Self- Learning Module on GEC 1- Understanding the Self

President Ramon Magsaysay State University

Iba, Zambales

Prepared by

Cyrem Decena, Christian Sam Camuyong, Hyacinth Ebitner, Adrian Ganaden

Edgar Pastores, Zane De Guia, Venzeil Decena
 General Education Curriculum 1

Understanding the Self

SELF- LEARNING MODULE

Prepared by: Ms. Venzeil F. Decena, RPm, LPT Page 2

 Republic of the Philippines
President Ramon Magsaysay State University
(Formerly Ramon Magsaysay Technological University)
Iba, Zambales, Philippines
Tel/Fax No.: (047) 811-1683
College/Department
Course Code GEC 1
Course Title Understanding the Self
Place of the Course in
Minor
the Program
Semester and
First Semester, A.Y. 2020-2021
Academic Year

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC PAGE
The Self from Philosophical Perspectives 4
Activity 1 10
Exercise 1 11
Reflection 14
References 16
The Self, Society and Culture 17
Activity 2 20
Exercise 2 22
Reflection 23
References 24
b.1 The Self in Western and Eastern Thought 25
Activity 3 27
Exercise 3 28
Reflection 29
References 30
b.2 Supernatural: Believe it or not 31
Activity 4 36
Exercise 4 37
Reflection 38
References 39
The Self as Cognitive Construct 40
Activity 5 50
Exercise 5 51
Reflection 52
References 53

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 Republic of the Philippines
President Ramon Magsaysay State University
(Formerly Ramon Magsaysay Technological University)
Iba, Zambales, Philippines
Tel/Fax No.: (047) 811-1683

College/Department
Course Code GEC 1
Course Title Understanding the Self
Place of the Course
Minor
in the Program
Semester and
First Semester, A.Y. 2020-2021
Academic Year

CHAPTER 1: DEFINING THE SELF: PERSONAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVES

ON SELF AND IDENTITY

Lesson 1:
The Self from Various Philosophical Perspectives

Introduction

As a student, we are told to always write our names on our papers, projects, or
any output for that matter. Our names signify us. Death cannot even stop this bond
between the person and her name. Names are inscribed even into one’s gravestone.

A name is not the person itself no matter how intimately bound it is with the
bearer. It is only signifier. A person who was named after a saint most probably will not
become an actual saint. He may not even turn out to be saintly! The self is thought to
be something else than the name. The self is not static thing that one is simply born with
like a mole on one’s face or is just assigned by one’s parent just like a name. Everyone
is tasked to discover one’s self.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Explain why it is essential to understand self

2. Describe and discuss the different notions of the self from the points of view of
various philosophers across time and place;
3. Compare and contrast how the self has been represented in different
philosophical schools; and
4. Examine one’s self against the different views of self that were discussed in
class.

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 Discussion

SOCRATES: KNOW YOURSELF

 Socrates is principally concerned with man. He considers

man from the point of view of his inner life.
 He is the first philosopher who ever engaged in a
systematic questioning about the self.
 “Know yourself”, tells each man to bring his inner self to
light.
 A bad man is not virtuous through ignorance, the man
who does not follow the good fails to do so because he
does not recognize it.
 Socrates affirms, claimed by Plato in his dialogue that the unexamined life is not
worth living.
 He took himself as the “gadfly” that disturbs Athenian men from their slumber and
shakes them off in order to reach the truth and wisdom.
 He thought that the worst that can happen to anyone, to live but die inside.
PLATO: THE IDEAL SELF, THE PERFECT SELF

 Man was omniscient or all-knowing before he came to be

born into this world.
 He believed that humans were divided into three aspects;
 The body, the mind and the soul.
 The Body- concerned with the material world and
through which we are able to experience the
world, and through which we are able to
experience the world we live in. It is needed to be satisfied. It
experiences gratifications.
 The Mind- directed towards the heavenly realm of ideas.
 The Soul- is the driving force of the body; it is what gives us our
identity.
 Plato added that there are three parts or components of the soul.
 The Rational Soul- forged by reason and intellect has to govern the
affairs of the human person.
 The Spirited Soul- which is in charge of emotions should be kept at
bay.
 The Appetitive Soul- is in charge of base desires like, eating, drinking,
sleeping and having sexual intercourse, is controlled well.
 When this ideal state is attained the human person’s soul becomes just and
virtuous.

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 ST. AUGUSTINE: LOVE AND JUSTICE AS THE FOUNDATION OF INDIVIDUAL
SELF

 Augustine view of human person reflects the entire spirit

of the medieval world when it comes to man.
 He agreed that man is bifurcated nature. There is an
aspect of man, which dwells in the world that is imperfect
and continuously yearns to be with the divine while other
is capable of reaching immortality.
 The body is bound to die on earth and the soul is to
anticipate living eternally in a realm of spiritual bliss in
communication with 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.
 St. Augustine believes that a virtuous life is dynamism of love. It is constant
following of and turning towards love while a wicked life is a constant turning
away from love.
 Loving God’s means loving one’s fellowmen; and loving one’s fellowmen denotes
never doing any harm to another or, as the golden principle of justice states, ding
unto others as you would have them do unto you.
THOMAS AQUINAS

 Thomas Aquinas is the most eminent 13 th century

scholar and stalwart of the medieval philosophy.
 He added man is composed of two parts; matter and
form
 Matter or hyle in Greek refers to common stuff that
makes up everything in the universe. Form omorphein
Greek refers to the essence of a substance or thing.
 In human person, the body of the human person is
something that he shares even with animals. The cells
in the man’s body are more or less akin to the cells of any other living, organic
being in the world.
 What makes a human person a human person and not a dog o tiger is his soul,
his essence.
 The soul is what animates the body; it is what makes us humans.

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 RENE DESCARTES: I THINK THEREFORE I AM

 Father of Modern Philosophy, conceived that the human

person as having a body and mind.
 In his famous treatise, The Meditations of First Philosophy
claims that there is so much that we should doubt.
 In fact, he says that much what we think and believe is
because they are infallible, may turn out to be false.
 One should only believe that which can pass the test of
doubt. If something is so clear and lucid as not to be even doubted, then that is
the only time when one should actually buy a proposition.
 Descartes thought that the only thing that cannot doubt is the existence of the
self. For even if one doubts oneself, that only proves that there is a doubting self,
a thing that thinks and therefore, that cannot be doubted.
 His first famous principle was “cogito ergo sum” or I think therefore, I am
 The fact that one thinks should lead one to conclude without a trace of doubt that
he exists.
 Descartes states that the self is also a combination of two distinct entities: the
cogito, or the thing that thinks, which is the mind and the extenza, or extension of
the mind, which is the body.
 In Descartes view, the body is nothing else but a machine that is attached to the
mind. The human person has it but it is not what makes man a man.
DAVID HUME: THE SELF IS THE BUNDLE THEORY OF MIND

 David Hume is a Scottish philosopher that has a very

unique way of looking at man.
 As an empiricist, Hume argues that the self is nothing like
what his predecessors thought of it. The self is not an entity
over and beyond the physical body.
 Empiricism is the school of thought that espouses the idea
that knowledge can only be possible if it is sensed and experiences.
 Men can only attain knowledge by experiencing. For example, Jack knows Jill is
another human person not because he has seen her soul. He knows she is just
like him because he sees her, hears her, and touches her.
 Hume believe that self is nothing else but a bundle of impressions. If one tries to
examine his experiences, he finds that they can all be categorized into two:
impressions and ideas.
 Impressions are the basic object of our experiences or sensation. They therefore
form the core of our thoughts.

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  When one touches an ice cube, the cold sensation is an impression.
Impressions are vivid because they are products of our direct experience with the
world. Ideas, are copies of impressions. They are not vivid or as lively as our
impressions.
 WHAT IS SELF then?
o SELF is “ a bundle or collection of different perceptions which succeed
each other with an inconceivable rapidity, and are in a perpetual flux and
movement”. Men simply want to believe that there is a unified, coherent
self, a soul or mind just like what the previous philosophers thought. In
reality, what one thinks as unified self is simply a combination of all
experiences with a particular person.
IMMANUEL KANT: RESPECT FOR SELF

 Man is the only creature who governs and directs himself

and his actions, who sets up ends for himself and his
purpose, and who freely orders means for the attainment of
his aims.
 Kant thinks that the things that men perceive around them
are not just randomly infused into the human person
without organizing principle that regulates the relationship
of all these impressions.
 For Kant, there is necessarily a mind that organizes the impressions that men get
from the external world.
 Time and space, for example are ideas that one cannot find in the external world
but it is built in our minds. Kant calls these the apparatus of the mind.
 Kant suggested that the self is an actively engaged intelligence in man that
synthesizes all knowledge and experiences. Thus the self is not just what gives
one his personality. It is also the seat of knowledge acquisition for all human
persons.
GILBERT RYLE

 Gilbert Ryle solves the mind-body dichotomy that has

been running for a long time in the history of thought by
denying blatantly the concept of an internal, non-physical
self/
 According to Ryle, what truly matter is the behaviors that a
person manifests in his day to day life.
 Looking for and tying to understand a self.
 He suggest that the self is not an entity ne can locate and
analyse but simply the convenient name that people use to refer to all the
behaviors that people make.

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 MERLEAU-PONTY

 Merleau-Ponty is a phenomenologist who asserts that the

mind-body bifurcation that has been going on for a long
time is a futile endeavor and an invalid problem.
 He says 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.

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 Activity 1
The Self from Various Philosophical Perspectives

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score:

Choose three (6) philosophers which you would like to compare and contrast.
Describe and discuss their different notions of the self from their point of view
across time and place.

1. __________________ & _____________________

2. __________________ & _____________________

3. __________________ & _____________________

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 Exercise 1
The Self from Various Philosophical Perspectives

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score:

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

2. Plato

3. Augustine

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 4. Descartes

5. Hume

6. Kant

7. Ryle

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 8. Merleau-Ponty

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 The Self from Various Philosophical Perspectives

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score:

Reflection:

Look for a one-line Lyric in a Song that would describe the current status of your
well-being and explain why you chose that particular lyrics on that song. Cite
some from previously discussed philosopher’s point-of-view that would help
explain your choice.

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 The Self from Various Philosophical Perspectives

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score:

Assessment:

Write an essay by answering these questions:

o How do I understand myself?
o What led up to this self?

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 Suggested Readings

Alata, Eden Joy Pastor,Caslib, Bernardo Nicolas Jr.,Serafica, Janice Patria Javier,
Pawilen R.A. 2018. “Understanding the Self”

Brawner, Dalisay G., Arcega, Analiza F. Understanding the Self. C&E Publishing, Inc.
2018.

Resources and Additional Resources

Descartes, Randolph. 2002. Nation, Self, and Citizenship: An Invitation to Philippine

Sociology. Department of Sociology, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy,
University of the Philippines.

Plato. 2000. Plato: “The Republic”. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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 Republic of the Philippines
President Ramon Magsaysay State University
(Formerly Ramon Magsaysay Technological University)
Iba, Zambales, Philippines
Tel/Fax No.: (047) 811-1683

College/Department
Course Code GEC 1
Course Title Understanding the Self
Place of the Course
Minor
in the Program
Semester and
First Semester, A.Y. 2020-2021
Academic Year

Lesson 2:
The Self, Society and Culture

Intended Learning Outcome

At the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to

1. Can examine the different influences, factors and forces that shape the self;
2. Explain the relationship between and among self, society and culture;
3. Describe and discuss the different ways by which society and culture shape
the self;
4. Compare and contrast how the self can be influenced by the different
institutions in the society; and
5. Examine one’s self against the different views of self that were discussed.

Introduction
In the previous lesson, we discussed and learned how different western
philosophers presented their different ideology towards. As times goes by, the study
towards self is not merely focus on its components such as body and soul or mind,
rather, it focuses on how does the external environment affects the “self”.

Discussions
Steven (1996), discussed different definitions of self. Below is the list of
definitions of Stevens as to Self:
 Self as separate. It means that the self is distinct from other selves. It is
always unique and has its own identity.
 Self as self- contained and independent. It means that in itself it can exist.
 Self as consistent. It means that a particular self-trait, characteristics, and
potentials are more or less the same.
 Self as unitary. It means that it is the center of all experiences and thoughts
that run through a certain person. It is like the chief command post in an
individual where all processes, emotions and thoughts converge.
 Self as private. It means that the whole process is never accessible to
anyone but the self.

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 - The self is isolated from external world. It lives with its own world.
- Understanding the relationship of self and the external reality is known as the
social constructionist perspective.
- Social constructionists argue for a merge view of ‘the person’ and ‘their
social context’ where the boundaries of one cannot be separated to the
boundaries of the other. (Steven, 1996)
- Social constructionists argue that the self should not be seen static entity that
stays constant through and through. Rather, the self has to be seen as
something that is unceasing flux, in constant struggle with external reality and
is malleable in its dealings with society. The self is always in participation
with social life and its identity subjected to influences here and there.

Self and Culture

- According to a French anthropologist, Marcel Mauss, every self has two
faces: personne and moi.
o Moi- refers to a person’s sense of who he is, his body and his identity.
o Personne- is composed of social concepts of what it means to be
who he is.
- Language is another interesting aspect of social constructivism. Language
may be different across culture, even on how it is being presented to others.

The Self and the Development of the Social World

- Every person is involved in developing his own world.
- Recent studies indicate that men and women in their growth and
development engage actively in shaping of the self.
- The unending terrain of metamorphosis of the self is mediated by language.
- Language as a both publicly shared and privately utilized symbol
system is the site where the individual and the social make and remake
each other. (Schwartz, White and Lutz, 1993)
- For Mead and Vygotski, human persons develop with the use of language
acquisition and interaction with others.
- Cognitive emotional development is always a mimicry of how it is done in the
social world, in the external reality where he is in.
- Both Vygotsky and Mead treat the human mind as something that is made,
constituted through language as experienced in the external world and as
encountered in dialogue with others.

Self in Families
- The kind of family that we are born in and the
resources available to us (human, spiritual and
economic) will certainly affect us the kind of
development that we will have as we go through
life.
- Human persons are one of those beings whose
importance of a family cannot be denied.
- In trying to achieve the goal of becoming a fully
realized human, a child enters a system of
relationship, most important of which is the family.
- Human persons learn the ways of living and

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 their selfhood by being in a family.
- Without a family, biologically and sociologically, a person may not even
survive or become a human. (Tarzan Story)

Gender and the Self

- Gender is one of those loci of the self that is the subject to alteration, change
and development.
- People fought hard for the right to express validate, and assert their gender
expression.
- From the point of social sciences, it is important to give the leeway to find,
express and live in his identity.
- Oftentimes, society forces a particular identity unto us depending on our sex
and or gender.
- The gendered self is then shaped within a particular context of time and
space.
- Gender has to personally discovered and asserted and not dictated by culture
and society.

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 Activity 2
The Self, Society and Culture

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score

A. Paste a picture of you when you were in elementary, in high school and now
that you are in college. Below the picture, lists down your significant
characteristics that you remember.

MY ELEMENTARY SELF

MY HIGH SCHOOL SELF

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 MY COLLEGE SELF

B. After having examined your “self” in the different stages, fill out the following
table:

Similarities in All stages of My Differences in My “Self” Possible Reason for the

“Self” across the Three Stages of Differences in Me
My Life

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 Exercises 2
The Self, Society and Culture

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score

Answer the following questions coherently. Write your answers in the space
provided.

1. How would you describe yourself?

2. What are the influences of family in your development as an individual?

3. What aspects of yourself do you think may be changed or you would like to change?

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 The Self, Society and Culture

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score

Reflection:

1. Think of a time when you felt you were your “true self”. What made you think you
were truly who you are during this time of your life?
2. How about the time when you felt you were not living your “true self”? Why did
you have to live a life like that? What did you do about it?

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 Suggested Readings

Brawner, Dalisay G., Arcega, Analiza F. Understanding the Self. C&E Publishing, Inc.
2018.

Chaffee, John. 2015. The Philosopher’s Way: Thinking Critically About Profound Ideas.
5th Ed. Boston: Pearson.

Mead, George Herbert. 1934. Mind, Self and Society: From the Standpoint of a Social
Behaviorist. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Resources and Additional Resources

Alata, Eden Joy Pastor,Caslib, Bernardo Nicolas Jr.,Serafica, Janice Patria Javier,
Pawilen R.A. 2018. “Understanding the Self”

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 Lesson 2b.1:
The Self in Western and Eastern Thought

Introduction

Different cultures and varying environmens…

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Differentiate the concept of self according to western thought against

eastern/oriental perspectives;
2. Explain the concept of self as found in Asian thoughts; and
3. Create a representation of the Filipino self.
Discussion

Self in the Eastern Thought

Since we already discussed the theories of self in western thought in the
previous lesson, we will focus on the eastern thought. Below are the following Eastern
thoughts;

Confucianism
- This thought is originated from Confucius
in China.
- This can be seen as a code of ethical
conduct, of how one should properly act
to their relationship with other people.
- The identity and self-concept therefore
of the individuals interwoven with the
identity and status of his/ her
community or culture, sharing its pride
as well as its failures (Ho, 1995).
- It focuses on having a harmonious social life or social relations.

Taoism
- This thought is originated from Lao Tsu.
- It is living on the way of Tao or the universe.
- Its teachings 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 manifestation of Tao.
- It focuses on the self and relationship to the
universe.

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 Buddhism
- This religious belief is founded by
Siddhartha Gautama Buddha
- The self is seen 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 these suffering.
- The self, with all its connections and
selfish ideas, is totally taken, not just
out of the center if the picture, but out
of the whole picture as a whole.
- It focuses on social values.

Western Thought
- Its focus is always looking towards self.
- Individualistic Culture
o Their focus is on the person

Eastern Thought
- It sees the other person as part of yourself as well as the things you may
create, a drama which everyone is interconnected with their specific roles.
(Wolter 2012).

- Collectivist Culture
o Group and social relations is given more importance than individual
needs and wants.

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 Activity 3
The Self in Western and Eastern Thoughts

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score

Write top five (5) differences between Western and Eastern society, culture, and
individuals in the table below. Cite your sources.

WESTERN EASTERN

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 Exercise 3
The Self in Western and Eastern Thoughts

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score

Create a representation, diagram, or concept map of the SELF according to

Filipino culture. Provide a brief explanation of your output. You can also cite
books and researches about Filipino culture, self, and identity to further elaborate
on the topic.

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 The Self in Western and Eastern Thoughts

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score

Reflection:

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 Suggested Readings

Brawner, Dalisay G., Arcega, Analiza F. Understanding the Self. C&E Publishing, Inc.
2018.

Gleitman, Henry, James Gross, and Daniel Reisberg. 2011. Psychology. 8th Ed. Canada:
W.W. Norton and Company.

Qingxue, Liuy. 2003. “Understanding Different Cultural Patterns or Orientations Between

East and West”. Investigationes Linguisticae. Vol.IX. April 2003. Accessed October 14,
2017. http://www.staff.amu.edu.pl/~inveling/pdf/liu_qingxue_inve9.pdf.

Resources and Additional Resources

Alata, Eden Joy Pastor,Caslib, Bernardo Nicolas Jr.,Serafica, Janice Patria Javier,
Pawilen R.A. 2018. “Understanding the Self”

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 Lesson 2b.2:
Supernatural: Believe it or not

Introduction

Spiritual self is one of the four constituents of the “self” according to William
James in his book, The Principles of Psychology in 1890. The spiritual self is the most
intimate, inner subjective part of self. It is the most intimate version of the self because
of the satisfaction experienced when thinking of one’s ability to argue and discriminate,
of one’s moral sensibility and conscience, and our unconquerable will (James, 1890) is
purer than all other sentiments of satisfaction. (Green, 1997)

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Identify the various religious practices and beliefs;

2. Understand self in relation with religious beliefs; and
3. Explain ways of finding meaning of life.

Discussion

Spiritual Self
Spiritual Self is one of the four constituents of the Self according to William
James.

The ability to use moral sensibility and conscience may be seen through the
expression of religion, its beliefs and practices.

Religion
 Religion is as set of cultural beliefs and practices that usually includes some
of all the basic characteristics (Rebecca Stein 2011).

 Some of these characteristics are:

◦ A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being such as spirit such as
gods;
◦ A focus on sacred supernatural
◦ The presence of supernatural power or energy that is found on
supernatural being

 Other characteristics are:

o Performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of
sacred objects to communicate to supernatural beings
o Articulation of worldview and moral codes through narratives and
other means
o Provide the creation of and maintenance of social bonds and
mechanism of social control within a community.

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  The choice of religious beliefs lies within the spiritual self. Although the
choice may be influenced by society and its culture.

Rituals
 Rituals is the performance of
ceremonial acts prescribed by a
tradition or sacred law (Penner 2017).

 Ritual is a specific and observable

mode of behavior exhibited by all
known societies.

 Fundamental characteristics of Rituals

(Penner 2017):
o Feeling or emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dread in relation to
sacred.
o Dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed in the
language or myth.
o Symbolic in relation to its reference.

World Religious Practices

 Buddhism
o Founded by Gautama Buddha
o Buddhism is a tradition that focuses on Personal Spiritual Development.
They strive for a deep insight into the true nature of life.
o Two streams of Buddhism
 Theravada
 Mahayana

o Beliefs
 Wheel of life or Wheel of becoming
View of the universe
 Karma
The law of cause and effect
 Four Noble Truths
 Suffering Exists
 There is a cause of suffering (Desire, Attachment)
 There is an end to suffering (Nirvana, Awakening)
 In order to end the suffering, you must follow the Eight Fold
Paths
 Eight Fold Paths
 Right understanding on of the Four Noble Truths
 Right thinking; following the right path in life
 Right speech
 Right conduct
 Right livelihood: without harming others
 Right effort to cleanse the mind of harmful thoughts and
desires
 Right mindfulness

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  Right concentration

o Customs and Practices

 Festivals
 Parinirvana Day (February)
 Buddha Day (May)
 Dharma Day (July)
 Padmasambhava Day (October)
 Sangha Day (November)
 Meditation Practices
 Samatha and Vipassana
 Take refuge to
 Buddha (teacher)
 Dharma (teachings)
 Sangha (community)

 Hinduism
o Beliefs
 Hinduism is best understood as a complete way of life, a
path of sanctification, and a discipline that leads to a higher
level of consciousness.
 Hinduism has no founder.
 Hindus are often thought to be polytheist.
 Vedas are the sacred scriptures of Hindus.

 Veda/ vedas is a Sanskrit word which means

knowledge
 Many of these scriptures is concerned with Dharma
 Dharma means duty, virtue and morality.
 It upholds the universe and the society.
 Hindus believed that the existence is a cycle of birth, death,
and rebirth governed by Karma
 Karma is a law that in every action has an equal reaction.

o Customs and Practices

 Hindus follow the lunar calendar and particular days are set
aside during the week or moth to honor manifestations of God.
 Festivals are celebrated by in different ways by different
communities

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  Diwali- Festival of Light
 Navratri- nine nights which celebrate the triumph of
good over evil.
 Puja- (Hindu worship) Their worship involves images,
prayers and mantras.
 Islam

o Islam is an Arabic Word which means willing submission to God.

o Beliefs
 Mohammed is the last and
final prophet
 He was born in mecca in 570
CE
 He received revelations from
God through Angel Gabriel for
almost 23 years.
 Islam’s holy book is Quran
 Polygamy- Having more than one wife
 Hijab- Arabic word which means barrier or partition
 Shahada- Belief that there is no God but the one true God and
Mohammed is the messenger

o Customs and Practices

 Salat- Prayer five times a day
 Zakat- 2 ½ % of Muslims assets is given in welfare tax to benefit
the poor
 Hajj- Annual pilgripamge to Mecca- a requirement for once in a
lifetime
 Sawm- During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to
abstain from food, drinks and sexual acts from dawn until sunset.

 Christianity
o It is the world’s biggest religion

o It is based on the teachings of Jesus

who lived in the Earth 2000 years ago.

o Beliefs
 There is one God in three
person
 Father
 Son
 Holy Spirit
 Salvation is through faith on
Jesus Christ
 Man is a sinner and needs a savior to be saved
 Jesus Christ was died, rose again, go to heaven and will come
back

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 o Customs and Practices
 Prayer and Fasting
 Reading the Holy Scripture (Bible)
 Attending Church Activities
 Fellowship with Believers
 Sharing the Word of God (Evangelism/ Missions)

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 Activity 4
Supernatural: Believe it or not

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score

Art Recall

Write an essay by answering

the following questions.

Q1: When was the first time you realized that there is a higher being than yourself? How
old are you then?

Q2: What made you believe that there is a higher being?

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 Exercise 4
Supernatural: Believe it or not

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score

Draw: Make a poster about the instance or situation that made you believe in the
existence of higher being. Use the space below.

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 Supernatural: Believe it or not
Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score

Reflection:

Answer the following questions in the space provided.

1. How is the belief on higher being related to your Self?

2. Do you consider having a Spiritual Self? Why or Why not?

Prepared by: Ms. Venzeil F. Decena, RPm, LPT Page 38

 Suggested Readings

Brawner, Dalisay G., Arcega, Analiza F. Understanding the Self. C&E Publishing, Inc.
2018.

Resources and Additional Resources

Alata, Eden Joy Pastor,Caslib, Bernardo Nicolas Jr.,Serafica, Janice Patria Javier,
Pawilen R.A. 2018. “Understanding the Self”

Goldsmiths, University of London. n.d. “Religion and Belief Guide.” Accessed October
16, 2017. https://www.gold.ac.uk/media/documents-by-section/life-on-
campus/student-support-services/Religion-and-Belief-Guide.pdf.

Stein, Rebecca. 2015. Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft. Accessed.

October17,
2017.https://books.google.com.ph/books/about/Anthropology_of_Religion_Magic_a
nd_Witch.html?id=KNdRCgAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y.

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 Republic of the Philippines
President Ramon Magsaysay State University
(Formerly Ramon Magsaysay Technological University)
Iba, Zambales, Philippines
Tel/Fax No.: (047) 811-1683

College/Department
Course Code GEC 1
Course Title Understanding the Self
Place of the Course
Minor
in the Program
Semester and
First Semester, A.Y. 2020-2021
Academic Year

Lesson 3:
The Self as Cognitive Construct

Introduction

As seen from the previous lessons, every field of study, at least in the social
sciences have their own research, definition, and conceptualization of self and identity.
Some are similar while some specific only in their field. Each field also had thousands of
research on self and identity as well as related or synonymous terms. The trend of the
lessons also seems to define the concept of the “self” from a larger context (i.e. culture
and society) down to the individual. However, it must be pointed out that modern
researches acknowledge the contributions of each field and this is not some sort of
nurture vs. Nature, society/culture vs. Individual/brain, other social sciences vs.
Psychology debate. Psychology may focus on the individual and the cognitive functions
but it does not discount the context and other possible factors that affect the individual.
The following lesson provides an overview of the themes of psychology regarding the
said concept.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Identify the different ideas in psychology about the “self”

2. Create their own definition of the “self” based on the definitions from
psychology;
3. Analyze the effects of various factors identified in psychology in the
formation of the “self”
Discussion:

Modern researchers acknowledge the contributions of different fields in the

concept of self. In Psychology, it is thought that its only focus is on the cognitive

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 functions. But, it does not discount the context and the other possible factors that may
affect the individual

“I am who I am”

If you are who you are, then what are you that makes you who you are?

Psychology has various definitions of Self, simply put,

“Self” is “the sense of personal identity and of who we are as individuals” (Jhangiani and
Tarry 2014, 106).

William James (1890)

One of the earliest psychologists to study the self

Two aspects:

a. The “I”

the thinking, acting and feeling self

b. The “me”

-The physical characteristics as well as the psychological capabilities

that make you who you are.

-Self is not fixed in one time frame

Carl Rogers (1959)

“I” is the one who acts and decides.

“Me” is what you think or feel about yourself as an object.

Other concepts similar to self are IDENTITY and SELF-

CONCEPT

 IDENTITY is composed of personal characteristics,

social roles and responsibilities, as well as
affiliations that define who one is.
 SELF-CONCEPT is what basically comes to your
mind when you are asked about who you are.

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 SELF-IDENTITY and SELF-CONCEPT are not fixed in one time frame.

As you grow and adapt to changes around your

world your schemas also change. Hobbies

Ex:

When someone states your first name, even he’s

not talking about you, your attention will be drawn to Family
Self Religion

him.

If you have a provincial language or dialect and

heard someone in different place using it, it will Nationality

catch your attention

If you consider yourself a manga collector or a book lover a shop or a boutique may
catch your interest.

Theories generally see the self and identify as mental construct, created and re-created
in memory. (Elmore, Oyserman and Smith, 2012, 75.)

Several Psychologist followed this trend of thought, looking deeper into the mind of a
person to theorize the self, identity, self-concept, and In turn one’s personality.

SIGMUND FREUD

Saw the self, its mental processes, and one’s behavior as the results of the interaction
between the Id, Ego, and the Superego.
ID

EGO

SUPEREGO

• “Internal • “Reality” • “Conscience”

Desires” • The part that • Personally
• Instinctive gives sense of concerned with
Drives identity. morals,
• Consists of • Rational part of precepts,
body’s the personality standards, and
primitive urge ideas.
concerned with • The critical
achieving faculty of the
pleasure and personality
satisfaction.
• Lives in the
Unconscious

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 PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

Freud believed that personality develops through a series of childhood stages in

which the pleasure-seeking energies of become focused on certain erogenous areas.

If these psychosexual stages are completed successfully, the result is a healthy

personality. If certain issues are not resolved at the appropriate stage, fixation can
occur. A fixation is a persistent focus on an earlier psychosexual stage.

FREUD’S PSYCHOSEXUAL

Stage Age Point of Interest Activities for Gratification

1. Oral Birth- 1 year Mouth -sucking, chewing

2. Anal 1-3 years Anus -withholding or expelling feces

3. Phallic 3-6 years Genitals -fonding with genitals,

masturbation

4. Latency 6-puberty Environment -games, play

5. Genital Adolescence/ Opposite -crushes, going steady, marriage

adulthood

1. Oral Birth- 1 year Mouth -sucking, chewing

During the oral stage, the infant's primary source of interaction occurs
through the mouth, so the rooting and sucking reflex is especially important.

The primary conflict at this stage is the weaning process-the child must become
less dependent upon caretakers. If fixation occurs at this stage, Freud believed
the individual would have issues with dependency or aggression. Oral fixation can
result in problems with drinking, eating, smoking or nail biting.

2. Anal 1-3 years Anus -withholding or expelling feces

The major conflict at this stage is toilet training-the child has to learn to
control his or her bodily needs. Developing this control leads to a sense
of accomplishment and independence. According to Freud, inappropriate parental
responses can result in negative outcomes.

3. Phallic 3-6 years Genitals -fonding with genitals, masturbation

During the phallic stage, the primary focus of the interests is on the genitals.
At this age, children also begin to discover the differences between males and females.

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 He/ She become a rival for the affection of the parent of the opposite sex:

The Oedipus complex describes these feelings of wanting to possess the mother
and the desire to replace the father.

Electra complex describes the girl wants her father and tries to keep out her
mother.

4. Latency 6-puberty Environment -games, play

During the latent period, the points of interests are suppressed. The stage
begins around the time that children enter into school and become more concerned
with peer relationships, hobbies and other interests.

The latent period is a time of exploration in which the sexual energy is still
present, but it is directed into other areas such as intellectual pursuits and social
interactions. This stage is important in the development of social and communication
skills and self-confidence.

5. Genital Adolescence/ Opposite -crushes, going steady, marriage

adulthood

During the final stage of psychosexual development, the individual develops

a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex. This stage begins during puberty but last
throughout the rest of a person's life.

Theory of Symbolic Interactionism (G.H. Mead 1934)

1. We do not ourselves out of nothing. Society provides a big counterpart in our

foundations, even we make our choices, we will still operate in our social and
historical context one way or another.

2. Whether we like to admit it or not, we actually need others to affirm and reinforce
points about our identity. What others say or look at you will have an effect on
your idea of yourself one way or another.

3. What we think is important to is influenced by what is important in our social and

historical context. Ex. Education, money, being a nurse, police or loyal due to
demands.

Social Interaction and group affiliation therefore, are vital factors in creating our
self – concept especially in the aspect of providing us with our social identity or our
perception of who we are based on our membership to certain groups (Jhangiani and
Tarry, 2014, 110)

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 It is also inevitable that we have several social identities that can overlap, and that
we automatically play the roles as we interact with our groups.

Awareness of Self – Concepts- is having a clear perception of your personality,

including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. Allows you
to understand other people, how they perceive you, your attitude and your responses to
them in the moment.

Carver and Schier (1981) identified two types of self that we can be aware of:

a. The Private Self – internal standards and private thoughts and feelings

b. The Public Self – public image commonly geared towards having a good
presentation of yourself to others (Hogg and Vaughan 2010, 69)

Self-awareness also presents us with at least three other self

schema:

1. The actual self - Who you are at the moment

2. The ideal self -who you like to be

3. Ought self- who we think we should be

Example is that you are a student interested in basketball but is also

academically challenged in most of your subject. Your ideal self might be to practice
more and play with the varsity team but ought to pass your subjects as a responsible
student. One has to find solution to such discrepancies in order to avoid agitation,
dejection, or other negative emotions. In some instances, however, all three may be line
with one another.

Self – Awareness can also be positive or negative depending on the circumstances and
our next course of action.

 Can keep you from doing something

dangerous.

 It can help remind you that there is

an exam tomorrow in one of the subjects
when you are about to spend time playing
computer with your cousins.

 Can be too much that we are

concerned about being observed and
criticized by others, also known a self –
consciousness.

Deindividuation – “the loss of individual self – awareness and individual accountability

in groups” (Festinger, Pepitone, and Newcomb 1952; Zibardo, 1969, all in Jhangiani and
Tarry 2014, 114).

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 

 We lessen our self – control and awareness in group.

 Group identity and Self – awareness has huge impact on our self – esteem.
 One way which our social relationship affects our self – esteem is through social
comparison.

SOCIAL COMPARISON THEORY

-We learn about ourselves, the appropriateness of our behaviors, as well as our social
statues by comparing aspects of ourselves with other people (Jhangiani and Tarry
2014, 114)

Downward social comparison

-Is the more common type of comparing ourselves with others. As the name implies, we
create a positive self-concept by comparing ourselves with those who are worse off than
us.

Upward social comparison (Also with groups)

-Which is comparing ourselves with those who are better off than us. While it can be a
form of motivation for some, a lot of those who do this actually felt lower self-esteem as
we highlight more of our weakness or inequities.

“Self – Evaluation Maintenance Theory” – we can feel threatened if someone

outperforms us specially if that person is close to us i.e. friend or Family

 We distance ourselves from that person or redefine relationship ex. Silent

treatment, change of friends, or redefine by being closer to that person hoping
that association will give certain kind of acknowledgement.

 Reconsider the importance of the aspect of skill in which you are outperformed.
Ex. If you got defeated in drawing, you may think that drawing is not really for you
and find another hobby that you could excel thus preserving your self – esteem.

 Strengthen or resolve to improve that certain aspect. Instead of quitting, you

might join seminars, practice more often, read books about it, add some element
in drawing to make it unique etc.

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 Achieving your goal through hard work may increase self – esteem too.

However, in the attempt to increase or maintain self-esteem, some people become

NARCISSISTIC.

NARCISSISM is a trait characterized by overly high self-esteem, self-admiration, and

self-centeredness.

Self-complexity and Self-Concept Differentiation

Self-concept – is a knowledge representation that contains knowledge about us,

including our beliefs about our personality traits, physical characteristics, abilities,
values, goals and roles, as well as the knowledge that we exist as individuals.

Self-schemas – organized into a variety of different cognitive aspects.

Self-complexity – the extent to which individuals have many different and relatively
independent ways of thinking about themselves.

Some selves are more complex than others, and these individual differences can
be important in determining psychological outcomes. Having a complex self means that
we have a lot of different ways of thinking about ourselves.

Who do you think you are?

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 Why is it important to know yourself?

Happiness - you will be happier when you can express who you are. Expressing your
desires, moreover, will make it more likely that you get what you want.

Less inner conflict – when your outside actions are in accordance with your inside
feelings and values, you will experience less inner conflict.

Better decision-making – when you know yourself, you are able to make better choices
about everything, from small decisions like which sweater you’ll buy to big decisions like
which partner you’ll spend your life with. You’ll have guidelines you can apply to solve
life’s varied problems.

Self-control – when you know yourself, you understand what motivates you to resist
bad habits and develop good ones. You’ll have the insight to know which values and
goals activate your willpower.

Resistance to social pressure – when you are grounded in your values and
preferences, you are less likely to say “yes” when you want to say “no”.

Tolerance and understanding of others – your awareness of your foibles and

struggles can help you empathize with others.

Vitality and pressure – being who you truly are helps you feel more alive and makes
your experiences of life richer, larger, and more exciting.

The Building Blocks of Self: Your VITALS

V- VALUES

Such as helping others, being creative, financial security and so on – are guides to
decision-making and motivators for goals.

I – INTERESTS

Include your passions, hobbies, and anything that draws your attention over a sustained
period of time. To figure out your interests, ask yourself these questions: What do you
pay attention to? What are you curious about? What concerns you? The focused mental
state of being interested in something makes life vivid and may give you clues to your
deepest passions.

T-TEMPERAMENT

Describes your inborn preferences. Do you restore your energy from being alone
(introvert) or from being with people (extrovert)? Are you a planner or go-with-with-the-
flow type of person? Do you make decisions more on the basis of feelings or thoughts
and facts? Do you prefer details or big ideas? Knowing the answers to temperament
questions like these could help you gravitate toward situations in which you could
flourish and avoid situations in which you could wilt.

A-Around-the-Clock Activities

The “around-the-clock” category refers to when you like to do things – your biorhythms.
Are you a morning person or a night person, for example? At what time of day does your

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 energy peak? If you schedule activities when you are at your best, you are respecting
your innate biology.

L – Life Mission and Meaningful Goals

Ask yourself the question: “what have you been the most meaningful events of your
life?” you may discover clues to your hidden identity, to your career and to life
satisfaction.

S- STRENGTHS

Can include not only abilities, skills and talents, but also character strengths such as
loyalty, respect for others, love of learning, emotional intelligence, fairness, and more.
Knowing your strengths is one of the foundations of self-confidence; not being able to
acknowledge your own superpowers could put on the path to low self-esteem.

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 Activity 5
The Self as Cognitive Construct

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score

“YOU” Through other’s Eyes

This activity has two parts that try to compare how we look at ourselves against how
people perceive us depending on how we present ourselves to them.

For the first part, paste a picture of you in the center of this paper. List ten to fifteen (10-
15) qualities or things that you think define who you are around your picture.

For the second part, in the bottom part of the page, write “I am ____________ (your
name). Who do you think I am based on what you see me do or hear me say?”

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 Exercise 5
The Self as Cognitive Construct

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score

Write three (3) things you learned about this topic. Elaborate and give examples
about those topic you have learned.

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 The Self as Cognitive Construct

Name: Date:
Course-Year Section: Score

Reflection

Do a research and list ten (10) things to boost your self-esteem or improve your self-
concept. Cite your sources. Analyze which of those tips are more likely to backfire and
make someone conceited or narcissistic and revise them to make the statement both
helpful to the individual as well as society in general.

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 Suggested Readings

Brawner, Dalisay G., Arcega, Analiza F. Understanding the Self. C&E Publishing, Inc.
2018.

Resources and Additional Resources

Alata, Eden Joy Pastor,Caslib, Bernardo Nicolas Jr.,Serafica, Janice Patria Javier,
Pawilen R.A. 2018. “Understanding the Self”

Elmore, Kristen, George Smith, and Daphna Oyserman. 2012. “Self, Self-Concept and
Identity. “Handbook of Self and Identity. 2nd Ed. Edited by Mark R. Leary and June
Price Tangney: 69-95. New York: The Guilford Press

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