Body and the Physical Self

Related concepts: Freud and Ego

Physical self refers to the body, which is physically observable by others.

Different Perspectives on the Self

William James

• The body is the base for generating and maintaining personality
• The mind precedes the body; our mind can override physical sensations
• The body is an expression of our consciousness; however, both the body and consciousness mutually affect each other—e.g., when you are healthy, your consciousness is filled with satisfaction.

Sigmund Freud

• The body is central to our personality and self. he thinks that our ego originates from our body.

Wilhelm Reich

• The body and mind are one thing (not separate).
• The body and the mind is interdependent, both influences each other.
• The body plays an crucial role in storing and releasing bioenergy (the basis of our existence and experiences).¹

Erik Erikson

• The body is crucial for the early stages of development for humans
• Both physical and intellectual skills inform us of what roles we can take in society
• Despite the ability of our biological self to influence our motivations, they can still be altered through social factors.

Carl Gustav

• The only physical processes relevant to the self are the ones which directly affect our psychological experiences.
• Things we know about our body only comes from our psychic experiences.

B. F. Skinner

• Personality and self are social constructs that do not correspond with reality. Only the body is real.

Abraham Maslow

• Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory: Once the physiological needs are met, we shift our focus to higher-order needs (like intellectual and moral needs).

Yoga

• Beliefs ranges from outright rejection of the physical self (rejection of clinging desires) to appreciation of the body (the driver for spiritual growth and self-actualization).
• Advocates for the middle ground between excess and deficient when it comes to satisfying the physiological needs

Buddhism

• Like Yoga, moderation of your physical needs is best because it manifests one’s love and respect for their own body.

Sources

1. Sanjay Singh, ALL-ABOUT-PSYCHOLOGY.COM, “The Concept of Physical Self in Psychology” - 2013-04-22, archived on 2024-07-16

Footnotes

1. I think he’s referring to internal energy? ↩