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Self Expressions: Mind, Morals, and the Meaning of Life
Contributor(s): Flanagan, Owen (Author)

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 ISBN: 0195126521     ISBN-13: 9780195126525
Publisher: Oxford University Press
OUR PRICE: $110.25  

Binding Type: Paperback - See All Available Formats & Editions
Published: November 1998
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Annotation: What makes the life of any animal, even one as sophisticated as Homo sapiens, worth anything? What place in a material world is there for God? And if there is no place for a God, then what hold can morality possibly have on us? Why isn't everything allowed? In this trailblazing collection of essays on free will and the human mind, distinguished philosopher Owen Flanagan tackles these questions and more. He pursues the old philosophical project of reconciling a scientific view of ourselves with a view of ourselves as agents of free will and meaning-makers. But he approaches this project from new angles, bringing in the latest insights of neuroscience, cognitive science, and psychiatry. Flanagan covers a host of topics of concern to every thoughtful person living in today's world. These discussions include whether the conscious mind can be explained scientifically, whether dreams are self-expressive or just noise, the moral socialization of children, and the nature of psychological phenomena such as multiple personality disorder and false memory syndrome. What emerges from these explorations is a liberating vision which can make sense of the self, agency, character transformation, and the value and worth of human life. Flanagan concludes that nothing about a scientific view of people must lead to nihilism.

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Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Philosophy | Mind & Body
- Philosophy | Movements - Phenomenology
- Philosophy | Epistemology
Dewey: 126
LCCN: 95005919
Lexile Measure: 1430(Not Available)
Series: Philosophy of Mind
Physical Information: 0.63" H x 6.15" W x 9.2" L (0.74 lbs) 240 pages
Features: Index, Table of Contents
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
In this trailblazing collection of essays on free will and the human mind, distinguished philosopher Owen Flanagan seeks to reconcile a scientific view of ourselves with an account of ourselves as meaning makers and agents of free will. He approaches this old philosophical quagmire from new
angles, bringing to it the latest insights of neuroscience, cognitive science, and psychiatry. Covering a host of topics, these essays discuss whether the conscious mind can be explained scientifically, whether dreams are self-expressive or just noise, the moral socialization of children, and the
nature of psychological phenomena. Ultimately, Flanagan concludes that a naturalistic view of the self need not lead to nihilism, but rather to a liberating vision of personal identity which makes sense of agency, character transformation, and the value and worth of human life.
 
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