San Jose Community College

San Jose , Malilipot Albay

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

MODULE FOR UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Course Title : UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Course Description : The course deals with the nature of identity, as well as the factors and forces that affect the development and
maintenance of personal identity.
This course is intended to facilitate the exploration of the issues and concerns regarding self and identity to arrive at
a better understanding of one’s self.
General Objectives :
1. Define the concept “The self.”
2. Determine the process of understanding the “self”
3. Explain why it is essential to understand the “self”
4. Describe and discuss the different notions of the self from the points of–view of the various philosophers across time and place.
5. Compare and contrast how the self has been represented across the different disciplines and perspectives.

Content:
a. The Self: Its Nature and Significance
b. The Self from Various Philosophical Perspectives
c. Unpacking the Self
d. Managing and Caring for the Self

I- MODULE I - The Self : Its Nature and Significant

Lesson I- Self and Identity

II- Objectives:
1. Draw the Self-portrait accurately through filling up the Bio Data Form.
2. Discover his Identity.
3. Understand the meaning of self and identity.
4. Articulate the various philosophical views about self.

III-Pre-Test:

Test I- True Or False: Write the word True if you agree with the sentence and if you don’t agree write False.
1. Our names represent our soul.
2. Self is constant. It is struggling through the outside world.
3. Human beings attach names that are meaningful to birthed progenies because names are supposed to designate us in
the world.
4. The self is something that a person perennially molds, shapes, and develops.
5. A name is not the person itself no matter how intimately bound it is with the bearer. It is only a pacifier.
6. The true task of the philosophers is to know the pattern of life.
7. The body is bound to die on earth and the soul is to is to anticipate living eternally in a realm of spiritual bliss in
communion with God.
8. The self is always in participation with social life and its identity subjected to influences here and there.
9. The potential clash between the self and external reality is the reason for the self to have a clear understanding of
what it might be, what it can be, and what it will be.
10. You are the product of society , community, and family.

Test II- Select the correct answer from the given choices:

a. self image b. spirited soul c. Plato d. ideal self e. David Hume

11.The philosopher who viewed that self is nothing else but a bundle of impressions.
12. The self that is being shown to everybody; in the sense of his appearance and personality.
13. The self that you want to be.
14. Another part of the components of the soul which is in-charge of emotions.
15. Philosopher that supported the idea that man is a dual nature of body and soul .
Activity– I

A. Fill up the Bio Data Accurately:

a. Name: ______________________________________________
Family Name First Name Middle Name
b. Sex__________________________________
c. Complete Address_________________________
d. Telephone/cellphone number_______________
e. Email Address____________________________
f. Date birth_______________________________
g. Place of birth___________________
h. Civil Status___________________________
I. Height _______________________________
J. Weight______________________________
k. Religion_____________________________
l. Citizenship__________________________-
m. Special Skills_________________________
n. Best friend__________________________
o. Fears________________________________
p. Language/Dialect_______________________

WHOLE BODY PORTRAIT

Names Occupation Date of birth Place of birth

Father
Mother
Siblings

School Year Awards Clubs

Nursery
Kinder
Elementary
High School
Senior High
School
College
Vocational School

Character Reference Name Position/Company Telephone/Cellphone Number

What should be your contribution to the new world? Explain.

PROCESSING QUESTIONS
1. Which part of the Bio-Data Form is the easiest to answer? How about the most difficult?
2. What do you have in mind while writing your Bio-Data? Which part did you answer first, why?
3. How did you feel while writing your Bio-Data?
4. What were your realization after completing your Bio-Data.

Activity II Think of it!

Respond to the following queries with all honesty.

1. What are your strengths?

2. What are your abilities?
3. How are you different from others of same age?
4. What do you wish to change in your traits? Why?
5. What do you want to achieve for yourself?
Activity III Let us Apply it!
Comply with what is being asked from you below and let us see how well you are aware about your image.

How I feel About Me and Myself In My Opinion Other’s Opinion

My Appearance
My Self-Confidence
My Achievements
My Abilities

How I feel About Others

Their looks and grooming
Their degree of confidence
Their life achievements
Their skills and abilities

1. Sum up how you feel about yourself in comparison with how others view you:
2. Sum up how you feel about others and how it goes with others’ opinion.

Application : Write a Reflection based from the different activities you have perform about yourself and your identity.

Lesson II- The Self: Philosophical Perspective

Learning Outcome:
I. Determine the varied philosophical ideas about the nature of the ‘self’
2. Identity the differences in these perspectives,
3. Use these perspective in the forming of own insight about the “self”
4. Point on to the concepts that define the “self”

A number of philosophers through ages have positive ideas about the nature of the self. These philosophers
include David Hume, Rene Descartes, Socrates, Plato, Sigmeund Freud and even Saint Augustine of Hippo among others who
remarkably have provided unique views about the real nature of the concept we call SELF.

Socrates and Plato

Socrates was the first philosopher who ever engaged in a systematic questioning about the self. To him this has
become his life-long mission, the true task of the philosopher is to know oneself. He took it upon himself to serve as a gadfly
that disturbed Athenian men from their slumber and shook them off in order to reach the truth and wisdom. For him man is
composed of body and soul. This means that every human person is dualistic, that is , he is composed of two important
aspects of his personhood. For him this means all individuals have an imperfect, impermanent aspect to him, and the body,
while maintaining that there is also a soul that is perfect and permanent.
Plato, supported Socrates’ idea that man is dual nature of body and soul. Plato added that there are three
components of the soul: the rational soul, the spirited soul, and the appetitive soul. Plato emphasizes that justice in the
human person can only be attained if three parts of the soul are working harmoniously with one another. The rational soul
forged by reason and intellect has to govern the affairs of the human person, the spirited part which is in charge of emotions
should be kept at bay, and the appetitive soul in charge of base desires like eating , drinking, sleeping, and having sex are
controlled as well. When this ideal state is attained, then the human person’s soul becomes just and virtuous.

Augustine and Thomas Aquinas

Augustine said that the body is bound to die on earth and the soul is to anticipate living eternally in a realm of
spiritual bliss in communion with God. This is because the body can only thrive in the imperfect, physical reality that is the
world whereas the soul can also stay after death in an eternal realm with the all-transcendent God. The goal of every human
person is to attain this communion and bliss with the Divine by living his life on earth in virtue.
Thomas Aquinas, Adapted some ideas from Aristotle, He said ma is composed of two parts matter and form.
Matter or hyle refers to the common stuff that makes up everything in the universe. Man’s body is part of this matter. Form
or morphe in Greek refers to the essence of a substance or thing. It is makes it what it is. In the case of the human person,
the body of the human person is something that he shares even with animals. The cells in man’s body are more or less akin to
the cells of any other living, organic being in the world. However, what makes a human person a human person and not a dog
or tiger is his soul, his essence. To Aquinas ,just in Aristotle, the soul is what animates the body, it is what makes humans.

Descartes
Rene Descartes Father of Modern Philosophy, conceived of the human person having body and a mind. In the
end Descartes thought that the only thing that one cannot doubt is the existence of the self, for even if one doubts oneself
that only proves that there is a doubting self. His famous, cogito ergo sum,” I think therefore , I am.” The fact that one thinks
should lead one to conclude without a trace of doubt that he exists. The self then for Descartes is also a combination of two
distinct entities, the cogito, the thing that thinks, which is the mind, and the extenza or extension of the mind which is the
body. in Descartes’s view, the body is nothing else but a machine that attached to the mind.
Hume
David Hume, As an empiricist who believes that one can know only what comes from the senses and
experiences, Hume argues that the self is nothing like his predecessors thought of it. The self is not an entity over and beyond
the physical body. One can rightly see here the empiricism that runs through his veins. Empiricism is the school of thought
that espouses the idea that knowledge can only be possible if it is sensed and experienced. Men can only attain knowledge by
experiencing.
To David Hume , the self is nothing else but a bundle of impressions. What are impressions? For him , if one tries
to examine his experiences, he finds that they can all categorized into two: impressions and ideas. Impressions are the basic
objects of our experience or sensation. They therefore form the core of our thoughts. When one touches an ice cube, the
cold sensation is an impression. Impressions therefore are vivid because they are products of our direct experience with the
world. Ideas on the other hand are copies of impressions. Because of this they are not as lively and vivid as our impressions.
When one images the feeling of being in love for the first time, that still is an idea.
What is the self then? Self, according to Hume is simply “a bundle or collection of different perceptions, which
succeed each other with an inconceivable rapidity, and are in a perpetual flux and movement.’

Kant
To Immanuel Kant , there is necessarily a mind that organizes the impressions that men get from external world.
Time and space, for example, are ideas that one cannot find in the world, but is built in our minds. Kant calls these the
apparatuses of the mind.
Along with the different apparatuses of the mind goes the self. Without the self, one cannot organize the different
impressions that one gets in relation to his own existence. Kant therefore suggest that it is an actively engaged intelligence in
man that synthesizes all knowledge and experience. Thus , the self is not just what gives one his personality. In addition , it is
also the seat of knowledge acquisition for all human persons.

Ryle
For Gilbert Ryle, what truly matters is the behavior that a person manifest in his day-to-day life. He is looking for
trying to understand a self as it really exists is like visiting your friend’s university and looking for the university’. One can
roam around the campus, visit the library and the football field, and meet the administrators and faculty and still end up not
finding the university. This is because the campus, the people, the systems and the territory all form the university. Ryle
suggests that the self is not an entity one can locate and analyze but simply the convenient name the people use to refer to all
the behaviors that people make.

Merleau-Ponty
Merleau-Punty is a phenomenologist who asserts that mind-body bifurcation that has been going on for a long
time is futile endeavor and an invalid problem. He said that the mind and body are so intertwined that they cannot be
separated from one another. One cannot find any experience that is not an embodied experience. All experience is embodied.
One’s body is his opening toward his existence to the world. Because of these bodies, men are in the world. He said that the
living body, his thoughts, emotions, and experiences are all one.

Sigmeund Freud
Sigmeund Freud was a neurologist from Austria. He established psychoanalysis. This is school of thought revolving
around the role of psychological conflicts within the unconscious which is relevant in the development of human behavior as
well as personality. It was Freud who stated that there are three components in the mind that interact to produce the
individual persona. This concept in the structural theory of personality involves the id, ego, and superego which are largely
found within the unconscious. The conflict among these three components rise to human persona.
The id and the superego are constant conflict brought about by differences in their desire. As the id demands
pleasure and gratification of urges, the superego requires compliance to societal norms. The conflict is resolved by the ego
which is “the self” by maintaining the balance between these two structures of the mind. He considered the ego as the
realistic area of ones persona that maintains the balance and harmony within the individual.

APPLICATION AND ASSESMENT

I- Discuss your ideas about the following concepts according to who and how it was presented by the different
Philosophers:

a. Rational soul f. Inner Self

b. Spirited soul g. Outer Self
c. Appetitive soul h. Id
d. cogito I. Ego
e. extenza J. Superego
II- In your own words, state what ‘self’ is for each of the following philosophers. After doing so, explain how your concept
of ‘self’ is compatible with how they conceived of the ‘self.’
.
1. Socrates 6. Kant
2. Plato 7. Ryle
3. Augustine 8. Merleau-Punty
4. Descartes 9. Sigmeund Freud
 5. Hume

Lesson -III- Concepts of Self: Eastern Philosophy

Learning Outcome:
1. Comprehend the concepts behind the eastern principles;
2. Decipher the differences among principles;
3. Explain the uniqueness of these Eastern views; and
4. Identify how these insights contribute to self-determination

Varied cultural orientations have developed ideas towards a better understanding of the complexities of the self.
there is a continuous quest to find explanations as to the real nature of being human and the self for the attainment of
enlightenment.
Only through knowing and understanding these differing conceptions of the self can people begin to truly
understand other cultures and ways of thinking, as well as perhaps glean a small portion of the vast knowledge and wisdom
encoded in the great mythologies and religions of the world.

BUDDHISM
Siddharta Gautama Buddha developed a doctrine called as Anatta, often defined as no-self or the principle that
nothing is permanent and that no one is an independent entity as we are all a part of a collective whole. Buddha explained
that there is no unchanging self. The reality of the Dukkha or suffering and Anicca or impermanence is the truth about
existence.
The Anatta doctrine states that there is anything called a ‘self’ as belief in this leads to Dukkha which of course is
mere suffering and pain. Buddhism as a doctrine argues that there is no-soul or no–self. However it is believed that every
human has a mind and body as well as a stream of consciousness. Buddhist’s principle points onto the ego as the expression
of the five components called ‘skandas’ which make up a person . These are;
1. Form which comprises the body and the sense organs;
2. Sensations which are the processes created by the senses in contact with the external environment;
3. Perception which is recognition of objects according to one’s senses;
4. Mental formations or our predispositions, tendencies, traits, habits; And
5. Consciousness which is awareness about a stimulus from the internal or external environment.

HINDUISM
The ‘self’ in the Upanishads finds its place in “The Story of Creation,” pertaining to the creation of the Universe and
of man. The part begins where the self was all alone in the person of Purusha. The true nature of man is described as
“Brahman,” which means ‘the self.
The main idea in Hinduism involves:
1. The concept of God Brahman, which is the most supreme entity;
2. There is reincarnation where soul passes through different physical bodies as it is destined to undergo what it
deserve in accordance with Karma;
3. The Atman or the soul that is also Brahman;
4. The World we are living in is comprised of varied levels of existence; And
5. The paths to salvation which are all similar to other doctrines which evidently leads to the same goal.

TAOISM
Taoism as the doctrine based on the philosophy of Lao Tzu says that ‘knowing others is wisdom. Knowing the
self is enlightenment.’ He stressed that understanding others requires force but mastering the self requires power and
strength. For Lao Tzu, the world and this life are good as there are elements guiding us to experience harmony through the
“Dao.”
The Taoists Bible called the Tao Te Ching gives and explains processes on how to live a good life through ‘Dao’ or
the ‘Way’ of the World which is the path to happiness and harmony Lao Tzu says that human refuse to take the simple path
and opt to go through that which causes discord, confusion and suffering.
Lao Tzu teaches ‘stillness to the mind’ and to let go all worries, confusions and just experience the world. He
pointed out that nature was never in a hurry that everything happens in its perfect time and right schedule such as the
blooming of flowers. Emptying ourselves of the negative, confusing and worrisome thoughts we go back to what is important
in our lives. Lao Tzu said we need to” empty yourself of everything, let your mind become still.” If we are too busy , too
preoccupied with anxiety or ambition , we will miss a thousand moments of the human experience that are our natural
inheritance.
Taoist’s principle reiterates how our ego distracts us in seeing our true self. There is a need to let go to be self-
determined, to be what you ought to be.

CONFUCIANISM
Confucianism identifies personality as a product of of one’s upbringing and environment. This shows that the
individual is a social being which makes us ‘social animals.’ In this doctrine it is believed that every person is born with four
beginnings which lead to the formation of a ‘self.’ It includes the following components which are the perfection of virtues
that is found innately in the heart of every human;
1. Heart of compassion;
2, Heart of righteousness;
 3. Heart of propriety; and
4. Heart of wisdom.
The practice of the above virtues leads to the formation of the self. However, it should be understood that the
role of the family and community plays a vital role in the formation of the Self. Confucius is very definite on the need for an
individual to do something and never be idle as this leads to the pursuit of the virtues. There is need to achieve the real
nature of the Self in the argument of Confucius.

APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

I- Direction: Explain how the following philosophical concepts can contribute to the development and formation of a more
enlightened SELF.
1. ‘ No Self’
2. ‘Dukkha’
3. ‘Karma’
4. Belief in ‘Reincarnation’
5. ‘Dao’

II- Direction: Expound on the value of the following statements:

1. “Knowing others is wisdom, knowing the self is enlightenment.”

2. “We have to experience the world.”
3. “The practice of virtues leads to the formation of the self”
4. “ The reality of suffering and impermanence is the truth about this existence.”

Application:
A. Brainstorm on the differences on the insights presented in the following eastern principles
a. Buddhism
b. Hinduism
c. Taoism
d. Confucianism

B. Get the following materials:

a. Oslo paper b. Coloring Materials c. Pencil and Rules

C. Create a poster showing how Eastern Principles can enrich an individual’s concept of the ‘self’ and the formation of a
better persona.

REFLECTION: Having mastered the different Principles presented by several philosophers and from the Eastern principles and
ideas for a better understanding of the complexities of the self, Reflect on what you should do to understand
better yourself for the improvement of your personality.

Prepared by:

NECITAS B. BOLA
Instructor