The self is a central concept in social psychology, linked to nearly all aspects of human life, yet difficult to define. It has been discussed since ancient Greece by philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, through thinkers such as Descartes, Locke, and Foucault.
The self includes both personal and social aspects — how people see themselves and how they relate to others and society. Early theorists like James, Mead, and Cooley shaped its understanding: James and Mead distinguished between the “I” (the active self) and the “me” (the self as object), while Cooley introduced the “looking-glass self”, where people form self-images based on how others perceive them.
After World War II, research on the self-grew rapidly, showing its increasing importance in psychology and sociology. Modern definitions describe the self as an organized system of thoughts, feelings, and identities shaped by personal experiences and social interaction. The self develops over time through contact with others and includes both how we act and how we see ourselves