Lesson 2:

PHILOSOPHERS OF THE SELF

The concept of the self has been a central focus in philosophy, with various thinkers offering distinct
perspectives on its nature and significance. Philosophers of the self explore questions like "Who am I?",
"What is the nature of personal identity?", and "How do we come to understand ourselves?"

Prominent figures such as Socrates, René Descartes, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant have shaped
the discourse

Socrates emphasized self-knowledge as the foundation of wisdom, famously proclaiming, "Know thyself."
Descartes, with his cogito ("I think, therefore I am"), argued for the self
as a thinking substance.

Hume, on the other hand, challenged the notion of a permanent self, seeing it as a bundle of perceptions.
Kant synthesized these ideas, viewing the self as a unity of consciousness necessary for experience.

Together, these philosophers offer rich insights into the nature of personal identity and the pursuit of
self-understanding. Understanding their contributions is key to exploring the complex and evolving
concept of the self.

SOCRATES
Socrates was a Greek philosopher and the main source of Western thought. Little is known of his life
except what was recorded by his students, including Plato.

Socrates was born circa 470 BC in Athens, Greece. We know of his life through the writings of his
students, including Plato and Xenophon

His “Socratic Method” laid the groundwork for Western systems of logic and philosophy. When the
political climate of Greece turned, Socrates was sentenced to death by hemlock poisoning in 399 BC.

Socrates believed that the “self” exists in two parts.

PHILOSOPHERS OF THE SELF: Socrates

One part is the physical, tangible aspects of us. This is the part that is mortal and can be/is constantly
changing. Earth also belongs to this physical realm that our bodies belong in

Because just as us in terms of physicality, the Earth is constantly being modified.

The second part is the soul, which he believed to be immortal. The soul is the part that is unvarying
across all realms

The soul is unchanging while it is attached to your body and thus in the physical realm, but is also
unmodified once you die and your soul leaves the body to travel to the ideal
realm)

Socrates believed that when we are in the physical realm, we are also alive and our body and soul are
attached making both parts of our “self” present in physical realm.

When we die however, our body stays in the physical realm while our soul travels to the ideal realm,
therefore making our soul immortal.
PLATO
Ancient Greek philosopher Plato founded the Academy and is the author of philosophical works of
unparalleled influence in Western thought.

Ancient Greek Philosopher Plato was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle. His writings
explored justice, beauty and equality, and also contained discussions
in various fields.

These fields include aesthetics, political philosophy, theology, cosmology, epistemology and the
philosophy of language.

Plato founded the academy in Athens, one of the first institutions of higher learning in the Western
world

The name Plato is familiar to everyone but many are unaware that the word Plato is a nickname. The
real name of Plato is Aristocles. His name Plato is a Greek word for
Broad

Plato
The human self is fundamentally an intellectual entity whose “true” or essential nature exists as
separate from the physical world.

Rather than use the word “self”, he had what some academics call a tripartite theory of the soul. He
created a taxonomy of spirit/logic-reason/appetite as categories in which people in essence respond to
or seek life.

Plato’s version of self, the spirit is the part of the self/soul that regulates the appetitive and is the
source of emotions like anger and other moods.

ST. AUGUSTINE
PHILOSOPHERS OF THE SELF: Augustine
St. Augustine, also called Augustine of Hippo, was born in Tagaste (now Algeria)

He is one of the Latin fathers of the Church and perhaps the most significant Christian thinker after St.
Paul. Augustine’s adaptation of classical thought to Christian teaching
created a theological system of great
power and lasting influence.

His most famous works are Confessions and The City of God. In Roman Catholicism, he is formally
recognized as a Doctor of the Church.

Augustine’s sense of self is his relation to God, both in his recognition of God’s love and his response to
it-achieved through self-presentation, then self-realization. Augustine believed one could not achieve
inner peace without finding God’s love.
In Book 1, he quickly wanders into reflections about himself, and God that lead to paradox, confusion
(Chapters 2-4) and even a sort of crisis of self-identity (chapter 5)

He seeks an answer to these difficulties about who God is and who is not in abstract philosophy but in
his own life story, beginning from his own birth and concluding with the death of his mother, with whom
he shares a profound moment of contemplation that seems to take them into eternity.

Aquinas begins his theory of self-knowledge from the claim that all our self-knowledge is dependent on
our experience of the world around us

Aquinas argues, our awareness of ourselves is triggered and shaped by our experiences of objects in our
environment

As sample, when one long for a cup of mid-afternoon coffee, one is not aware of the coffee, but one’s self
wanting the coffee and the memories.

RENE DESCARTES
Rene Descartes is often credited as the Father of Modern Philosophy due to his break with the
traditional Scholastic-Aristotelian philosophy prevalent at his time.

His fundamental break with Scholastic philosophy was twofold. First, Descartes thought that the
Scholastics’ method was prone to doubt given their reliance on sensation as the source for all
knowledge.

Second, he wanted to replace their causal model of scientific explanation with the more modern,
mechanistic model

Descartes attempted to address the former issue via his method of doubt. His basic strategy was to
consider false any belief that falls prey to even the slightest doubt.

Descartes sets out to find something that lies beyond all doubt. He eventually discovers that “Cogito ergo
sum” is impossible to doubt, and is therefore, absolutely certain.

It is from this point that Descartes proceeds to demonstrate God’s existence and that God cannot be a
deceiver.

After establishing the reasons behind his radical skepticism, Descartes goes on to ask himself what he
can know. In other words, what new foundation can he replace the old ones
with?

He quickly realizes that it is subjective knowledge about his self that is most reliable, and embarks on an
intellectual journey to establish a firmer understanding of this.

He begins with an argument known commonly as the Cogito. He comes to understand that if he is
capable of doubting- which is precisely what he is doing- then he must exist

He may doubt everything else, may be deceived about the existence of all other things, but he must
necessarily exist. Cogito ergo sum, that is, I think therefore I am.
He may doubt everything else, may be deceived about the existence of all other things, but he must
necessarily exist. Cogito ergo sum, that is, I think therefore I am

But overtime, this Cogito has been modified to Cogitor

From Cogito ergo sum to Cogitor ergo

From I think, therefore I am to I am thought of, therefore I exist.

IMMANUEL KANT
Immanuel Kant is considered as the most influential thinker of the Enlightenment era. His works,
especially those on epistemology, aesthetics and ethics had a profound influence on later philosophers,
including
contemporary ones

According to him, we all have an inner and an outer self which together form our consciousness

The inner self is comprised of our psychological state and our rational intellect. The outer self includes
our sense and the physical world. When speaking of the inner self, there is apperception

Keeping things simple, empiricism asserts that knowledge is only attained through the senses. In other
words, seeing is believing! If something can't be seen, tasted, touched, heard, or physically experienced,
it might as well be a unicorn!

When the perception fails,then it may not be true.

Lesson 3
SOCIETY AND THE SELF
“Who am I?”
This must be one of the most frequent asked questions in the modern Western world. On the surface this
is a deceptively easy question, but if there is one thing we ought to know it is our own self;who we are

What we want to investigate is the idea of social individuality. This does not mean that each one of us is
not an individual self, we clearly are: rather, this is how the self is formed in social relations with others
and how it is through them and relation to others that
we answer the question “who am I?”

Most of the book is devoted to the debates about the self that have dominated the social and human
sciences; the various ways in which sociologists, philosophers, and the social psychologists have
addressed the question of the self in contemporary world.

Self Identity
Self identity is the way you look at yourself and your relationship to the world. Self identity makes us
understand yourself. Self identity is composed of relatively permanent self-assessments, such as
personality attributes, one’s occupation and hobbies, awareness of one’s physical attributes.
The self identity is not restricted to the present. It includes past selves and future selves. Future selves
represent individuals’ ideas of what they might become, what they would like to become, and what they
are afraid of
becoming.

They correspond to hopes, fears, standards, goals and threats. Possible selves may function as incentives
for future behavior and they also provide an evaluative and interpretative context for the current view
of self.

Each person is unique to them, and no one is perfect. In fact most people do not have a clear and
conscious understanding of what they are.

Yourself identity is surrounded by your boundary which filters both outward and inward experience
you have to the world.

As the life experiences come around you make decisions based on your boundaries, it increases your
sense of self esteem and makes a stronger character of which you are in yourself identity. You are able to
clearly define the limits of the extent of your control on self.

The Self
The central nucleus around which the personality develops is the self. The self is an organization within
the individual which is unique and continuing. The self is a matter of experience or an object of
knowledge.

You may also describe yourself as to the physique, intelligence, social skills, attitudes and belief systems
or in simple way, the self is a point between past and future, and it also includes unconscious
components.

The Analysis of the Self

The term “self” has been used in many different ways which are given as:
1. Bodily Sense: The image if one’s body, of one’s muscular movements, as in sports, of one’s agility or
clumsiness, etc. These form a continuing core around which the embryonic self can develop, and this is
an important component of self.
2. Self-identity: “I remember my thoughts and actions of yesterday, and of years ago; consciously I am
aware of and believe in my continuity. Subjectively, I am certain that I am a continuing unity.
3. Ego Enhancement: Most, of the people show pride, selfishness, narcissism, and self-love. There is an
almost universal tendency for the individual to strive to become more important, to be the center of
attention,to observed and respected.
4. Ego Extension: Each self begins to attach to itself physical possessions (my home is part of my ego),
social groups (my church, labor union, my nation) a profession and other belongings. An attack on one of
these is perceived as an
attack on the self.
5. Self-image: The self as seen by itself, the person’s phenomenal or conscious self. Even this may be
subdivided into one’s image of himself as he “really” is, and his ideal self-image, that which he would like
to be.
6. Self-oriented Striving: It refers to the intensely motivated effort involved in self-expression and also
includes the people who voluntarily accept pain and discomfort in pursuit of a dream.
Aspects of Inner Self
Turning inward is the self knowledge and it is being in touch with the world through our senses so that
you have a clear picture of yourself in the world.

THE WAYS OF INNER SELF DEVELOPMENT ARE GIVEN AS:

1.The inputs of your senses.
2.Your thoughts- those you have experience and those you generate
3. Your feeling- what you feel now, and what you have felt at other times.
-how sure you are with your feelings
-uncertainty of feeling
4. Your memories- what you recall of your life and work
5. Your visions- products of your imagination, what you create.
6. Your assumptions- the concepts about yourself, others, and the world that you believe to be true
7. Your values- the attitudes, behavior, and convictions that you consider important and use to guide
your life
8. Your intuition- what you sense to be true even without evidence to support you.
9. Belief- what you believe about the mysteries of life that are difficult to answer.

There is no upper limit to practice for any of them, even something as simple as listening. And as we
enhance our experience of ourselves, the same process is developing who we are.
Remember to be aware of any discomfort you feel when you are working with your inner self. We
cannot, and do not take any responsibility for what you will actually experience because people are all
so different.

Stop and if necessary, seek professional help.

Self Development Strategies
The self development strategies are divided into eight categories, which cover all the quadrants of living:
spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical (actions) These areas are not completely discreet and
separate, but overlaps each other which are given as:

each other which are given as:

1. Self Acceptance: It means understanding who you are and accepting your faults.
It is only after you begin to accept yourself that you can begin to change and grow into the person you
want.

Self acceptance also means accepting the level and pace of your growth, and giving yourself permission
to be you, and permission to fail.

Self awareness forms a large part of self acceptance as you develop.

2. Self Respect- Self Respect means taking care of yourself and treating yourself right.

This includes not just the actions you take but also how you talk to yourself. You’re going to be talking to
yourself, feeding yourself image and subconscious with messages of who you are.

3. Self Esteem- It is the value you place yourself. Recognizing and affirming that you are good enough,
worthwhile and valuable.
4. Self Belief- It means trusting yourself and having faith in your judgment, skills, and yourself as a
person.
5.Self Love- Self love means if you are falling in love, a large proportion of that is the same with
confidence.

Confidence and happiness are usually synonymous, just like a love is a powerfully positive and blissful
emotion.

Loving yourself includes liking yourself

6.Self Assurance- This is being aware of your purpose and being one to validate yourself rather than
looking at others to validate us is a major part of self assurance.

A difference between self assurance and self belief is a kin. Self assurance just knows that you’ll succeed
at what you do; self belief knows that regardless of the outcome, you’ll be okay.

Both are necessary and complimentary. Self belief is what keeps you going: self assurance is what gets
you there.

7. Self Determination- It is freedom and total control of your reality. With Self Determinism, you are the
ultimate authority in your life, deciding what your values and beliefs are, and then acting in accordance
with them.
You make your own reality

8. Self Admiration- The word admiration over pride because of the negative consequence usually
associated with the word.

It’s okay to be proud of who you are, to acknowledge and celebrate the great things you’ve done
Self to Detoxify Inner Self
1.Compose yourself
Psychotherapists recommend a breathing exercise to compose oneself coming from any stressful
situation

“Take five deep breaths, holding each one to a count of five before releasing it. Clear your thoughts
completely and repeat to yourself”

Even one deep breath helps us to change our attitudes. It is just like gaining some courage when we
breathe deeply and spewing out the fear when we breathe out.

2. Make a personal inventory

You can ask yourself these questions and make list in a notebook:
-What are the things that bother me often?
3. Explore self-acceptance
These are many facets in our life where we know we perform our worse. Yet, this is not a pleasant thing
to face, we deny it to ourselves. So these parts of ourselves are often neglected and are not
nurtured.
4. Throw out unnecessary things
Ask we make our personal inventory and explore self acceptance, there is a lot of clutter that we carry
deep inside of us
These are things that are useless, old and unnecessary. They could be:
-Reminiscing old relationships that turned sour
-Regrets and resentments
-Unnecessary tastes.
5. Self-denial
The last step to inner self detoxify would be setting out oneself back into the real world and practice a
pinch of mortification that is, self-control in small and even trivial matters.
6. Moving on Going through this, I have developed a healthier inner self and enabled me to move higher
in the path to self-improvement
Self Concept
is the image of us and how someone thinks about, evaluates or perceives themselves. Self-image is
influenced by our interactions with important people in our lives.

Self-concept is our perception or image of our abilities and our uniqueness. At first, one’s self-concept is
very general and changeable and as we grow these self-perceptions become much more organized,
detailed, and specific

self-concept is a collection of beliefs about one’s own nature, unique qualities, and typical behavior so
we may say self-concept is our mental picture of our self.

It is a collection of self-perception. For example, a self-concept includes such beliefs as “I am pretty” or “I

am hard working.: Such belief is called self-concept
1.The Existential Self
This is the basic part of the self-scheme of self-concept; it separate and distinct from others and the
awareness of the constancy of the self

The child realizes that they exist as a separate entity from others and they continue to exist over time
and space and begins as young as two to three months old.
2. The Categorical Self
The child realizes that they exist as a separate experiencing being, after that child become aware that he
or she is also an object in the world just as other objects including people have properties that can be
experienced (big,small, red, smooth and so on). The self can also be put into categories such as as age,
gender, size or skill.
Lesson 5:
The Language of the Self
In 1871, Charles Darwin published The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, the second book
of his evolutionary duology. In this book, he set out to show that humans, with all their cultural
accoutrements, descended from ape ancestors.

He took the view that we should expect no great novelty in human cultural tools – including language,
despite its apparent difference from other communication systems in nature

Darwin proposed a series of routes from natural sound-making to meaningful language-

making: imitation, both of the sounds of other animals and of things, and by replication of physical
actions (such as waving), but using the tongue and mouth; emotional sounds; and the sounds of work
and play (Darwin 1874).

Jespersen (1922, 114–17) later dismissed these as insufficient explanations, and they have become
known as the bow-wow, ding-dong, ta-ta, pooh-pooh, yo-he-ho and la-la theories of language origins.
They all remain possible routes to language, but none has yet been evidenced beyond the level of
hypothesis.

Charles Hockett (1960) made the first modern attempt to identify what made human language different
from other communication systems, and he devised a set of 13 (later 16) design features of
communication. The first 13 features were:

• A vocal-auditory channel, or speaking and listening (1); broadcast transmission and directional
reception (2); and transitoriness or rapid fading (3): we now recognise that these are useful but not
necessary for language, or for any communication system.
• Interchangeability (4): we can receive as well as transmit.
•Total feedback (5); and specialisation (6): speakers can control their speech because language is
communicative and intentional.
• Semanticity (7); and arbitrariness (8): sounds have meanings, but the sound–meaning correspondence
is arbitrary.
•Discreteness (9): small differences in sound can represent big differences in meaning, and vice versa. •
Displacement (10): speech can refer to non-present events, treating the irreal as real
• Productivity (11): language allows the creation of novel utterances to represent new ideas.
• Traditional transmission (12): language is a negotiated convention; language and culture are
intertwined.
•Duality of patterning (13): meaningful messages are made up of several distinct meaningful units
(words and morphemes), which themselves are made up of distinct but meaningless units (phonemes).
•The last three design features were added by Hockett in 1963:
• Prevarication (14): language can be used to deceive. • Reflexiveness (15): language can be used to talk
about language.
• Learnability (16): language is teachable and learnable.

Daniel Everett (2017) adds a 17th entry to Hockett’s list – or, perhaps, it would be fairer to say that
Everett’s single characteristic underlies the other 16. Everett calls this characteristic:

‘underdeterminacy’ – saying less than what is intended to be communicated and leaving the unspoken
assumptions to be figured out by the hearer in some way. Underdeterminacy has always been part of
language.
Any story about the origins of language has to accommodate the fact that language communication is not
a series of unconnected utterances, but a series of ongoing relationships between people; and, as the
relationships develop, they become more interpersonal and contextual – and the communication in the
relationship becomes more undertermined.

Memory does not just remember the past;it informs the present and directs the future

So far, the case has been made that awareness of self is not a necessary outcome of large or complex
brains; and it is not even a necessary outcome of complex social cognition. It is, however, a necessary
outcome of the communication of complex social cognition.

The sharing of interpersonal information does require both cognitive complexity and a signalling system
that can be segmented, differentiated and hierarchical; so social calculus certainly appears to be a strong
contender for the origin of complex human language

All we are looking for here is evidence of a close relationship between social calculus and language: the
link between social calculus and language needs to be evident in the way the two of them work together.
Ronomalisation
One of the biggest effects of social modelling on language is likely to be the existence and nature of
pronouns – the words that represent the speaker, the listener and anyone and anything else referenced.

Dictionaries tell us that pronouns are substitutes for nouns and have very general reference – they are
not direct references to things or people, they refer to the communicative roles undertaken by things
and people

For instance, when we hear ‘you shouldn’t do that’, we engage in a fast comparison of the possible
members of the group you, their current activity, the cultural expectation about that activity, and the
intention of the speaker them self
The two pronouns you and that indicate people and actions only indirectly, and their underdeterminacy
means that the utterance is not just context-specific, it is also listener-specific: different listeners hearing
the same utterance will have different objects in mind as you and that, and thus react to the utterance
differently

To be more accurate when talking about pronouns, therefore, we should refer not to pronouns but to a
process of pronominalisation, which can be defined as reference using communicative roles rather than
names or titles.

The question now lingers.

Do pronouns mirror the speaker or the recipient?
Where names came from?
Before we start on pronominal replacements for naming, we should perhaps consider how naming itself
developed. It seems natural that we all treat ourselves as named individuals, and that somehow our
name acts as a proxy for our self in our dealings with others; but that is all evidence after the fact of
naming.

The truth is that, in important ways, our name is not our own. Most importantly, it is not generated by us
but given to us by others.
This may not be the case with dolphins, which seem to create their own signature whistles to identify
themselves to others. When a dolphin uses another’s signature whistle to attract their attention, they
use a variant of the whistle – thereby identifying the call as a you reference rather than an I reference.

We cannot know for certain whether this is what is really going on inside the dolphin’s head, but it does
seem likely that the variations in the signature whistle are there to indicate to other dolphins whether
the whistle is self-referring or other-referring

Humans do the exact opposite of dolphins. We do not develop our own name; we expect our parents, or
the people caring for us, to label us soon after we are born.

Having been given a name by those around us, we then continue to receive different names throughout
our lives.

Some are role-specific, such as grandparent and grandchild; some are arbitrary labels, like prisoner
KJ4609; and some are comments on our appearance or nature; but they all share the fact that they are
given rather than self-selected.

Our own attempts to re-label ourselves usually only work if they create a believable new persona for a
new audience.

For some people, this name-change is a vital part of their self-definition (and may be seen as social
recognition of society’s definitional error); but in these cases, the old name is abandoned as a legitimate
label for the individual.

Self-selected pseudonyms are also used extensively in selfish deception, which may be why discovered
pseudonyms can generate a visceral shock reaction.

However, most of the famous criminal pseudonyms are given by the media, not self-selected. Even the
words ‘pseudonym’ or ‘alias’ show our approach to self-selected names: they are not real names, they
are other names.

The human reliance on others to name us may be unique in nature.

If selfness comes out of recognition of models of my self offered by others, then the capacity to recognise
my self in their offered models is vital; and early acceptance of the social label agreed by others as
referring to me – my name – becomes a vital part of self-recognition.

Naming itself is not unique in nature, but nominalisation is such a fundamental part of human
socialisation and communication that we need to be named at birth; we cannot wait for human
individuals to offer their own names.

A human name plays a significant role in shaping individual identity and uniqueness. It often carries
cultural, familial, and historical significance, reflecting heritage and personal background.

Names can influence how people perceive and interact with an individual, impacting social dynamics
and personal relationships. Unique names may stand out and create distinctiveness, while common
names can foster a sense of belonging within certain

Moreover, names can evolve over time through personal choices, nicknames, or changes due to marriage
or personal identity shifts, further contributing to an individual’s unique narrative
In essence a name is not just a label; it encapsulates personal history, cultural significance, and
individual identity.

A person’s name can significantly affect their life in several ways:

1. Perception and Bias: Names can influence how others perceive a person, leading to biases based on
cultural or socio-economic connotation. This can affect opportunities in areas like employment and
social interactions.
2. Self-identity- A name often shapes a person’s self-image and sense of belonging. Unique or culturally
significant names can foster pride, while names that are difficult to pronounce or are often
mispronounced can lead to feelings of alienation.
3. Social Interactions- A name can impact how easily someone make connections. For instance, names
that are perceived as friendly or approachable may facilitate better social interactions.
4. Expectations and Stereotypes- Certain names can carry stereotypes that affect how individuals are
treated or what is expected of them, influencing their behavior and aspirations.
5. Cultural Connections- Names often connect individuals to their heritage, reinforcing a sense of
identity and belonging to a community.

Overall, a name is more than just an identifier; it can shape experiences, opportunities, and self-
perception throughout a person’s life.

Lesson 6:
Cultural Perspective of the Self
The Cultural Perspective: A Quick Overview

The cultural perspective of the self refers to how different cultures influence the way people develop
their identity, values, and behaviors. Culture is like a lens that affects how we view the world and,
importantly, how we view ourselves. It includes traditions, beliefs, language, social norms, and even
historical background.

In simple terms, the cultural perspective looks at how our surroundings shape who we are.
Individualism and Collectivism
In the Philippines, the concepts of individualism and collectivism coexist and often interact in complex
ways.

Filipino culture traditionally leans more toward collectivism, but influences of individualism have
grown, especially with modernization, globalization, and exposure to Western culture.
Collectivism
Collectivism is a cultural value that emphasizes the importance of the group—be it family,
community, or society—over the individual. In collectivist cultures, like the Philippines, people often
prioritize group harmony, cooperation, and social responsibilities.

The self is understood as being deeply connected to the people around you, and your identity is closely
tied to your relationships with others

Collectivism in the Philippines

In the Philippines, collectivist values are deeply rooted in society and are seen in various aspects of
daily life:
Family Orientation: The Filipino family is often considered the core unit of society, and loyalty to
family is paramount. The Filipino concept of "self" is closely linked to one's role in the family. Children
are often taught that their success is not only for their own sake but also for the benefit of the family as a
whole.
“Utang na loob” (debt of gratitude) highlights the sense of responsibility individuals have toward their
family members, especially parents.
“Kapwa” or Shared Identity: Filipinos tend to view themselves in relation to others. The term
"kapwa", which means "fellow being," reflects the idea that one’s identity is interconnected with the
community.

This shared identity encourages behaviors like pakikisama (getting along with others), where
maintaining harmony and avoiding conflict in the group are prioritized.

Community Support: In many Filipino communities, there's a strong sense of collective support. For
example, the "bayanihan" spirit—where neighbors help each other, particularly during times of need—
shows the importance of working together for the common good.

But in as much as we receive community support, there is always the crab mentality that lingers once
an action does not suit the norms of the society

Impact on the Self

In a collectivist culture like the Philippines, the self is shaped by relationships and responsibilities to
others. People often define themselves through their roles in the group—whether as a child, sibling,
friend, or colleague—and their sense of purpose is often linked to fulfilling these roles.
Individualism
Individualism refers to the cultural value that emphasizes personal independence, self-expression,
and individual rights. In individualistic cultures, people are encouraged to focus on their own goals,
desires, and achievements

The self is seen as separate from the group, and individuals are often defined by their personal qualities,
such as creativity, independence, or ambition.

Emerging Individualism in the Philippines

While the Philippines is primarily collectivist, elements of individualism are becoming more visible,
particularly due to:

Western Influence:
Globalization has brought Western individualistic values to the Philippines, especially in cities where
the media, entertainment, and education promote ideas of self-expression and personal success.

Western ideals such as pursuing your passions, asserting your individuality, and making decisions based
on personal goals are becoming more common, especially among younger Filipinos.

Urbanization and Modernization: As more Filipinos move to urban areas for work or education, the
traditional communal structures in rural areas are being replaced with more individualistic behaviors.

In cities, people often have more opportunities to pursue personal careers and develop independent
identities apart from their family or community.
Social Media and Technology: Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok allow individuals to
showcase their unique identities, opinions, and talents.

The concept of "branding" yourself, sharing personal achievements, and receiving validation through
likes and comments encourages a more individualistic approach to the self.

Impact on the Self

With the rise of individualism, Filipinos are increasingly exploring their personal identities outside the
traditional roles assigned by family or community. For example, young Filipinos may prioritize career
goals, self-improvement, and personal interests. However, even with this growing sense of
individualism, family expectations and social responsibilities often remain a significant influence on the
self.

Balancing Individualism and Collectivism in the Philippines

In the Philippine setting, individualism and collectivism often coexist, and Filipinos must navigate these
two cultural values in their daily lives.

Personal Goals vs. Family Obligations

A young Filipino professional may have personal dreams of traveling, building a career, or pursuing
their passions. However, they may also feel the pressure to support their family financially or live up to
family expectations, such as taking care of elderly parents. This balancing act reflects how individualism
and collectivism influence decision-making and self-identity.

Self-Expression vs. Social Harmony

With the rise of social media, self-expression has become more common. However, many Filipinos still
consider the impact their words and actions will have on others. For instance, they may avoid open
conflict or controversial opinions in public to maintain social harmony.

Autonomy vs. Interdependence

While individualism emphasizes independence, most Filipinos still highly value interdependence. Even
those who pursue personal goals often see themselves as part of a larger network of relationships, and
they recognize that their success is connected to the well-being of their family and community.

How it Affects the

Understanding of the Self
In the context of Understanding the Self, the interaction between individualism and collectivism in the
Philippines creates a unique and dynamic sense of identity.

The Self is Relational

For many Filipinos, the self is not seen as isolated or completely independent, but rather in constant
relationship with others. Even when pursuing personal achievements, the collective well-being remains
important.

Personal vs. Social Identity

Filipinos often balance their personal desires with their social roles. This balance allows them to develop
a strong sense of individuality while maintaining close ties to their community.
Evolving Identities
As the Philippines modernizes, the Filipino self is evolving. Younger generations are more likely to
embrace individualistic values, but they still hold onto core collectivist beliefs, creating a hybrid sense of
identity that is both personal and communal.

Dangers of Individualism and Collectivism

Both individualism and collectivism offer valuable perspectives on how we view ourselves, our
relationships, and our role in society. However, when either of these cultural values is taken to an
extreme, they can pose certain dangers to our understanding of the self and our well-being.

1.Dangers of Individualism

Individualism emphasizes personal independence, self-reliance, and the pursuit of individual goals.
While these can promote personal growth, creativity, and autonomy, individualism can also lead to
certain pitfalls when overly prioritized:
a. Isolation and Loneliness
Over-focus on independence: If individuals prioritize their independence too much, they may distance
themselves from meaningful relationships and support systems. The emphasis on "going it alone" can
lead to emotional isolation and feelings of loneliness, as people might feel disconnected from others.

•Neglecting social bonds: Since individualism encourages self-sufficiency, individuals may not invest
enough time in building or maintaining strong relationships with family, friends, or community, which
can result in a lack of social support when they need it most.

b. Increased Stress and Pressure

High personal expectations: In an individualistic framework, success is often viewed as a personal
achievement, which can lead to unrealistic self-expectations. If a person believes they must always
"prove themselves," they may experience high levels of stress, burnout, and feelings of inadequacy if
they don’t meet their goals.
•Responsibility for failure: Individualism can cause people to feel that all success or failure rests
solely on their shoulders. When they fail, it may lead to self-blame and a damaged sense of self-worth,
as they believe they didn't live up to their potential.

c. Erosion of Community and Cooperation

Overemphasis on personal success: In extreme individualism, the focus on personal achievements
can overshadow the importance of working collaboratively or contributing to the larger community.
This can lead to a lack of cooperation, as individuals prioritize their personal goals over collective well-
being.

•Selfishness and disregard for others: If individualism turns into self-centeredness, individuals may
prioritize their own desires at the expense of others, leading to behaviors that could damage
relationships or harm the community’s overall health.

2. Dangers of Collectivism.On the other hand, collectivism focuses on the importance of groups, social
harmony, and interconnectedness. While it can foster cooperation, empathy, and strong social bonds,
there are also risks when collectivism is overemphasized:
a.Loss of Individual Identity
 Suppressing personal desires: In collectivist cultures, individuals may feel pressured to conform to
the expectations of the group, even if it goes against their personal goals or values. This can lead to a
loss of personal identity, as individuals are discouraged from expressing their unique selves.
•Conformity: There can be a strong pressure to fit in and avoid conflict, which may suppress
creativity, diversity of thought, and personal growth. People may be hesitant to assert their individuality
out of fear of disrupting social harmony or being judged by others.
b. Limited Personal Freedom
Sacrifice of autonomy: In a highly collectivist society, individuals may feel that their personal choices
are restricted by family or community expectations. Decisions about career, marriage, or personal
interests may be made based on what’s best for the group, not the individual, leading to feelings of being
trapped or powerless.

Suppression of dissent: Collectivism often prioritizes maintaining group harmony, which can lead to a
culture where dissenting opinions are not tolerated. People may feel pressured to stay silent even
when they disagree, which stifles dialogue, growth, and self-expression.

c. Emotional Burden and Dependency

Overemphasis on social obligations: Collectivism encourages individuals to prioritize the needs of the
group, which can become a heavy emotional burden. Constantly putting the group’s needs ahead of one’s
own can lead to feelings of exhaustion, guilt, or frustration.
•Dependency on others: In a collectivist system, individuals may become over-reliant on their social
network for support and validation. If individuals constantly seek approval from others or require
others to define their self-worth, they may struggle with developing a strong, independent sense of
self.
3. Balancing Individualism and Collectivism for a Healthy Self
Understanding both the strengths and dangers of individualism and collectivism is essential to
achieving a balanced sense of self. A healthy balance between independence and interdependence
allows for personal growth while maintaining strong connections with others.

Striking a Balance:

Fostering personal autonomy: While it’s important to value your relationships, it’s equally important
to assert your individuality and pursue personal goals. This can help prevent the risks of losing
personal identity or feeling trapped in social expectations.

Maintaining meaningful connections: At the same time, individuals should nurture healthy
relationships and social bonds. It’s crucial to balance the need for independence with the
understanding that support from others can enhance personal well-being.

Open communication and self-expression: In both individualistic and collectivist cultures, it’s
important to create a space for open communication where personal views and group values can
coexist. This encourages self-expression without disrupting social harmony.

In the Philippines, the interplay between individualism and collectivism shapes the Filipino sense of
self. While traditional Filipino values emphasize collectivism, individualism is gaining influence,
particularly among younger, urbanized generations.

Understanding this balance helps us appreciate the dynamic nature of the Filipino identity, where
personal ambition coexists with a deep sense of responsibility to family and community.
Both individualism and collectivism offer valuable insights into how we understand ourselves and our
place in society. However, taken to extremes, individualism can lead to isolation, stress, and selfishness,
while collectivism can result in conformity, loss of personal identity, and emotional burden.

The key is to find a balance that allows for both personal growth and meaningful connections with
others, creating a well-rounded and healthy sense of self.

In the Philippines, the tension between individualism and collectivism often manifests in the way people
balance their personal goals and ambitions with family expectations and social responsibilities.