Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Philosophy (6)
- Religion (2)
- 2007) (1)
- Affective neuroscience (1)
- Armageddon (1)
-
- Beowulf (motion picture (1)
- Biology (1)
- Buddhism (1)
- End of the world (1)
- Environmentalism (1)
- Film and television adaptations (1)
- Gender (1)
- Guilt and culture (1)
- Identity (1)
- Mind and body (1)
- Monsters (1)
- Monsters in literature (1)
- Monsters in mass media (1)
- Natural History (1)
- Neuroses (1)
- New age movement (1)
- Philosophy and cognitive science (1)
- Philosophy of mind (1)
- Psychoanalysis (1)
- Rapture (1)
- Robert Zemeckis (1)
- Sex (1)
- Skepticism (1)
- Social constructionism (1)
- Soul (1)
Articles 1 - 10 of 10
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Affective Neuroscience And The Philosophy Of Self, Stephen Asma
Affective Neuroscience And The Philosophy Of Self, Stephen Asma
Stephen T Asma
The nature of self awareness and the origin and persistence of personal identity still loom large in contemporary philosophy of mind. Many philosophers have been wooed by the computational approach to consciousness, and they attempt to find the self amidst the phenomenon of neocortical information processing. Affective neuroscience offers another pathway to understanding the evolution and nature of self. This paper explores how affective neuroscience acts as a positive game-changer in the philosophical pursuit of self. In particular, we focus on connecting 'mammalian agency' to (a) subjective awareness, and (b) identity through time.
Gauging Gender: A Metaphysics, Stephen Asma
Gauging Gender: A Metaphysics, Stephen Asma
Stephen T Asma
In this article the author discusses sex and gender in human beings and examines how the study of science, particularly biology, has influenced the study of these subjects in higher education. It traces the evolution of sex and gender studies in academe, comments on the failure of many humanities scholars to dismiss biology in studying human behavior, and explores ways in which psychoanalysis, social constructionism, and metaphysics have informed the debate over the differences between sex and gender. Other topics include research conducted by Anne Fausto-Sterling regarding intersexed people, scientific tests focusing on sexual preference in rats, and thoughts by …
What We Talk About When We Talk About The Soul, Stephen Asma
What We Talk About When We Talk About The Soul, Stephen Asma
Stephen T Asma
The author discusses the popularity among college students of the concept of the soul, and attempts to place it in its proper context. He dispenses with orthodox theological arguments and New Age arguments as scientifically untenable. He takes a so-called Wittgensteinian approach, noting soul's linguistic significance. He analyzes expressions which use the concept of soul and concludes that they are qualitatively different from testable factual expressions. He notes that soul talk is about hopes and aspirations, inspiration, or feelings deeper than friendship. He assigns it meaning outside of scientific concepts. He likens expressions of soul to creative and ethical acts, …
Why I Am A Buddhist, Stephen Asma
Why I Am A Buddhist, Stephen Asma
Stephen T Asma
Profound and amusing, this book provides a viable approach to answering the perennial questions: Who am I? Why am I here? How can I live a meaningful life? For Asma, the answers are to be found in Buddhism.
There have been a lot of books that have made the case for Buddhism. What makes this book fresh and exciting is Asma's iconoclasm, irreverence, and hardheaded approach to the subject. He is distressed that much of what passes for Buddhism is really little more than "New Age mush." He loudly asserts that it is time to "take the California out of …
Green Guilt, Stephen Asma
Green Guilt, Stephen Asma
Stephen T Asma
The essay discusses the more neurotic aspects of environmentalism, involving guilt over failure to recycle or turn off the lights. It notes that those most prone to these sensibilities are those who have left traditional religion. It quotes philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who states that religious emotions such as guilt and indignation are still present in a post-Christian world. The essay argues that we should certainly save the planet but avoid the neurosis that often accompanies it.
Monsters And The Moral Imagination, Stephen Asma
Monsters And The Moral Imagination, Stephen Asma
Stephen T Asma
The article discusses the cultural interest in monsters in the 21st century. The author speculates on the reasons for the interest, citing anxiety after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the war in Iraq, or the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. He notes a conference in September 2009 at the University of Oxford entitled "Monsters and the Monstrous." Cultural uses of monsters, he notes, include scolding ourselves for failure to be inclusive, the medievals' punishment for the sin of pride, or the ancient Greeks' warnings of impending calamity. He notes that monster stories can promote the individual's thought about what …
Trapped In The Creation Museum, Stephen Asma
Trapped In The Creation Museum, Stephen Asma
Stephen T Asma
Into the swampy debate over evolution has waded the new Creation Museum, in Petersburg, Ky. In an America divided between those who accept Darwin's theories and those who believe God created the world in six days, it seeks to win moderates and compromisers over to its side. Shortly after the museum opened last spring, I made a pilgrimage to witness this quirky new spectacle of Americana...
Never Mind Grendel! Can Beowulf Conquer The 21st-Century Guilt Trip?, Stephen Asma
Never Mind Grendel! Can Beowulf Conquer The 21st-Century Guilt Trip?, Stephen Asma
Stephen T Asma
The writer casts doubt on whether the emasculated Beowulf put forward by J. R. R. Tolkien and in the recent movie version of the story transcends and nullifies the heroic original. He suggests that both Beowulfs may be necessary.
How To Survive The Apocalypse, Stephen Asma
How To Survive The Apocalypse, Stephen Asma
Stephen T Asma
The article presents a guide on how people with skepticism and critical thinking can survive the Rapture and Armageddon. According to the Book of Revelations, the Lord will return to the earth to separate the good and the bad. When the Great Tribulation comes, people have no more time for repentance. The impostor strategy is one way to avoid the Tribulation.
'Mass Delusion' Or 'True Myth'? Pbs Considers The Question Of God, Stephen Asma
'Mass Delusion' Or 'True Myth'? Pbs Considers The Question Of God, Stephen Asma
Stephen T Asma
The Question of God is a new 4-hour miniseries from PBS. It is based on a long-running course taught by Harvard University psychiatry professor Armand Nicholi that compares the biographies and theories of Sigmund Freud, skeptic, and C. S. Lewis, believer. On balance, the miniseries succeeds as an introduction to complex issues.