Western Thoughts of Self
Does not include the role of environment
and society focus is always looking
toward the self.
Invidualistic.
Look at the world in dualities.
You are distinct from the other
person.
Creator is separate from the object he
created.
Emphasize more on the value of
equality.
Promote ideals of 'fair' competition.
Eastern Thoughts of Self
"the self" is an illusion, and
that we are all
interconnected.
In Eastern philosophy, the
most well-known conceptions
of the self are represented by
the views of;
• Confucianism
• Taoism
• Buddhism
CONFUCIANISM
Self is characterized by relational
identity which means that a person
is defined by his/her significant
relationships.
Self-cultivation / self-realization is
seen as the ultimate purpose of life.
The chun-tzu (man of virtue or
noble character; commonly
translated as “gentleman” or
“superior man”) is, above all, a
man of self-cultivation.
CONFUCIANISM
To be a Chun-tzu, man has to live
by these principles:
Li – is the principle of self-restraint and
sense of propriety. It includes following
social etiquette and mannerisms.
Cheng – means sincerity and
unwavering devotion to the good.
Hsiao – is love for the immediate
family and then society.
CONFUCIANISM
Yi – is the principle of
righteousness.
Xin – is the principle of honesty in
life.
Jen – is the most important of all
principles. It means being kind
and humane to your fellow beings.
It is about helping out others.
Chung – is loyalty to one’s family
and to one’s country
CONFUCIANISM
Confucius specifies the five The self in Confucianism is
important relationships a subdued self. It is
King to subject conditioned to respond to
Father to son perceptions, not of its own
Husband to wife
needs and aspirations, but
of social requirements and
Older brother to younger brother
obligations.
Friend to Friend
TAOISM
Taoism is a religious or
philosophical tradition of Chinese
origin which emphasizes living in
harmony with the Tao or the Way
Taoism disavows a hierarchical
view of the self, society, or cosmos
“Ideal self"-balanced life with
society and nature
TAOISM
The perfect man has no self; the spiritual man has
no achievement; the true sage has no name. The
ideal is thus selflessness.
The selfless person leads a balanced life, in
harmony with both nature and society. When
selflessness is attained, the distinction between “I”
and “other” disappears. One may then act with
complete spontaneity.
The self is but one of the countless manifestation
of the Tao. It is an extension of the cosmos
BUDDHISM
The Buddha taught that
an individual is a
combination of five
aggregates of existence,
also called THE FIVE
SKANDHAS or The Five
Heaps
BUDDHISM
Five Skandhas
Form – our physical form
Feelings – made up of our feelings, both
emotional and physical, and our senses.
Perception – means thinking
Formations – includes habits, prejudices,
predispositions, and volition or willfulness.
Consciousness – awareness of or sensitivity to
an object, but without conceptualization
BUDDHISM
The doctrine of anatman
(Sanskrit; anatta in Pali) is the
core teaching of Buddhism.
According to this doctrine, there
is no “self” in the sense of a
permanent, integral, autonomous
being within an individual
existence. What we think of as
our self, the “me” that inhabits
our body, is just an ephemeral
experience.
BUDDHISM
The ultimate goal is Nirvana (enlightenment). The English
word enlightenment sometimes refers to heightened
intellect and reason.
The original Buddhists used the word Bodhi, which means
“awakened”. The word Buddha is derived from Bodhi
means “the awakened one”
“ MEMBERS OF THE GROUP
Noel Portillano
Kristy Torreon
Marjun Bacolod ”
Ravin Varela
Reynaldo Calinaya
Neil Rotaquio
References:
Eastern and western philosophy of self (slideshare.net)
