## UTS Reviewer: Lessons 1-4 - BSOA 1-1N - Self and Identity This review covers key concepts of self and identity from philosophical, sociological, anthropological, and psychological perspectives. ### Lesson 1: Philosophical Perspectives on the Self Philosophers throughout history have grappled with defining the self. Here's a summary of key figures and their contributions: #### St. Augustine (354-430 AD) * **Key Idea:** The self improves by aligning with God. Humans have a dual nature: * **Spiritual Aspect:** Thinking, reasoning, connection with God. Praying and meditating are examples of engaging the spiritual aspect of the self. * **Physical Aspect:** Bodily existence and earthly experiences. Eating, sleeping, and working are examples of engaging the physical aspect of the self. * **Core Belief:** The self possesses an immortal soul. This contrasts with purely materialistic views of the self. #### St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) * **Key Idea:** Man is composed of two parts: * **Matter (Hyle):** The common stuff making up everything in the universe. * **Form (Morphe):** The essence of a substance or thing. Think of a sculpture: the matter is the clay, the form is the shape given to it. * **Core Belief:** The soul animates the body, making us human. Aquinas saw the cells in a human body as similar to those of other living beings, but the soul is what distinguishes us. #### René Descartes (1596-1650) * **Key Idea:** "Cogito, ergo sum" – "I think, therefore I am." The only thing that cannot be doubted is the existence of the self. * **Dualism:** The human person has a body and a mind. The body is a machine attached to the mind. The self is a combination of: * **Cogito:** The thinking thing (mind). * **Extenza:** The extension of the mind (body). Descartes' dualism has been criticized for its difficulty in explaining the interaction between mind and body. #### John Locke (1632-1704) * **Key Idea:** "Tabula Rasa" – blank slate. The self is shaped by experiences and perceptions. Locke's view emphasizes the role of nurture in shaping the self. * **Core Belief:** A person is born knowing nothing, accumulating learning from experiences. #### David Hume (1711-1776) * **Key Idea:** The self is an accumulation of different impressions, not exceeding the physical realm. There's no permanent self; impressions are based on experiences. * **Bundle Theory:** The self is a collection of impressions (vivid, direct experience) and ideas (copies of impressions, imagination). Hume's view is a form of empiricism, emphasizing sensory experience. #### Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) * **Key Idea:** We can only have knowledge of things we can have sensible intuition of. Knowledge requires apprehension of the manifold of sensible intuition. * **Moral Theory (Deontology):** Morality is defined by duties; an action is moral if motivated by duty. Kant's categorical imperative emphasizes acting according to principles that could be universally applied. #### Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) * **Key Idea:** The self is shaped by unconscious desires and past experiences. Behavior is motivated by the desire to resist suffering and pursue pleasure. * **Levels of Consciousness:** * **Conscious:** Minority of memories, easily accessed. * **Preconscious:** Middle part of consciousness. * **Unconscious:** Majority of memories, deeply stored. * **Aspects of Personality:** * **Id:** Child aspect. * **Superego:** Conscience. * **Ego:** Mediator between Id and Superego. Understanding Freud's structural model of the psyche is crucial to understanding his theory of the self. #### Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976) * **Key Idea:** The self is not an entity but a convenient name for behaviors. Think of it like the "university" – you can't point to it, but you can see its manifestations. * **Rejection of Mind-Body Dichotomy:** The self is revealed through actions and emotions. #### Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961) * **Key Idea:** The mind-body bifurcation is a misunderstanding. Mind and body are intertwined and inseparable. * **Rejection of Cartesian Dualism:** The living body, thoughts, emotions, and experiences are one. ### Lesson 2: Sociological Perspectives on the Self Sociology examines how social interactions shape the self. #### George Herbert Mead (1863-1931) * **Key Idea:** The self is not innate but emerges through social interaction. * **"I":** Spontaneous, impulsive, creative aspect. * **"Me":** Socialized self, shaped by interactions and societal expectations. * **Generalized Other:** Internalized expectations, norms, and values of society. It helps us develop the ability to take on the roles and perspectives of others. The generalized other is a crucial concept in understanding Mead's theory of self-development. #### Michel Foucault (1926-1984) * **Key Concepts:** * **Discourses:** How language shapes our understanding of reality. * **Power/Knowledge:** The inseparable link between power and knowledge. * **Disciplinary Power:** Subtle regulation of beliefs and behaviors. * **Panopticon:** A model of surveillance illustrating how power operates in society. * **Governmentality:** Administration of populations. * **Biopower:** Technologies for managing populations. ### Lesson 3: Anthropological Perspectives on the Self Anthropology explores how culture shapes the self. #### The Self as Embedded in Culture * **Nature vs. Nurture:** The interplay of genetic inheritance and sociocultural environment. * **Egocentric:** Emphasizes the individual as autonomous and independent. * **Sociocentric:** Emphasizes the social context and interdependence. #### Marcel Mauss (1872-1950) * **Two Faces of the Self:** * **Moi:** Personal, private self. * **Personne:** Social self, shaped by social roles and expectations. Your "moi" might be introverted, but your "personne" at work might be outgoing and assertive. #### Filipino Culture and the Self Filipino culture influences the self through concepts like *pakikisama*, *hiya*, *utang na loob*, and *amor propio*. #### Material and Non-Material Culture * **Material Culture:** Physical objects and belongings. * **Non-Material Culture:** Ideas, beliefs, social roles, rules, etc. #### The Self in the Family Family is a primary influence on self-concept, shaped by family history, culture, and experiences. Alder's birth order theory suggests that birth order influences personality development. #### The Self and Gender Gender is a socially constructed aspect of the self, subject to change and development. Gender roles and expectations significantly influence self-perception. #### Clifford Geertz (1926-2006) * **Symbolic Interpretative Model of Culture:** Culture is a system of symbols that shape behavior and meaning. #### Rites of Passage Three phases: Separation, Transition (Liminality), and Incorporation. ### Lesson 4: Psychological Perspectives on the Self Psychology explores the self from various theoretical perspectives. #### William James (1842-1910) * **"I" Self (Subjective Self):** The active thinker and experiencer. * **"Me" Self (Objective Self):** * **Material Self:** Body and possessions. * **Social Self:** How others perceive us. * **Spiritual Self:** Inner values and purpose. * **Self-Esteem:** Successes/Aspirations. * **Stream of Consciousness:** Continuous flow of thoughts. #### Karen Horney (1885-1952) * **Psychoanalytic Social Theory:** Emphasizes cultural influences on personality development. * **Basic Hostility:** Anger and resentment towards parents. * **Basic Anxiety:** Feeling of isolation and helplessness. * **Neurotic Needs:** Ten categories of needs driven by anxiety. #### Erich Fromm (1900-1980) * **Humanistic Psychoanalysis:** Focuses on the human dilemma of being separate from nature yet capable of reason. * **Five Existential Needs:** Transcendence, Identity, Rootedness, Frame of Orientation, Relatedness. * **Mechanisms of Escape from Freedom:** Authoritarianism, Destructiveness, Conformity. * **Positive Freedom:** Successful solution to the human dilemma. #### Stanley Milgram (1933-1984) * **Milgram Experiment:** Demonstrated the power of obedience to authority. #### Philip Zimbardo (1933-2024) * **Stanford Prison Experiment:** Showed how social roles and situational pressures influence behavior. * **Lucifer Effect:** How good people can commit evil acts. * **Time Perspective Theory:** How perceptions of time influence behavior. #### Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) * **Sociocultural Theory:** Emphasizes social interaction and cultural tools in cognitive development. * **Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD):** Gap between independent and assisted learning. * **Scaffolding:** Temporary support for learning. #### Albert Bandura (1925-2021) * **Social Cognitive Theory:** Emphasizes observational learning and self-efficacy. * **Triadic Reciprocal Causation:** Interplay between personal factors, behavior, and environment. * **Bobo Doll Experiment:** Demonstrated the power of observational learning. #### Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) * **Moral Development Theory:** Stages of moral reasoning. #### Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) * **Hierarchy of Needs:** Physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self-actualization. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the self and identity from multiple perspectives. Remember to delve deeper into each theorist and concept for a more complete understanding.