UTS

• Philosophers who have contributed to understanding the self include: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Ryle, Churchland, and Merleau-Ponty
• The concept of the self can be viewed in three ways: innate, emergent, and integrated and developing
• Self is innate:

  • The self is present upon birth and self-awareness is natural
  • Philosophies of Socrates, Plato, Augustine, and Descartes fall under this view
• Self is emergent:

  • The self is a result of interaction with the physical and social world
  • Empiricist perspectives of Aristotle, Locke, and Hume belong to this view
• Self is integrated and developing:

  • The self has various components that change over time
  • Kant, Ryle, and Merleau-Ponty's views align with this perspective
• Pre-Socratic era focused on the "Arche" and explaining the nature of change
• Socrates:

  • Believed in "know thyself" and that an unexamined life is not worth living
  • Introduced the idea of dualism with the body as the imperfect self and the soul as the perfect and permanent self
• Plato:

  • Viewed the self as an immortal soul
  • Described the soul having rational, spirited, and appetitive components
• Aristotle:

  • Defined the soul as the essence of the self
  • Categorized the nature of man into vegetative, sentient, and rational aspects
• Augustine:

  • Combined ancient views with Christianity, believing in a bifurcated nature
  • Introduced introspection and emphasized the importance of the soul in defining the human person
• Aquinas:

  • Stated that the soul animates the body
  • Believed in the separation of the soul from the body after death
• Descartes:

  • Coined the phrase "I think therefore I am"
  • Introduced Mind-Body Dualism where the mind and body are distinct entities
• Locke:

  • Defined the self as consciousness
  • Proposed the idea of tabula rasa, where the mind is a blank slate at birth
• Hume:

  • Supported the Bundle Theory, stating the self is a collection of sense impressions
  • Emphasized that self-knowledge comes from conscious experience and perception
• Kant:

  • Believed that we construct the self through sensory experience and conceptual understanding
  • Introduced the theory of Categorical Imperative and emphasized individual moral agency
• Ryle:

  • Characterized the self as the way people behave
  • Claimed that mental vocabulary is a description of action and behavior
• Churchland:

  • Advocated that the self is the brain
  • Supported Eliminative Materialism, stating the self is inseparable from the brain and physiology
• Merleau-Ponty:

  • Viewed the self as embodied subjectivity
  • Developed the concept of radical reflection and Ecophenomenology to explain perception and consciousness
• General Analysis:

  • Different philosophers have varying views on the nature of the self, including the soul, consciousness, behavior, and the brain
  • Personal experiences can influence one's philosophical view of the self
• Conclusion:

  • Understanding oneself is true wisdom and mastering oneself is true power
  • Reflect on personal experiences that shape your view of the self and consider how they impact your selfhood
• We are living in a world of sale and shopping spree. What makes us want to have those products are connected with who we are. What we want to have and already possess is related to our self.
• Belk (1988): 'We regard our possession as part of our selves. We are what we have and what we possess.'
• The identification of the self to things started in our infancy stage when we make distinction among self and environment and others who may desire our possessions.
• There is a direct link between self-identity with what we have and possess. The possessions that we dearly have tell something about who we are, our self-concept, our past, and even our future.
• Material Self


  The manifestation of one's identity through his material possessions
• Material Self


  • It is primarily about our bodies, clothes, immediate family, and home
  • We are deeply affected by these things because we have put so much investment of our self to them
• Components of Material Self

  • Body
  • Clothes
  • Immediate Family
  • Home
• Body


  The innermost part of our material self, we are directly attached to this commodity that we cannot live without
• Clothes


  An essential part of the material self, the fabric and style of the clothes we wear bring sensations to the body to which directly affects our attitudes and behaviour, clothing is a form of self expression
• Immediate Family


  Our parents and siblings hold another great important part of our self, what they do or become affects us, we place huge investment in our immediate family when we see them as the nearest replica of our self
• Home


  Our experiences inside the home were recorded and marked on a particular parts and things in our home
• Regardless of how much or little material possessions people have, they remain valuable because these possessions are symbolic of one's social status.
• Defining the self by material possessions can also contribute to a feeling of well-being, including a sense of personal growth and purpose and meaning in life. however, the lack or loss of material possessions can be disruptive to one's mental health.
• Materialism


  Refers to giving more importance to material possessions than intangible values
• Materialistic Person


  A person who is excessively concerned with the acquisition of material possessions
• Compulsive Buying Disorder


  An obsession with shopping and buying behaviors that can cause adverse consequences
• Regardless of how much or how little material possessions people have, they are interested in material possessions.
• Effects of Material Possessions

  • Possessions can be used as status symbol
  • Material possessions can be a reflection of hard work and success
  • People tend to measure success through material possessions
  • Material possessions can make people more motivated to work harder to achieve them
• Consumer Culture


  A social system in which consumption is dominated by the consumption of commercial products, it denotes a social agreement in which the relations between lived culture and social resources, and between meaningful ways of life and the symbolic and material resources through which they depend on, are mediated through markets
• Consumerism


  The consumption of material goods and services in excess of one's basic needs, it is closely tied to materialism since both of them heavily influence the way the individuals view the self whether positively (people tend to be happier and more motivated when their wants and needs are met) or negatively (dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and depression because of endless needs and wants of people)