University of Antique

Hamtic Campus
Guintas, Hamtic, Antique

LESSON 4: THE SELF IN WESTERN AND EASTERN THOUGHTS

Learning Objectives:
After finishing this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Distinguish the concept of self according to Western thoughts against Eastern/Oriental Perspectives.
2. Explain the concept of self based on Western and Eastern thoughts.
3. Differentiate the individualistic self from the collective self.

INTRODUCTION

Different cultures and varying environment tend to create different perceptions of the
“self” and one of the most common distinctions between cultures and people is the
Eastern vs Western dichotomy wherein Eastern represents Asia and Western represents
Europe and Northern America.
It must be understood that this distinction and the countries included was politically
colored at the time that aforementioned concepts were accepted and used in the social
sciences.
Furthermore, it must be reiterated that while countries who are geographically closer to
each other may share commonalities, there are also a lot of factors that create
differences.
In the Philippines alone, each region may have a similar or varying perception regarding
the “self”.
Stimulating Learning
1. Are cultural differences bad or good for society?
2. How would you feel if you saw someone who dresses differently from you?
3. A concept from Eastern thought suggests that a person should create a harmonious
relationship with the people in his/her surrounding, while a concept from Western thought
pushes for a self-sufficient concept of the self that can function without the help of other
people. Which concept of the self would you prefer? Why?
EASTERN THOUGHTS
The Concept of “self” in Eastern Thought In the concept of “self” in general is greatly
influenced by religious beliefs and political philosophies.
Eastern concepts of “self” leans more toward the different philosophies, namely:
Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism
Confucianism
❖ It can be seen as a code of ethical conduct, of how one should properly act according to
their relationship with other people.
❖ It is focused on having a harmonious social life.
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Hamtic Campus
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❖ Therefore, the identity and self-concept of the individual are interwoven with identity
and status of his/her community or culture, sharing its pride as well as its failures.
❖ Self-cultivation is seen as the ultimate purpose of life but the characteristics of a chun-
tzu, a man of virtue or noble character, is still embedded in his social relationships.
❖ The cultivated self in Confucianism is what some scholars call a “subdued self” wherein
personal needs are repressed for the good of many, making Confucian society also
hierarchal for the purpose of maintaining order and balance in society.
❖ Moreover, in his view, a human being becomes an excellent person only through the
contributions of other people and through fulfilling one’s obligation to them.
❖ These other people include parents, teachers, friends, aunts, and uncles, grandparents,
ancestors, and even government ministers.
❖ Hence, according to Confucius, true humanness is realized and achieved in social life
because he believes that the source of human and social values is the human society.
❖ His ideal of human life touches not only on the individual and the state but also on the
family.
❖ Man must be a part of family, friendship and the state and fulfill his assigned role in
these various social units.
❖ Because, what is really important to human life is society as concretized in family,
friendship, and state.
❖ In fact, for Confucius the well-ordered family is a model for the well-ordered state and
ultimately the world as a whole.
Taoism
❖ It is living in the way of the Tao or the universe.
❖ However, Taoism rejects having one definition of what the Tao is, and can only state
clues of what it is as they adopt a free-flowing, relative, unitary, as well as paradoxical
view of almost everything.
❖ Taoism rejects the hierarchy and strictness brought by Confucianism and would prefer a
simple lifestyle and its teachings thus aim to describe how to attain that life.
❖ The self is not just an extension of the family or the community; it is part of the
universe, one of the forms and manifestations of the Tao.
❖ The ideal self is selflessness but this is not forgetting about the self, it is living a
balanced-life with society and nature, being open and accepting to change, forgetting
about prejudices and egocentric ideas and thinking as well as complementarity among
humans as well as other beings.
❖ In this way, you will be able to act spontaneously because you will not be restricted by
some legalistic standards but because you are in harmony with everything.
❖ Moreover, to be truly human, man should strive to be a “man of Tao” – a sage, a perfect
man.
❖ A sage is one who has complete understanding of nature of things thereby has no
emotions.
❖ That is to say that he is not disturbed by emotions but enjoys peace of the soul.
❖ To understand nature, one has to know the invariable Law of Nature.
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Hamtic Campus
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❖ To know the invariable law is to be enlightened.

❖ Enlightenment is achieved when one observed the following:
✓ One, if he desires to anything, he must begin with the opposite.
✓ Two, if he desires to be strong, he must start feeling that he is weak.
✓ Three, if he desires to uphold capitalism, he must acknowledge some elements of
socialism.
❖ Furthermore, the first thing that man must know is that things are never changeable
and changing but the laws that govern these things are not themselves changeable.
❖ Among the laws that govern the changes of thing, the most fundamental is that “when
thing reaches its extreme, it reverts from it.”
❖ This means that if anything develops certain qualities, those qualities invariably revert
to become their opposite.
❖ For instance, eating the right amount of food is good for the health but overeating is
harmful.
Buddhism

❖ This philosophy views the self as an illusion, born out of ignorance, of trying to hold and
control things, or human-centered needs; thus, the self is also the source of all
sufferings.
❖ The goal, therefore, of Buddhism is to forget the cravings of the self, break the
attachments a person has with the world, and to renounce the self which is the cause of
all suffering.
❖ By doing these things, the person can then attain Nirvana.
The Four Noble Truths
1. The Noble Truth of Suffering
✓ To be born into this world means to suffer and suffering may be physical or mental.
2. The Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering
✓ The way to end suffering in life is to understand what causes it.
✓ Trishna (or craving) and Avidya (or ignorance) are two main causes of suffering.
3. The Noble of the End of Suffering.
✓ Suffering can be eliminated through Nirodha, i.e., the elimination of all cravings and
ignorance thus setting people off on their long journey towards ultimate salvation from
suffering.
✓ What this means is that suffering can be eliminated through one’s own efforts
independent of divine help.
✓ Without these causes of suffering one can experience absolute happiness, perfect
wisdom, peace, and all the qualities of enlightenment.
4. The Noble Truth of the Way Leading to the Cessation of Suffering.
✓ The way to the end of suffering is called the Middle Path.
✓ It is the avoidance of extremes of self-indulgences/selfishness (such as hedonism) and
excessive self-mortification (asceticism).
✓ This is the path which leads to the end of Samsara, the cycle of rebirth.
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✓ It is an Eightfold Path involving understanding and practice of Right Speech, Right

Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, Right
Attitude and Right View.
WESTERN THOUGHTS
Social construction is a shared assumption or perception of the people in society.
The western social construct of the self can be characterized in three ways, namely:
 Individuality of the self
 Self-sufficiency
 Rationality

Individuality of the self

❖ At a very young age, the child is already taught to pursue what is best for self.
❖ Thus, later in adult life, the measure of a successful life is when the self is able to fulfill
the life-goals set for and by the self.
❖ The individualistic self is always conceived as autonomous bounded entity.
❖ For one to be autonomous, one must be able to show independence
Self-sufficiency
❖ This construct presumes that a successful self must be able to supply one’s need without
external assistance.
❖ Being self-sufficient also implies confidence in one’s capacity to provide what the self
needs from one’s own resources and authority.
❖ Therefore, it is important for the self to establish one’s power and accumulate the
needed knowledge and resources so that one will be able to provide one’s needs.
Rationality

❖ In western practice, there is no time for the self to be weak and emotional.
❖ The self must not waste resources on meditation and other metaphysical cognitions but
to be constantly rational and reasonable.
❖ The self masters the causal relationship of things.
❖ Everything must be explained by logic and reason.
❖ Phenomenon outside the logical realm is simply discredited and rejected.
❖ This explains the western logical positivist movement.
❖ It contends that what is rational and reasonable are only those which can be logically
viable.
❖ The successful self, is grounded on one’s investment on reason and logical thinking.
❖ It also necessarily follows that the self adapts the rational-logical conceptions of things,
one must be scientific.
❖ The self marvels at the safety measures of scientific procedures.
❖ Scientific researches ascertain the cause-and-effect relationship of things and
phenomena.
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❖ Safety is derived from the mastery of the phenomena concerning the self.
❖ The successful self embraces the scientific conception of things that affect one’s growth,
psycho-physical development, intellectual capacity, interaction with others and
involvement in societal institutions and infrastructures.

Comparison between Individualistic and Collective Self

Features of Individualism Features of Collectivism

 “I” identity  Each person is encouraged to be

 Promotes individual goals, an active player in society, to do
initiative, and achievement what is best for society as whole
 Individual rights are seen as rather than themselves
being the most important. Rules  The rights of families,
attempt to ensure self- communities, and the collective
importance and individualism supersede those of the
 Independence is valued; there is individual
much less of a drive to help  Rules promote unity,
other citizens or communities brotherhood, and selflessness
than in collectivism  Working with others and
 Relying or being dependent on cooperating is the norm;
others is frequently seen as everyone supports each other.
shameful  As a community, family, or
 People are encouraged to do nation more than as an
things on their own; to rely on individual
themselves
 People strive for their own
successes