East vs. West

THE SELF IN
WESTERN AND
EASTERN ORIENTAL
THOUGHT
The Social Construction of the Self in
Western Thought
The term ‘self’ refers to an individual human being, along

with their body, mind, and in some cases, the concept of a
‘soul’.
The western view of the self’ refers to the notion that “you
are the same person you were earlier in your life. In other
words, it assumes that we humans are selves that endure
through time.
Despite the many mental and physical changes that may
occur during our life, we are essentially the same ‘self’
throughout our many developments.
2
Western Thought
• PLATO
• Was one of the first
philosophers to state that
the soul is eternal, so it is
the soul of a man that
makes him an enduring
self, because even after
death the soul continues
to exist.
3
Western Thought
Rene Descartes
•Descartes stated that “thinking is
an attribute of the soul” and that
“the continuity of his thinking
mind is what makes him remain
the same person” In other words,
our consciousness is a result of our
‘soul’, or of our ‘enduring self’.
•Descartes basically believed that,
if he could not think, then he could
not exist, and thus ‘thinking’ in
and of itself was what constituted
a self.
4
Western Thought
 John Locke
Self’ is a person’s memory.
In other words, it is our
memory that allows us to
identify ourselves, and it is
the process of identifying
ourselves that allows us to
formulate the idea of a ‘self’.
5
The Self embedded in Relationships and through
Spiritual development in Confucian thought
 CONFUCIUS
Confucius lived in a time
full of political instability
and constant war.
 He developed concepts
about education,
government, and society
and hoped it would help
create order in China.
 He gained students and
his reputation as a man of
vision and mission spread.
6
WHAT IS CONFUCIANISM?
Confucianism is a way of
life taught by a philosopher
and teacher named
Confucius in the 5th century
BCE.
 It is sometimes viewed as a
philosophical or ethical
system but is also sometimes
viewed as a religion.
Approximately 6.3 million
people practice
Confucianism.
7
 According to Confucius
PERSONALITY
Is not seen as inherently
existing, but as something
that is being formed
through upbringing and
environment.
Human being is seen as
social being (social animal)
Every person is born with
four beginnings, which do
not encapsulate a concept of
self as yet, but which
together.
8
PERSONALITY
heart of compassion –
leads to Jen
9
PERSONALITY
heart of righteousness –
leads to Yi
10
PERSONALITY
heart of propriety –
leads to Li
11
PERSONALITY
heart of wisdom – leads
to Chih
At birth, being human is
no different from being
an animal.
 The true human
condition is achieved in
life, if indeed it is being
achieved, through the
practice of the virtues.
12
 CONCEPT OF SELF
•Closely linked with all those areas that the virtues
stand for.
• To become a person of Jen (compassion), one aims
to become a person of love.
•A person of Jen is a compassionate human
being, for whom rules and regulations are a
means to an end, and not an end in itself.
•The "superior" person also follows the virtue of Yi,
which relates to righteousness
13
 CONCEPT OF SELF
•He follows the virtue of Li. (he follows the rules
and laws of the nation he lives in, and respects its
customs)
•Finally, a true human being has developed his heart
of wisdom. That is, he follows Chih, which refers to a
wisdom that has been developed through living a life
according to the other virtues
In Confucianism then, the self can never be static. If one
stop to develop the virtues in one’s living, one has
already lost them all. To be human means to develop
and to keep pursuing the virtues.
 14
 CONCEPT OF SELF
•He follows the virtue of Li. (he follows the rules
and laws of the nation he lives in, and respects its
customs)
•Finally, a true human being has developed his heart
of wisdom. That is, he follows Chih, which refers to a
wisdom that has been developed through living a life
according to the other virtues
In Confucianism then, the self can never be static. If one
stop to develop the virtues in one’s living, one has
already lost them all. To be human means to develop
and to keep pursuing the virtues.
 15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
West and East
Individualistic VS. Collectivism

I am special. I am part of my family.
I am unique. I am part of my community.
I am me. I am part of my country.
I am an individual. The goodness of the whole is
I am who I am. more important than the
I am a rational agent. individual.
I am responsible for my own My actions directly impact my
action. family and my community.
West and East
how deeply culture—the language we speak,
West Brain, East Brain the values we absorb—shapes the brain
Cultural neuroscience (culture reflects on different regions of the brain)

The Americans The Asians showed
showed more more activity in areas
Psychologist Nalini Ambady (2009)
activity in regions that process figure-
showed drawings of people in a ground relations—
that recognize
submissive pose (head down, holistic context
objects.
shoulders hunched) or a dominant one
(arms crossed, face forward) to
Japanese and Americans.
The brain's dopamine-fueled reward
circuit became most active at the sight
of the stance
Japanese response to submissive
poses while Americans response to
dominant poses
West and East
Self
West and East
The Self
• Eternal reality of the • "Me" is here and now.

universal truth: self- The true “Me” in every
liberation through human being is a part
getting rid of the false of the Divine that need
"Me" and discovering to become apparent.
the true "Me" True “Me” is given
and doesn’t have to
be cognizable.
West and East
Lifestyle
West and East
Lifestyle
Independence Interdependence
Develop early independence Learn to depend on others
Express yourself Read nonverbal cues
Responsible for self Listen to authority
Be responsible for others
Live on one’s own
Personal goals secondary to
One’s own goals take priority goals of the group
Motivated by own Motivated by the norms of, and
preferences, needs , duties imposed by, the group
Rights
“ I dominated”
Materialistic
Copyright 2010 34
West
•The Difference and East
Between West and East
Independence Interdependence
 Tasks more important than  Relationships more important
relationships than tasks
 Cognitive skills independent  Social and cognitive skills
integrated
of social skills
 Arranged marriages are
 Concepts like arranged common. They are normally
marriages are not at all arranged by parents or elders.
common.They go for love They believe in a concept that
marriages as they believe in a love comes after marriage.
concept that love comes
before marriage.
West
How is a child taken care of?

West
How is a child taken care of?

 Overriding goal of the  Train children in dependent
parents is to make the child behaviors including
independent and “self- reliant” obedience, calmness,
 “Babies are bundles of politeness and respect
potential and a good parent is toward others.
one who can uncover the  Ultimately, these child-
latent abilities and talents in rearing practices emphasize
their child, encourage the feeling responsible for
good while discouraging the behavior and avoiding
bad.” shaming both personally and
for the family, clan or
community.
West
•How a seniorvs.
Individualism life looks like?
Collectivism
West
• An elder is given • Elders are considered as

preference over family, the leader of the home and
so he/ she are more children regard and obey
flexible and free to take them in all choices
decisions on his own. • Important decisions
related to children’s future
are normally taken by
elders.
• And, when parents grow
old, the kids are likely to
take care of them.
•The Difference
West Between West and East
and East
ON EDUCATION
Power Distance
 Western educational systems  Eastern education, it is all about
focus on the ideas of creativity hard work and struggle. Nothing is
Obviously, the system being a difficult if you practice hard.
system means that numerous Consequently, kids are given lots of
homework and are instructed to
things are bound together, but buckle down. That is the reason
still, it normally does it’s best to Asian students are frequently
elevate individual ways to deal considerably more profitable than
with various students. their peers when they get into more
 Western education moves further casual Western educational
and facilitate along the road of institutions.
transforming students into  Students are the beneficiaries, they
undeniable members of the submit to the authority of teachers
training procedure. They are and the method itself is far less
interactive.
urged to make inquiries and
debate with their instructors, to
think critically.
•The Difference
WestBetween West and East
and East
• Leadership
•The Difference
WestBetween West and East
and East
• Leadership
Formal, hierarchical.
Informal, egalitarian.
People most comfortable in the
 People most comfortable with presence of a hierarchy in which
their social equals; importance they know their position and the
of social rankings minimized. customs/rules for behavior in the
Hands-on; walking ahead of situation.
people; speech is golden. Spiritual; walking behind
"Leadership is done from in people; silence is golden.
front. Never ask others to do "In order to guide people,
what you, if challenged, would the leader must put himself behind
not be willing to do yourself." them. Thus when he is ahead they
~ Xenophon feel no hurt." ~ Lao Tzu
WestBetween
west and East
Evolution/ Improvement
• Linear • Circular
WestBetween
west and East
Evolution/ Improvement
• Linear development, Cyclic development,

hence improvement hence improvement is a
has a goal. never ending journey
Development stops that has no limits.
when the goal is
reached.
West and East
The Difference Between West and East
Thought Process
West and East
West and East
West and East
Female Female
• tanned, copper skin • white, fair skin
• Hot mature features • young, girly features
• • skinny thin
Male Male
• Muscular hot guys • boyish, cute guys
Personality wise Personality wise

sassy, witty, strong, real beautiful personality is
an obedient, passive,
docile one

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How does Western thought view the concept of self?

What were Plato and Descartes' views on the nature of self?

THE SELF IN

The term ‘self’ refers to an individual human being, along

Individualistic VS. Collectivism

Cultural neuroscience (culture reflects on different regions of the brain)

• Eternal reality of the • "Me" is here and now.

How is a child taken care of?

How is a child taken care of?

• An elder is given • Elders are considered as

• Linear development, Cyclic development,

Personality wise Personality wise

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