Virtual Selves, Real Persons

by Hallam, Richard S.

• ISBN13: 9781107404229
• ISBN10: 1107404223
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-04-19
• Publisher: Cambridge Univ Pr

Summary

How do we know and understand who we really are as human beings? The concept of 'the self' is central to many strands of psychology and philosophy. This book tackles the problem of how to define persons and selves and discusses the ways in which different disciplines, such as biology, sociology and philosophy, have dealt with this topic. Richard S. Hallam examines the notion that the idea of the self as some sort of entity is a human construction and, in effect, a virtual reality. At the same time, this virtual self is intimately related to the reality of ourselves as biological organisms. Aiming to integrate a constructionist understanding of self with the universalizing assumptions that are needed in natural-science approaches, this text is unique in its attempt to create a dialogue across academic disciplines, while retaining a consistent perspective on the problem of relating nature to culture.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

A constructionist framework for person and self

The main themes: virtual selves, mind-body dualism and natural science

Conceptualising self

Generic persons and selves

Multiplicity within singularity

Sense-of-self: the first person perspective

Self in historical explanation

Self as historically positioned and narrated

Person and Self in Science

Philosophy's legacy to a science of self

Self in mind and brain

Self, person as agent and natural causation

Self in child development

Self in human evolution

Loose ends and split hairs

Bibliography

Index

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