What Science says about the Self
Natural and social sciences encompass a number of disciplines that have deliberated on and explained the concet and nature of the self.
Biological/Physiological Sciences
Neurophilosophy (attributed to Paul and Patricia Churchland) is concerned with the association of the brain and the mind.
Psychoneuroimmunology describes the shaping of the self as similar to how the human immune system functions.
Social Sciences
Psychology defined as the study of human behavior, sees the self as a theoretical construct.
Psychoanalysis (proposed by Sigmund Freud) focuses on the “unconscious” as a core element of the self.
Behaviorism maintains that the study of behavior should be made from an observable and measurable perspective.
Social Cognitive Theory considers behavior as a function of the environment and internal attributes.
Humanistic Perspective draws its assumptions from the observed criticisms of psychoanalysis and behaviorism. It believes that every individual has the ability to reach self-actualization and transcendence, and that each person is inherently good or possesses something that is good.
Sociology is the study of the collective behavior of people within the society and focuses on social problems encountered by individuals.
Anthropology is the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture.
Political Science (PolSci) is concerned with the participation of individuals in establishing a government and making politicl choices.
Economics describes and analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.