The Whole Person

Toward a Naturalism of Minds and Persons

Mark H. Bickhard (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

514 Seiten

2024
Academic Press Inc (Verlag)
978-0-443-33050-6 (ISBN)

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The Whole Person explores the realms of theory and philosophy concerning minds and persons. This book presents models of the emergent realization of multiple mental processes, and of the constitution of social realities and social persons. Each chapter explores prevalent theoretical and philosophical assumptions that obstruct the acceptance of models depicting emergent realization, offering analyses of these barriers, and demonstrating ways to overcome them. Rooted in the framework of process metaphysics, this book models metaphysically genuine emergence, paving the way for a comprehensive model of multifarious normative emergences. These normative emergences include phenomena such as function-dysfunction, representational truth and falsity, rational-irrational, ethical-unethical, and others that shape our mental and social landscapes. The discussion extends to the macro-evolutionary culmination of mental processes in a model of reflective consciousness. The book then extends its exploration to the foundational role of mental processes in the emergence of social realities and persons, with language acting as a core element in these emergences. Addressing evolutionary aspects, brain processes, developmental processes, moral normativities, and self-consistency considerations, The Whole Person presents a holistic integration of decades of constructive work.

Endorsements:
"This ambitious, yet unpretentious, carefully constructed and argued book is a must read for anyone with serious interest in the nature of persons and the psychology of personhood. Mark Bickhard’s The Whole Person is a sustained and convincing narrative about our individual and collective evolution and emergence as the unique beings that we are. Of particular interest is his account of the emergence of persons as homo-socius. Here, Professor Bickhard captures key, but often overlooked, historical, sociocultural, and socio-developmental dynamics and processes that make us who we are—a species constantly interacting with each other and the world in a never-ending process of mutual co-constitution. By theorizing a process metaphysics replete with emergent normativity that does not clash with a naturalistic ontological psychology, Bickhard takes a giant step toward seeing ourselves as we are and as we might become." -- Jack Martin, Professor Emeritus, Simon Fraser University

"A typical psychological theory offers narrow generalizations about data sets obtained by semi-proprietary empirical methods. The basic empirical research on which such theories have depended is in crisis: tremendous effort has gone into ill-motivated studies, applying statistics inappropriately to inadequate samples, too often generating irreproducible results. The kind of theory that psychology needs is broad and deep, pays no respect to boundaries between specialties, makes falsifiable predictions, and answers to arguments in principle. The Whole Person presents just such a theory; psychologists, whether their aim is to extend it and support it or to challenge it and refute it, will benefit from studying it closely." -- Robert L. Campbell, Professor (Emeritus), Psychology, Clemson Universit

Mark Bickhard is the Henry R. Luce Professor in Cognitive Robotics and the Philosophy of Knowledge at Lehigh University, and is affiliated with the Departments of Philosophy and Psychology. His work ranges from process metaphysics and emergence to consciousness, cognition, language, and functional models of brain processes, to persons and social ontologies. Bickhard’s work on cognition features a model of cognition as emergent in agent processes for interacting with the world.

Section 1: Naturalism and Emergence
1. Introduction
2. Naturalism
3. Background Metaphysics and Epistemology
4. Through The Twentieth Century and The Contemporary Scene
5. Metaphysics and Emergence

Section 2: Biological Foundations
6. Overview of Biological Foundations
7. The Emergence of Normativity
8. A Macroevolutionary Ratchet: Basic Species Capacities for Homo Sapiens

Section 3: Minds and Persons: Aspects, Specializations, Developments, and Further Emergent
9. The Mentality of Homo Sapiens
10. Persons: The Emergence of Homo-Socius

Section 4: Reflexive Consistencies of the Model
11. Reflexive Consistencies: Introduction

Section 5: Concluding Discussion
12. Naturalistic Ontological Psychology

Erscheinungsdatum	24.12.2024
Verlagsort	San Diego
Sprache	englisch
Maße	216 x 276 mm
Gewicht	450 g
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Psychologie
	Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung ► Europäische / Internationale Politik
ISBN-10	0-443-33050-6 / 0443330506
ISBN-13	978-0-443-33050-6 / 9780443330506
Zustand	Neuware