UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHEASTERN PHILIPPINES
MODULE 1: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES
ADAPTED FROM: MODULE/POWERPOINT/LECTURE
[TRANS] UNIT 1.4: THE SELF IN WESTERN AND EASTERN/ORIENTAL THOUGHT
o True nature of humans is described as “Brahman”.
OUTLINE ▪ The divine universal consciousness
I East vs. West encompassing the universe.
A Western Concept of Self ▪ The self that is all within us.
i Categories
• Main point is change your perception of the world to
B Eastern Concept of Self
i Hinduism perceive the Brahman in oneself and in others.
ii Buddhism
iii Confucianism BUDDHISM
iv Taoism
i East vs. West
• Composed of teachings of Buddha.
• The “self” is not an entity, a substance, or essence. It is
a dynamic process, interdependent, and ever changing.
EAST vs. WEST • Taught a doctrine called anatta.
Different cultures and varying environment tend to create
o Defined as “no-self or no-soul”
different perceptions of the “self” and one of the most common
o A concept that the sense of being a permanent,
distinctions between cultures and people is the Eastern vs.
autonomous “self” is an illusion.
Western dichotomy wherein Eastern represents Asia and
o The teaching that there is no eternal, unchanging
Western represents Europe and Northern America. One of the
“self/soul” inhabiting our bodies or living our
major proponents of cultural psychology, Richard Shweder,
lives.
wrote “Cultural traditions and social practices regulate,
• This tradition hold that the human being’s inborn
express, and transform the human psyche, resulting less
erroneous view of “self” as an enduring entity is the cause
in psychic unity for humankind than in ethnic
of his/her suffering
divergences in mind, self, and emotion (as cited in Otig et
o He/she tries to hold on to that which is in constant
al, 2018)”.
flux (constantly flowing or constantly changing) and
has no existence outside of shifting context.
WESTERN CONCEPT OF SELF
• It takes a great interest in how people experience
• Ancient Grecian philosophers see humans as bearers of
their “self” rather than just their abstract idea of it.
irreplaceable values.
• Buddhist practices are designed to lead to a new
o In medieval times, the philosopher and saint,
(correct) experience of self. It takes arduous training to
Thomas Aquinas, believed that the body constitutes
modify or overcome the natural state of experiencing the
individuality.
“self” as persisting and unchanging.
o The individual was the focus of Renaissance
thought, with Rene Descartes’ famous “I think,
therefore I am” as the epitome of the Western idea of CONFUCIANISM
self. • The quest for the “self” in terms of substance, of spirit,
• The western tradition is generally acknowledge to be of body, or of essence does not exist.
“imbued with a style of thinking based on dichotomy and o Entails conscious self-transformation leading to
binary opposition”. attributes of a balanced life in harmony with both
• There is an essential distinction between the notions of nature and society.
the thinking subject (an observer) that stands in natural • The form that Confucius wrote about the concept of “self”
opposition to observable reality. is that of personality.
• The qualities that form a person’s character are not
CATEGORIES something that exists inherently.
o It is formed through upbringing and the
• Analytical: tendency to see reality as an aggregate of
environment.
parts
• Personality is an achieved state of moral excellence
o The “self” is an observer separate and distinct from
rather than a given human condition.
external objects (Me versus Other)
o Not to be understood as primarily an individual entity.
• Monotheistic: involved the tendency to unitary,
• Concept of self is deeply embedded within the family and
omnipotent explanations of phenomena and a closed
society and it is only in that context that the self comes to
system view of the “self”
be what it is.
o Man was created by God, in His image
• Every person is born with four beginnings.
• Individualistic: where self-expression and self-
o These does not yet comprise the concept of “self” but
actualization are important ways of establishing who one
when perceived together, it could be explained in
is, as well as finding explanations in the world
Western terms as “pre-self” or a “potential self”
• Materialistic/Rationalistic: tends to discredit
o The perfection of virtues that at the start were mere
explanations that do not use analytic-deductive modes of
potentials
thinking
EASTERN CONCEPT OF SELF
HINDUISM
• The earliest religious writings in the East are the Vedas.
o It formed the Hindu philosophy and dharma (the
principle of cosmic order)
o Chants and hymns illustrate the eastern mindset of a
non-dual universe but rather a creation that is
completely unified with the creator with no distinction.
MODULE 1: THE SELF FROM VARIOUS PERSPECTIVES
ADAPTED FROM: MODULE/POWERPOINT/LECTURE
[TRANS] UNIT 1.4: THE SELF IN WESTERN AND EASTERN/ORIENTAL THOUGHT
o True nature of humans is described as “Brahman”.
OUTLINE ▪ The divine universal consciousness
I East vs. West encompassing the universe.
A Western Concept of Self ▪ The self that is all within us.
i Categories
• Main point is change your perception of the world to
B Eastern Concept of Self
i Hinduism perceive the Brahman in oneself and in others.
ii Buddhism
iii Confucianism BUDDHISM
iv Taoism
i East vs. West
• Composed of teachings of Buddha.
• The “self” is not an entity, a substance, or essence. It is
a dynamic process, interdependent, and ever changing.
EAST vs. WEST • Taught a doctrine called anatta.
Different cultures and varying environment tend to create
o Defined as “no-self or no-soul”
different perceptions of the “self” and one of the most common
o A concept that the sense of being a permanent,
distinctions between cultures and people is the Eastern vs.
autonomous “self” is an illusion.
Western dichotomy wherein Eastern represents Asia and
o The teaching that there is no eternal, unchanging
Western represents Europe and Northern America. One of the
“self/soul” inhabiting our bodies or living our
major proponents of cultural psychology, Richard Shweder,
lives.
wrote “Cultural traditions and social practices regulate,
• This tradition hold that the human being’s inborn
express, and transform the human psyche, resulting less
erroneous view of “self” as an enduring entity is the cause
in psychic unity for humankind than in ethnic
of his/her suffering
divergences in mind, self, and emotion (as cited in Otig et
o He/she tries to hold on to that which is in constant
al, 2018)”.
flux (constantly flowing or constantly changing) and
has no existence outside of shifting context.
WESTERN CONCEPT OF SELF
• It takes a great interest in how people experience
• Ancient Grecian philosophers see humans as bearers of
their “self” rather than just their abstract idea of it.
irreplaceable values.
• Buddhist practices are designed to lead to a new
o In medieval times, the philosopher and saint,
(correct) experience of self. It takes arduous training to
Thomas Aquinas, believed that the body constitutes
modify or overcome the natural state of experiencing the
individuality.
“self” as persisting and unchanging.
o The individual was the focus of Renaissance
thought, with Rene Descartes’ famous “I think,
therefore I am” as the epitome of the Western idea of CONFUCIANISM
self. • The quest for the “self” in terms of substance, of spirit,
• The western tradition is generally acknowledge to be of body, or of essence does not exist.
“imbued with a style of thinking based on dichotomy and o Entails conscious self-transformation leading to
binary opposition”. attributes of a balanced life in harmony with both
• There is an essential distinction between the notions of nature and society.
the thinking subject (an observer) that stands in natural • The form that Confucius wrote about the concept of “self”
opposition to observable reality. is that of personality.
• The qualities that form a person’s character are not
CATEGORIES something that exists inherently.
o It is formed through upbringing and the
• Analytical: tendency to see reality as an aggregate of
environment.
parts
• Personality is an achieved state of moral excellence
o The “self” is an observer separate and distinct from
rather than a given human condition.
external objects (Me versus Other)
o Not to be understood as primarily an individual entity.
• Monotheistic: involved the tendency to unitary,
• Concept of self is deeply embedded within the family and
omnipotent explanations of phenomena and a closed
society and it is only in that context that the self comes to
system view of the “self”
be what it is.
o Man was created by God, in His image
• Every person is born with four beginnings.
• Individualistic: where self-expression and self-
o These does not yet comprise the concept of “self” but
actualization are important ways of establishing who one
when perceived together, it could be explained in
is, as well as finding explanations in the world
Western terms as “pre-self” or a “potential self”
• Materialistic/Rationalistic: tends to discredit
o The perfection of virtues that at the start were mere
explanations that do not use analytic-deductive modes of
potentials
thinking
EASTERN CONCEPT OF SELF
HINDUISM
• The earliest religious writings in the East are the Vedas.
o It formed the Hindu philosophy and dharma (the
principle of cosmic order)
o Chants and hymns illustrate the eastern mindset of a
non-dual universe but rather a creation that is
completely unified with the creator with no distinction.
