William James "Principles of Psychology"

         In William James’s book, Principles of Psychology, he discusses the composition of the self.  James allots three primary components: the material self, the social self, and the spiritual self.  This composition is one of James’s more interesting developments. 

Each component of self includes certain concepts.  The material self consists of the more physical aspects of self, including family and possessions.  James explains that the material self is one of our strongest investments.  He adds that the more invested an individual is in such objects, the greater the individual becomes attached (James, 1890).  The social self is analyzed through its interactions in different social environments.  James adds that the social self focuses on order within society by determining what variations of that self surface.   An individual’s sense of “fame” or “honor” polices the morality or appropriateness of various behaviors (James, 1890).  The spiritual self is considered the most intimate aspect of self.   James claims this is a result of the fulfillment experienced when an individual considers his or her “ability to argue and discriminate, of our moral sensibility, and conscience, of our indomitable will.”  Then, James expands upon using introspection to create conscious processes of our spiritual self, in order to further its understanding (James, 1890).

Many psychologists, including psychological perspectives, continue to use these components as focus, especially in therapy work.  These establishments concentrate on the material self, including physical concerns and more semantic knowledge, such as career and environment.  These establishments also explore the social aspects of self, including relationships and the effects of personality in interaction (Meares, 2004).  Finally, James contemplates the spiritual component of self.  Therapy also considers this component, its function in the conscious, and how understanding and being content within a person spiritually is important to the overall health and well-being of that individual (Meares, 2004).

I find William James’s conclusions on the pieces of self so intriguing, because I also believe that such components, in fact, are existent.  Furthermore, evaluating and finding satisfaction within these components is crucial to not only explaining the problems concerning an individual, but also in developing aspects such as self-esteem, self-worth, and an innate satisfaction within one’s self.  These processes are important for an individual to generally function at his or her maximum potential for his or her self and within society.
References
Gilligan, C. (2011). Joining the Resistance. Polity Press. Print.
James, W. (1890). Principles of Psychology. Harvard University Press. Retrieved 24 February, 2010 from http://www.archive.org/details/principlespsych04jamegoog. 
Meares, R. (2004). The conversational model: An outline. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 58 (1).