UTS Wester and Eastern Concept of the SElf

UTS

1. The Western and
Eastern Concept
of the Self

2. Energizer

4. WESTERN CONCEPT OF
SELF

5. WESTERN CONCEPT OF SELFDefined as a bounded, unique, integrated
center of awareness, emotion, and action,
distinct from others and its environment.
(Geertz (Van Mejil, 2008))

6. 1. WESTERN SELF AS ANALYTICAnalytic Nature Western
thinking emphasizes understanding by
breaking down into parts and analyzing
causal links.

7. 2. WESTERN SELF AS MONOTHEISTICWestern self is shaped by belief in a single
Supreme Being and bipolar qualities (e.g.,
good/evil) and identities (e.g.,
God/Satan).

8. 3. WESTERN SELF AS INDIVIDUALISTIC
-Western individualism exhibits the
coexistence of favorable and unfavorable
conditions inherent in personal freedom.
-The self is seen as autonomous, with
personal freedom leading to both
fulfillment and potential alienation.

9. 4. WESTERN SELF AS MATERIALISTIC
AND RATIONALISTICFocuses on material things and favors
rational-empirical methods over magical
or superstitious explanations.

10. DAVID HO (1995)-David Ho's view describes the
Western self as aware of its
uniqueness, purpose, and control.
-The self is located at the center
within the individual through
which the world is perceived.

11. DAVID HO (1995)-The self is also seen as "an entity
distinct from other selves and all
other entities."
-This implies that the self belongs
to the individual and to no other.

12. DAVID HO (1995)-As a consequence of this complete
ownership of self, it becomes a
sovereign subject possessing a sense
of personal control.
-If all things are well, the self achieves
coherence and stability over time.

13. DAVID HO (1995)-In an individualist perspective,
the Western self is the measure
of all things (Ho, 1995; Garcia,
2013), that is, the source of all
reflections.

14. FRANK JOHNSON (1985)The concept of self in Western
thought traces back to ancient
philosophy, with significant
development in psychology,
sociology, and anthropology by the
mid-19th century.

15. The Historical
Development of the
Western Concept of
Self

16. 1. Pre-Christian Times - 1850
- Soul & Mind: Philosophical and theological
focus on soul, mind, and self.
- Conscious Experience: Importance of
individual conscious experience.
- Mind-Body Dualism: Distinction between
physical and mental aspects of man.
- Causality: Theories on human behavior
causality.

17. 2. 1850 - 1940
- Experimental Psychology: Shift from abstract
soul/mind to measurable faculties.
- Observable Behavior: Focus on observable
human behavior.
- Social-Interactionist: Re-emergence of self-
concept in a social context.

18. 3. 1940 - Present
- Multidirectional Development: Evolving views
of self.
- Sociological & Psychological Theories: Focus
on inner self, interpersonal self, and social self.
- Existentialism & Phenomenology: Holistic
approach integrating all aspects of the self.

19. - Interdisciplinary Convergence: Psychologists,
anthropologists, sociologists, philosophers, and
linguists share conceptualizations of self.
- New Frameworks & Methodologies: Focus on
actual, multivariate, and situational contexts of
the self.

20. EASTERN CONCEPT OF
SELF

21. EASTERN CONCEPT OF SELF- Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism,
and Taoism
- Eastern thought is described as
pluralistic (Garcia, 2013).

22. THE SELF IN FOUR
GREAT SYSTEMS OF
EASTERN THOUGHT

23. HINDUISM
-the hindu concept of self is expounded in
Vedanta
-two central concept: Brahman is an absolute
reality, and Atman (soul or spirit), the true
knowledge of self.
-characterizes human suffering as the result of
failure to realize the distinction between the true
self and the non-true self.

24. -The law of Karma "If you do good things, you
will be rewarded; if you do bad things, you will
be punished."
-Hindus believe that Atman, being an immortal
soul, continues to be reincarnated from lifetime
to lifetime until it is freed from the cycle of
rebirth and reaches a state of nirvana or non-
birth.

25. Shiva, one of the main
deities of Hinduism, whom
Shaivites worship as the
supreme god. Shiva

26. known as the Buddha, is the
founder of Buddhism. Siddharta Gautama BUDDHISM

27. Buddhism
FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
• life is suffering
• suffering is caused by attachment to desires
• suffering can be eliminated and
• elimination of suffering is through the practice of th
Eightfold Path (right view, right aspiration, right speec
right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfu
and right concentration).

28. China's most famous teacher,
philosopher, and political
theorist, whose ideas have
profoundly influenced the
civilization of Eastern countries Confucius

29. CONFUCIANISM
-Analects (Conversations of Confucius)
-Golden Rule: "Do not do to others what you would
not want others to do to you"
-The basic virtue - how to act in relation to others.
-The Five Cardinal Relationships:
•ruler to minster •brother
•father and son •friends
•husband and wife

30. -An important feature in Confucian thought is
the individual's greatest mission of attaining self
realization wherein self cultivation is
instrumental.
*Self - cultivation is knowing one's role in society
and acting accordingly.

31. TAOISM
-The self is described as one of the limitless
forms of the Tao (the Nature that is the
foundation of all that exists).
-Taoists believe that simplicity, spontaneity, and
harmony with nature should govern one's life.
-Individuals must seek to understand and act in
accordance with the natural order.

32. Dichotomy of
Western and
Eastern
Conceptions of Self

33. Eastern thought
-The emphasis is relational rather than
individualistic.
-The self is considered not in isolation but
in relation to others, society, and the
universe.

34. The theories of Eastern philosophers
demonstrate a sociocentric view
presupposing that the self exists as an
entity within the concrete situation or
role occupied by the person (Robbins,
2012).

35. Western thought
-Tend to view the self as autonomous,
unitary, and stable (van Meijl, 2008).

36. Quito (Garcia, 2013) seeks to
place Western and Eastern
theories of the self into
perspective by making some
comparisons and contrast
among them.

37. looks at life in the
three-mode cycle of
birth, death, and
rebirth.
concept of life is linear
as it is concerned with
absolute beginnings or
endings in time and
space.
Western thoughtEastern thought

38. considers intuition
as a valid means to
gain wisdom
rely mainly on reason
and logic
Western thoughtEastern thought

39. Distinction between Eastern
and Western about nature
and self.

40. According to Sarza (2013), one
unique feature of Eastern philosophy
is its great reverence for nature. It is
believed that nature promotes
introspection into one's inner life and
that wisdom and enlightenment can
be attained by observing nature.
According to Peacock (1986)
mentions that modern Western
culture tends to set the individual
against nature, that is, to struggle
against nature which is a dangerous
enemy.
Western Eastern

41. Thank you!