"advancement of the self," in any sense, 1707; see self- + advancement.
Entries linking to self-advancement
self-
word forming element indicating "oneself," also "automatic," from Old English use of self (pron.) in compounds, such as selfbana "suicide," selflice "self-love, pride, vanity, egotism," selfwill "free will." Middle English had self-witte "one's own knowledge and intelligence" (early 15c.).
OED counts 13 such compounds in Old English. Middle English Compendium lists four, counting the self-will group as a whole. It re-emerges as a living word-forming element mid-16c., "probably to a great extent by imitation or reminiscence of Greek compounds in (auto-)," and formed a great many words in the pamphlet disputes of the 17c.
advancement n.
c. 1300, avauncement, "a raising to a higher rank," also "promotion, assistance," from Old French avancement "advancement; profit, advance payment," from avancir "move forward" (see advance (v.)). The unetymological -d- is from 16c. The meaning "act of helping to move something forward" is from 1550s.