Western concepts of self emphasize the individual as separate from others and the external world. They view the self as analytical, monotheistic, individualistic, and rational. Eastern concepts see the self as interdependent and embedded within relationships. In Hinduism and Buddhism, the self is not a fixed entity but a process. Confucianism sees the self developing through relationships and fulfilling social roles and duties. Cultures vary in their emphasis on individualistic versus collective selves, with Western cultures focusing more on independence and uniqueness, and Eastern cultures prioritizing group harmony and interdependence.

1. THE SELF IN WESTERN
AND ORIENTAL, EASTERN
THOUGHT
Presented by:
Chris Anne Millanes
&
Adan D. Arcanses

2. Fiske, Kitayama, Markus,
and Nisbett (1998) reported
that people are shaped by their
culture, and their culture is also
shaped by them. One of the
major proponents of cultural
psychology, Richard Shweder,
wrote, "Cultural traditions and
social practices regulate,
express, and transform the
human psyche, resulting less in
psychic unity for humankind
than in ethnic divergences in
mind, self, and emotion" (1991).

3. An individual thinks,
feels, and behaves similarly as
that of the members of his or
her community. However, each
community has its own
standards, expectations, and
rules that shape its members.
These differences are the
reason people are markedly
divergent. This divergence is
evident in the eastern and
western concepts of "self."

4. Western
Concept of
Self

5. Ancient Greek philosophers see humans as the
bearers of irreplaceable values. In medieval
times, the philosopher and saint, Thomas
Aquinas, believed that the body constitutes
individuality. 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 self.
Western Concept of Self

6. The western tradition is generally
acknowledged to be "imbued with a style
of thinking based on dichotomy and
binary opposition" (Carr & Zanetti, 2000;
Singhal, 2000). There is an essential
distinction between the notion of the
thinking subject (an observer) that
stands in natural opposition to
observable reality (Singhal, 2000).

7. The Psychiatrist and professor, Frank
Johnson (1985), outlined four categories on
how the term "self" is used in contemporary
western discussion.
1. Analytical
2. Monotheistic
3. Individualistic
4. Materialistic/rationalistic

8. ANALYTICAL
By analytic, Johnson
meant the "tendency to
see reality as an
aggregate of parts." The
"self" is an observer
separate and distinct
from external objects
(Me versus Other).

9. MONOTHEISTIC
Monotheism, according
to Johnson, involved the
tendency toward unitary
explanations of phenomena
and a closed-system view of
"self" as modeled after a
unitary, omnipotent power
("Man was created by God, in
His image).

10. INDIVIDUALISTIC
Individualism on the
other hand, is a quality of
western thinking where
self-expression and self-
actualization are important
ways of establishing who
one is, as well as in finding
satisfaction in the world.

11. MATERIALISTIC/RATIONALISTIC
Finally, materialistic
/rationalistic western
thinking tends to discredit
explanations that do not
use analytic-deductive
modes of thinking
(Johnson, 1985; Goldin,
2000)

12. Eastern
Concept of
Self

13. The earliest religious writings in the East are the
Vedas. It formed the Hindu philosophy and
dharma (the principle of cosmic order).
According to these sacred Hindu texts,
"Brahman" is the true nature of humans which
is the divine universal consciousness
encompassing the universe. The Brahman is the
Self that is all within us (Watts, 1965; Wolter;
2013).
Eastern Concept of Self

14. Hinduism is "change your perception of
the world to perceive the Brahman in
oneself and in others" (Watts, 1965;
Wolter, 2013).
Buddhism is composed of the teachings of
Buddha. In Buddhist traditions, the "self" is
not an entity, a substance, or essence.
Rather, the "self" is a dynamic process. The
Buddha taught a doctrine called anatta,
which is often defined as "no-self or no-soul.

15. Annata is a concept that the sense of being a
permanent, autonomous "self" is an illusion. It is the
teaching that there is no eternal, unchanging
"self/soul" inhabiting our bodies or living our lives
In Confucianism, the quest for the "self" in terms of
substance, of spirit, of body, or of essence does not
exist (Klemme, 1999; Ames, 1994; Graham, 1990). The
form that Confucius wrote about the concept of "self"
is that of personality. The qualities that form a
person's character are not something that exists
inherently. Rather, in Confucian thought it is something
that is formed through upbringing and the

16. Confucian Philosophy
Confucian philosophy presented the idea that
every person is born with four beginnings.

17. CONFUCIAN PHILOSOPHY
These four beginnings are:
HEART of compassion that leads to
Jen means goodwill, sympathy toward others, politeness, and generosity
HEART of righteousness that leads to
Yi means rightness and the respect of duty (you must respect your position as a
guardian toward nature and humanity
HEART of propriety that leads to
Li means having the right to practice propriety in all that you do. Propriety
involves demonstrating your inner attitude in your outer expression
HEART of wisdom that leads to
Chih means wisdom; this wisdom is expressed by putting jen, yi, and li into
practice
Jen;
Yi;
Li;
Chih
;

18. Taoism rejects a hierarchical view of the self, society,
or cosmos. Unlike Confucianism. Taoism does not regard
the "self" as an extension of (or defined by) social
relationships. Rather, the "self" is but one of the
countless manifestations of the Tao.
According to Chuang-tzu, "The perfect man has no
self; the spiritual man has no achievement; the true sage
has no name. The ideal is, thus, selflessness.

19. CONFUCIAN PERCEPTION
In the Confucian perception, Personality is an achieved
state of moral excellence rather than a given human condition.
The Confucian concept of self is deeply embedded within the
family and society, and it is only in that context that the self
comes to be what it is.
The Arabic word for the word "self" is Nafs written in the
Holy Qur'an. The Quran does not ascribe any property of
goodness or evil to the "nafs/self. The "self" in Islamic
tradition is used both in the individualistic and collective sense.

20. Individualistic
vs Collective
Self

21. Individualistic Vs Collective
Self
Individualism refers to
the extent that you value
independence and personal
uniqueness. Highly
individualist people value
personal freedom, self-
sufficiency, control over
their own lives, and
appreciation of their
unique qualities that
distinguish them from
Collectivism refers
to the extent that we
value our duty to groups
to which we belong. and
to group harmony.
Highly collectivist people
define themselves by
their group membership
and value harmonious
relationships within
those groups.
INDIVIDUALISTIC
SELF
COLLECTIVE
SELF

22. INDIVIDUALISTIC
Individualistic cultures emphasize the moral worth of
the individual. Individualistic cultures are oriented
around the individual: that a person should be
independent instead of having the mentality of
identifying with a group.
Moreover, it is characterized with emphasis on
personal achievements and a rational assessment of
both the beneficial and detrimental aspects of
relationships with others (Rothwell, 2010).

23. INDIVIDUALISTIC
Societies that focus on the person
create an individualistic self-concept
wherein the person sees the
constellation of traits and
characteristics that distinguish the
individual within his or her social
context (Constantine, Brewer, &
Constantine, 2001).

24. COLLECTIVE SELF
A study conducted by Patricia Licuanan, a
Filipino psychologist and educator, determined that one
of the strengths of the Filipino character is our deep
love and concern for the family. To the Filipino, one's
family is the source of personal identity, the source of
emotional and material support, and the person's main
commitment and all responsibility.

25. COLLECTIVE SELF
People in collectivistic culture
emphasize the interdependence and
harmonious relatedness with one
another (e.g., the family, co-workers,
friends, etc.). It is of utmost
importance to be part of and
maintain social networks, maintain
good relationships, and fulfill
obligations.

26. CLOSING GAP
Because of such difference in emphases,
western self-concept has been challenged that it
did not capture the significant relationship of
interdependence in eastern collectivist cultures.
Some contemporary self-concept theories
attempted to close the gap between cultural
concepts. Baumeister (1986) proposed that self-
concept could be organized in three aspects:

27. THE THREE ASPECTS:
• PRIVATE -
• PUBLIC -
• COLLECTIVE
-
Which refers to the mental processes that perceive
one's own traits or behaviors (e.g. I am honest)
Which refers to the generalized view of self, such as the
perception of how others view you (e.g., People think
I'm honest)
Which refers to the view of self in a collective
concept (e.g., My family expects me to be honest).

28. It is assumed that these three aspects exist in every
person. However, a dominant aspect would probably
present itself depending on one's culture (Triandis,
1986, McInerney, 2003). Thus, in an individualistic
culture, the person would predominantly show the
private self and will behave according to personal
beliefs, feelings, philosophy, etc. In a collectivist
culture, the person would present the "collective self"
more; and is thus more inclined to behave according
to rules, norms, and custom (Triandis, 1986,
McInerney, 2003).

29. The Self as Embedded in
Relationships and
Through Spiritual
Development in
Confucian Thought

30. The Confucian tradition as a way of thinking and
lifestyle is still an inspiration to many East Asian societies.
Characteristic of Confucian selfhood is the participation
of others in the dynamic process of self and spiritual
development.
The Confucian concept of Li often rendered as "proper
conduct" or "propriety" was originally denoted as court
rites (rituals) performed to sustain social and cosmic
order.

31. In the Confucian sense, self-development is a
lifelong commitment to learning. Perhaps the
single most important concept of the self in
Confucian thought is the view that the "self"
is the center of relationships. The idea is that
it is only by continually opening the self to
others that the "self" maintains its wholeness
and identity.

32. THAT'S ALL
THANK YOU!!!