The Whole Person
Toward a Naturalism of Minds and Persons
- 1st Edition - November 27, 2024
- Author: Mark H. Bickhard
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 3 3 0 5 0 - 6
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 3 3 0 5 1 - 3
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 proces… Read more
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Request a sales quoteThe 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.
- Presents models of how multiple mental processes are emergently realized, and of how social persons are constituted
- Discusses the problems of representation and their implications
- Reviews naturalism and normativity within the early 20th century
Researchers and graduate students in psychology, philosophy and cognitive science
- The Whole Person
- Cover image
- Title page
- Table of Contents
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Short contents
- Preface
- Naturalism and emergence
- Introduction
- Are persons natural?
- Conceptual barriers
- Previews
- A high-level overview
- Thematic surview
- Some further preview notes
- References
- Naturalism
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Initial understandings
- Temporal explanation
- Substance integrations
- Naturalism as a presupposition of inquiry
- Naturalism and metaphysics
- Contemporary naturalisms
- References
- Background metaphysics and epistemology
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Metaphysics: From substance to process
- Substance presuppositions and their implications
- Process metaphysics
- Epistemology: From passive to active
- The problem of representation: Mental representation
- Representational issues: Toward a philosophy of science (for understanding the mind and persons)
- References
- Through the twentieth century and the contemporary scene
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Some preliminary notes on metaphysics, ontology, and epistemology
- The historical heritage
- Nature and norm: A metaphysical split
- Into the modern era
- The 19th century setting
- Analytic philosophy and logical positivism
- A note on extrusion
- Russell
- Anti-Kantianism
- Wittgenstein, logic, and positivism
- Philosophy and science
- Naturalism and normativity in the early 20th century
- Logical positivism and science
- Quine: Demolition from within
- Whence the philosophy of science?
- In the wreckage
- Psychology: Behaviorism and psychoanalysis
- Behaviorism and positivism
- Psychoanalysis
- Cognitive science
- The end of the century
- References
- Metaphysics and emergence
- Abstract
- Keywords
- A broader metaphysical landscape
- Barriers to modeling emergence
- The logical form of “no ‘ought’ from ‘is’”
- Kim’s argument: The causal efficacy of emergents
- Emergence in organizations of processes
- Some further notes on process metaphysics
- Conclusion: Process and emergence
- References
- Biological foundations
- Overview of biological foundations
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Biology as self-organizing emergent process
- Self-organization
- The emergence of primitive autonomy
- The emergence of biological evolution
- Evolution of nested and distributed autonomies
- The modulation of metabolism
- Multicellularity
- Ontogenetic development
- Sex
- Muscle, bone, nerve
- References
- The emergence of normativity
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Biological function
- Contrast: Etiological models of function
- Elaborating the dynamic model of function
- The function of control
- The emergence of representational normativity
- The emergence of truth value: Success in agency
- The emergence of truth value: Agentic predication
- The emergence of truth value: Content
- Two challenges: Object representation and sensory representations
- Analyses of alternative models of representation
- Encodingism
- Representation still resists naturalization
- Some properties of representation
- Desiderata for models of representation
- Is the interactivist model necessary as an account of representation?
- References
- A macroevolutionary ratchet: Basic species capacities for Homo Sapiens
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Interactive knowing
- Aspects and specializations
- Microgenesis
- Learning
- The dynamics of learning as variation and selective retention
- A step in the ratchet
- Microgenetic anticipatory success as the “engine” of learning
- Emotions: A functionally emergent perspective
- Increased adaptability of emotions
- Warrant for models of emotions
- Positive and negative emotions
- The ratchet again
- Reflective consciousness
- Warrant for identification as reflective consciousness
- References
- Minds and persons: Aspects, specializations, developments, and further emergents
- The mentality of Homo Sapiens
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Further elaborations of interactive knowing
- Some situation knowledge organizational principles
- Higher order motivation
- Themes
- Microgenesis: Some micro-scale and functional considerations
- The central nervous system as a dynamic system
- Minimal agency and action
- Thinking and conceptualizing
- Thought and action
- Knowing and other species capacities
- Further elaborations of interactive learning
- Beyond minimal learning
- Learning normativities
- Local interaction and local learning
- Memory
- Development: Historicities of learning
- Further elaborations of interactive emotions
- Emotions and learning
- Some first differentiations in the space of affectivity
- Emotion and directed attention
- CNS microgenetic uncertainty and emotion
- Further elaborations of interactive reflective consciousness
- Functions of reflection
- The evolution of reflective nervous systems
- Consciousness in a natural world
- Intentionality I
- References
- Persons: The emergence of Homo Socius
- Abstract
- Keywords
- The ontological emergence of sociality
- Conventions: Regularities versus normativities
- Situation conventions
- Proliferations of emergences of social normativities
- Persons
- Language
- Social processes, social relations, social structure
- Culture
- Developmental emergence beyond the species envelope
- Development
- Emergent normativities
- References☆
- Reflexive consistencies of the model
- Reflexive consistencies: Introduction
- Abstract
- Keywords
- Philosophy of science
- Consistency with respect to science
- Some further issues
- Phenomenology and the natural world
- Consistency with respect to experiencing
- A brief contrast: Pure idealism
- References
- Concluding discussion
- Naturalistic ontological psychology
- Abstract
- Keywords
- References
- References
- Index
- No. of pages: 514
- Language: English
- Edition: 1
- Published: November 27, 2024
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Paperback ISBN: 9780443330506
- eBook ISBN: 9780443330513
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Mark H. Bickhard
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.
Affiliations and expertise
Lehigh University, Department of Psychology, Bethlehem, PA, USARead The Whole Person on ScienceDirect