Need Help Writing a Paper?

Have Paper Masters custom write your project today!

  • 24/7 Customer Support
  • Free Plagiarism Check
  • Writing at Your Level
  • Writers All Have Advanced Degrees
  • Will Follow Specific Instructions
Need Help Writing a Paper?
Yes! Write My Paper!

The Self and Its Selves

The Self and Its Selves

This is a topic suggestion onThe Self and Its Selves from Paper Masters. Use this topic or order a custom research paper, written exactly how you need it to be.

In William James' The Self and Its Selves, the author and psychologist defines individual self-identity as something multi-faceted but integrally one. James' summed up his theory on self-identity as The sum total of all that he CAN call his, not only his body and his psychic powers, but also the following:

  • His clothes and his house
  • His wife and children
  • His ancestors and friends
  • His reputation and works
  • His lands and horses
  • His yacht and bank account

James states that we are tied with all these facets of self in such a way that if any of them prosper we feel happy and when any of these facets decrease or are harmed, we feel correspondingly sad or distressed. Following a tendency to categorize, James list out what he calls the constituents of the self as "the Material Self; the Social Self; the Spiritual Self; and the pure ego". Each of these aspects of self is multi-faceted as well.

According to James', the Material Self is centered in the body, with " certain parts of the body more intimately ours than the rest". Following the body, in a loose hierarchical order, comes clothes, family, home, property, and wealth - particularly wealth that is " saturated with our labor".

The Social Self of one's identity, according to James, " is the recognition he gets from his mates". James' points out that we have an " innate propensity for getting ourselves noticed, and noticed favorably, by our kind". Furthermore, according to James, the social self has different identities and behaviors depending upon whom it is that the self is interacting with. An example James' gives of the social self's changing identity is when a child is before his parents or teachers compared to the same child's social self-identity when he is before his peers and friends. That child will put on a different social identity, or role, to suit the given company. James states that the social conventions of fame and respect also impact ones' social identity. In another example James mentions how a soldier may take on courage in the face of danger whereas if the same man were not in the role of soldier, he might cower and flee. William James defines the Spiritual Self as " the inner or subjective being, his psychic faculties or disposition, taken concretely"

Related Research Paper Topic Suggestions


Paper Masters

  • Custom Written Papers
  • 100% Plagiarism Free
  • 24/7 Customer Service
  • Guaranteed Confidentiality
  • Text us for a Quote Today!
    1-570-301-7456

This is a topic on
The Self and Its Selves Research Papers

The Self and Selves Research Paper examines a book by William James about his theory on self-identity.

Choosing a Topic:

Can't decide on a topic? Need ideas or inspiration for research in your field of study? Paper Masters provides topic suggestions to make your decision easier.

Paper Masters Site Search