ THOMAS ACQUINAS
-​ THE MOST EMINENT 13th century scholar and
stalwart of the MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY.
-​ MATTER; HYLE in Greek refers to “ The common stuff”
that makes up everything in the universe.
-​ That man’s body is PART of this MATTER.
-​ That we share the same to some degree with animals,
organic beings in the world.
-​ EXCEPT: that we have a SOUL. That makes us human.

●​ DESCARTES
-​ FATHER OF MODERN PHILOSOPHY / HAVING a
BODY and MIND.
-​ His famous TREATISE, the MEDITATIONS of FIRST
PHILOSOPHY, that there is SO MUCH that we should
DOUBT.
-​ DO we EASILY believe someone, tell tales , or we
CONFIRM first before giving our opinion. “ to see is to
believe”
-​ That you can only believe “ oneself” because you exist.
And to”doubt,”then you are in existence.
●​ DAVID HUME
-​ Scottish Philosopher
-​ Empiricist that one can know only what comes from the
senses and experiences.

●​ HUME further ARGUE:

-​ EMPIRICISM: Is the school of thought that
ESPOUSES the idea that KNOWLEDGE can only be
POSSIBLE it is SENSED and EXPERIENCED.
-​ That KNOWLEDGE can ONLY be POSSIBLE if its
SENSED or EXPERIENCED.
-​ As per Hume, Self is a bundle of or collection of
DIFFERENT PERCEPTION. That man has NO “ clear
and intelligible idea of the self.

●​ JOHN LOCKE PERSONAL IDENTITY

-​ Self is a matter of psychological continuity. Meaning
found in consciousness ( memory) not in the
substance of either soul or the body.
-​ Interesting concept: The self is the summation of “
evolution” over the course of an individual.

●​ IMMANUEL KANT: THINK OF THE SELF

-​ There is necessarily a mind that ORGANIZES the
impression that men get from the EXTERNAL WORLD.
-​ APPARATUSES OF THE MIND:
➢​The self organizes different impression that one
gets in relation to his own existence:
➢​ This is an ACTIVE intelligence to synthesize ALL
knowledge and experience. SELF is the SEAT of
knowledge.

●​ CHRISTIAN OR BIBLICAL VIEW OF SELF

-​ God created man in His image; in the divine image He
created him; Male and Female He created them. God
blessed them, saying, Be fertile and multiply; fill the
earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the
sea, the birds in the air, and all the living things that
move on the earth.
 -​ We are WONDERFULLY, MADE. Our physical ,
mental, social, moral, spiritual, and religious
dimensions of our existence.
-​ WE ARE THE CROWN creation of SELF.

●​ THE PSYCHOLOGICAL VIEW OF SELF

➢​Sigmund Freud: The Psychoanalytic Theory of
Self
-​ Freud asserts that the human psyche (personality)
is structured into three parts (tripartite).

Parts of Personality
1.​ Id (internal desires). Also called internal drives
or instinctive drives, it consists of the body's
primitive biological drives and urges which are
concerned only with achieving pleasure and
self-satisfaction. Id lives completely in the
unconscious.
2.​Ego (reality). It is the "I" part of the individual
that gives him/ her the sense of his/her own
identity. The ego is the rational part of the
personality.
3.​ Superego (conscience). It is the part of the
personality concerned with morals, precepts,
standards, and ideas. The superego is also the
critical faculty of the personality.

●​ FREUDIAN STAGES OF PSYCHOSEXUAL

DEVELOPMENT
➢​These are characterize by SEXUAL DRIVES.
➢​ As they grow, certain areas become a source of
pleasure, frustrations or both.

1.​ Oral. From birth to the end of the first year, the
mouth becomes the part of the body through which
gratification is secured.
2.​Anal (expulsive phase). From the age of 2 to 3
years, the child derives the feelings of pleasure or pain
from defecating. It covers the toilet-training period.
 3.​Phallic. From the age of 3 to 6 years, the child gets
curious about his/her genitals and becomes attached to
the parent of the opposite sex. The attraction of a boy to
his mother is called Oedipus complex, while that of a
girl to her father is called Electra complex.
4.​ Latency. From the age of 10 to 12 years, sexual
motivations presumably recede in importance as the
child becomes preoccupied with developing skills and
other activities.
5.​Genital. After puberty, the deepest feelings of pleasure
presumably come from heterosexual relations.

●​ ERIK ERIKSON
➢​CONCERN: How PSYCHOLOGICAL and SOCIAL
factors AFFECT the developmental task and
SIMULTANEOUSLY presenting the individual with a
crisis that he/ she must overcome.
➢​CRISIS: NOT a THREAT of catastrophe but a turning
point, a CRUCIAL period of increased vulnerability and
heightened potential.

PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGES OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT

1.​TRUST VS. MISTRUST

➢​Infancy to 18 months ( Early Childhood)
➢​The individual develops a sense of trust towards the
caregiver, especially with the mother's genuine affection
and care. A lack of this leads to mistrust.

2.​AUTONOMY VS. SHAME AND DOUBT

➢​Early childhood ( 18 month to 3 years )
➢​The individual needs to develop a sense of personal
control over physical skills and a sense of
independence. Success leads to feelings of autonomy,
failure results in feelings of shame and doubt.
3.​INITIATIVE VS. GUILT
➢​Preschool ( 3-5 years)
➢​The individual needs to begin asserting control and
power over the environment. Success in this stage leads
to a sense of purpose. Children who try to exert too
much power experience disapproval resulting in a sense
of guilt.

4.​Industry vs. Inferiority

➢​Elementary school age (6-11 Years)
➢​As an individual moves into the world of schooling,
he/she needs to cope with new social and academic
demands. Success leads to a sense of competence while
failure results in feelings of inferiority.

5.​Identity vs. Role confusion

➢​ Adolescence ( 12 to 18 years)
➢​As an individual enters adolescence or teen years,
he/she needs to develop a sense of self and personal
identity. When the adolescent fails to develop a
"centered" identity, he/she becomes trapped in either
role confusion or negative identity. Success leads to an
ability to stay true to oneself while failure leads to a
weak sense of self.

6.​Intimacy vs. Isolation

➢​ Young adulthood (19-40 years)
➢​As an individual grows as a young adult, hel she needs
to form intimate, loving relationships with other people.
Success leads to strong relationships while failure
results in loneliness and isolation.

7.​Generativity vs. Stagnation

➢​Middle adulthood ( 40 to 65 years)
➢​Generativity means reaching out beyond one's own
immediate concerns to embrace the welfare of society
and of future generations. It entails selflessness.
Success leads to feelings of usefulness and
accomplishment while failure results in shallow
involvement in the world.
8.​Integrity vs. Despair
➢​Old age/ maturity( 65- to death)
➢​The older adult needs to look back on life and feel a
sense of fulfilment. Success at this stage leads to
feelings of wisdom while failure results in regret,
bitterness, and despair.

●​ MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

➢​SELF ESTEEM

●​ HOW TO CULTIVATE HEALTHY SELF- ESTEEM

FOR A HAPPY LIFE

1.​ Learn how to accept compliments.

2.​Start a gratitude journal.
3.​Think of yourself as a friend.
4.​Love yourself.
●​ GILBERT RYLE
➢​HE SOLVED the MIND – BODY DICHOTOMY .
-​ It is about the CONCEPT of an INTERNAL , no
Physical self.
➢​ According to Ryle: What’s important is the BEHAVIOR that
person MANIFEST in his DAY to DAY life.
➢​He stated that the SELF has to be FOUND.
➢​Gilbert Ryle suggests:
The " SELF" is not an ENTITY one can LOCATE and
ANALYZE but SIMPLY the CONVENIENT NAME that
people use to REFER to all the BEHAVIORS that
PEOPLE MAKE.

●​ MERLEAU- PONTY
➢​A phenomenologist.
➢​MIND and BODY BIFURCATION
-​ The body and the mind are so INTERTWINED
that they cannot be SEPARATED from one
another.
-​ That ONE cannot find any EXPERIENCE that is
NOT an embodied experience.

➢​BIFURCATION:
-​ The division of something into two branches or
parts.

●​ THE SELF, SOCIETY, and CULTURE

➢​GOALS:
1.​ Explain the Relationship between and among the
SELF , SOCIETY, and CULTURE.
2.​Describe and Discuss the different ways by which
society and culture SHAPE the self.
3.​ Compare and Contrast how the SELF Can be
INFLUENCED by the different institutions in the
SOCIETY.

●​ SALIENT means the most noticeable or important.

●​ ABSTRACTION
➢​In contemporary literature, even common senses; the
Self define by which " Separate, Self- Contained,
Independent, Consistent, Unitary, and Private
( STEVENS 1996).
➢​THEREFORE:
-​ NO comparison, Unique, own identity
-​ No one is alike
-​ An individual is DISTINCT from others
-​ THAT’S WHY WE DON’T COMPARE ourselves with
others.

●​ FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE

PHYSICAL SELF
➢​Development OF INDIVIDUAL is caused by two
interacting forces.
1.​ HEREDITY ( Nature)
-​ Transmission of traitor characteristics FROM
PARENTS TO OFFSPRING
-​ Raw materials through GENES,
-​ Hereditary potentials like: Physical , Mental,
Social, Emotional , and Moral traits.
(Passed down to generations)

2.​ ENVIRONMENT ( Nurture)

-​ Environment has an effect on your
development of physical self.
-​