The Whole Person. Toward a Naturalism of Minds and Persons

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 University

"There are three challenges that the discipline of psychology faces. One is to grapple with contemporary movements in evolution and science that challenge the way psychologists tend to do their research. Another is the challenge that comes from global interconnectedness, which is that we have to take into account how culture and cultural variance entwine with psychological phenomena. The third is that psychology is not really a discipline per se and it is fractured into many different silos, which means that it is rare to see much-needed work that is broad in scope. The brilliance of Mark's book: "The Whole Person" is that it engages with very sophisticated and cutting edge science to offer a broad account of human psychology that is exactly what we need in current psychological theorizing. The book generatively weaves together important ideas from evolutionary and biological thought with a sophisticated understanding of human sociocultural life. The result is a work of tremendous scope that will inspire researchers to revise their research programs and generate new lines of inquiry." -- Jim Cresswell, Professor at Ambrose University and Editor of the Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology (APA).

"Mark Bickhard’s magnum opus, The Whole Person, is an exhilarating, comprehensive re-orientation of our methods, models and understanding of human being, behaviour and agency. His key question may be posed: How is any (re)presenting at all physiologically possible? Bickhard’s ‘Interactivism’ develops a sophisticated thermodynamic model of how (inter alia) biological organisms are at all possible, including how organisms can sense, perceive and behave effectively within their environs. Interactivism centrally addresses issues of physiological and psychological processes to understand (inter alia) how our physiology and psychology can subserve normative issues of validity, including reference, ascription, accuracy, truth and (cognitive) justification. The Whole Person is lucid, fascinating, penetrating and justifiedly heterodox; this landmark work should be widely and deeply read across the disciplines engaged in cognitive sciences, cognitive psychology and philosophy of knowledge." - Kenneth R. Westphal, M.A.E., Professor of Philosophy (ret.).

"Bickhard's The Whole Person is a highly original exercise in evolutionary theory, urging a re-assessment of the fundamentals of cognitive science in line with quantum-theoretic assumptions of biology as background. Having introduced the physical-science background to his account, taking each discipline in turn right across cognitive science, Bickhard demonstrates with incisive clarity why all explanations separating knowledge and performance have to be replaced by concepts of process, context-dependent growth, and cross-party interaction. Nondeterminism of input to such processes lies at the heart of this account: the result is a complete guide to interactivism. This book is an essential read for all those working in cognitive science, humanities and arts disciplines, and, more broadly, for anyone interested in why language development and change have proved so central to our evolution as humans." -- Professor Ruth Kempson, FBA, MAE, Emeritus Professor of Linguistics, Philosophy Department, King's College London

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