Why Me? - The Sociocultural Evolution of a Self-Reflective Mind

This book describes the human capacity for self-reflection, which evolved in response to sociocultural pressures on the minds of children.

List of contents

Introduction; 1. Framing the issue; Part I. The Architecture: 2. Basic resources; 3. With self in mind; Part II. The Evolution: 4. An evolutionary paradigm; 5. Reasons for self-reflection; 6. Scaffolding self-reflection; 7. A public sense of me; 8. Questions and answers; Index.

About the author

Radu J. Bogdan is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Cognitive Science at Tulane University, USA, and Director of the Open Mind Master Program in Cognitive Science at the University of Bucharest, Romania. He is the author of six books and many articles in cognitive science and philosophy of mind as well as the editor of several collections.

Summary

This book explores the evolution of the mental competence for self-reflection: why it evolved, under what selection pressures, in what environments, out of what precursors, and with what mental resources. It will interest scholars across the fields of cognitive science, developmental psychology, evolutionary psychology, and philosophy of the mind.

Additional text

'Radu Bogdan puts his finger on the central question about the human mind: the capacity for self-conscious reflection on one's own mental processes. His evolutionary account provides a worthy alternative to Descartes' belief that the mind is transparent to itself and the behavioralist view that denies self-consciousness altogether.' David Olson, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, University of Toronto, Canada

Product details

• Authors: Radu Bogdan, Radu (Tulane University Bogdan, Radu J. Bogdan, Bogdan Radu J.
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.08.2021
• EAN: 9781316518182
• ISBN: 978-1-316-51818-2
• No. of pages: 200
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Psychology > Theoretical psychology; Non-fiction book > Psychology, esoterics, spirituality, anthroposophy > Psychology: general, reference works; Psychology, PSYCHOLOGY / Cognitive Psychology & Cognition, Cognition & cognitive psychology, Psychoanalytical and Freudian psychology, Cognition and cognitive psychology, Psychoanalytical theory (Freudian psychology), Cognitivism, cognitive theory, PSYCHOLOGY / Psychotherapy / Psychoanalysis