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.
Table of Contents
Section 1: Naturalism and Emergence1. 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
Authors
Mark H. Bickhard Lehigh University, Department of Psychology, Bethlehem, PA, USA.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.
