Self Expressions Mind, Morals, and the Meaning of Life [Paperback]

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.

1. Introduction: What Makes Life Worth Living?
2. Is a Science of the Conscious Mind Possible?
3. Self-Expression in Sleep: Neuroscience and Dreams
4. Neuroscience, Agency, and the Meaning of Life
5. Multiple Identity, Character Transformation, and Self-Reclamation
6. I Remember You
7. Children, Other Minds, and Honesty
8. Ethics Naturalized: Ethics as Human Ecology
9. Identity and Reflection
10. Virtue and Ignorance
11. Admirable Immorality and Admirable Imperfection
12. Self-Confidence
13. Epilogue: Save the Last Dance for Me
Index

Marked by many sparkling insights. --The Modern Schoolman

Owen Flanagan is as wise in matters of the Heart and Spirit as he is distinguished in matters of modern science and philosophical theory. These extraordinary essays set a new standard in the exploration of timeless human concerns--the nature and nurture of the self, the grounds of self worth and collective meaning--partly because Flanagan addresses them as they are illuminated by the nascent sciences of the mind-brain. This volume is a doorway into the mol3Ê