How are philosophical and theological concepts conceived in the
mind? Why are certain topics of greater importance to philosophers
and theologians? Why do people think about these issues in the
first place? These are the questions that are explored in the
ground breaking book, "The Metaphysical Mind." Philosophy and
theology usually considers various fundamental concepts such as
those related to being, reality, causality, logic, or
phenomenology. But the philosophical approach to these topics often
leaves out one of the most important things - the human brain.
After all, it is the brain that is actually thinking about these
ideas in the first place. "The Metaphysical Mind" explores the
relationship between the brain and philosophical thought and helps
us to understand how the brain enables and restricts our ability to
think about these metaphysical concepts. One of the major
developments of contemporary thought has been the field of
hermeneutics. Hermeneutics considers the environmental, linguistic,
and cultural factors that influence a given philosopher in order to
determine how particular ideas or texts may have been shaped.
However, no one has ever examined philosophical and theological
thought specifically from the hermeneutical perspective of the
neurobiological and genetic substrate that underlies such thinking.
This "neuroscientific hermeneutic" or "neurohermeneutic" refers
specifically to the functions of the brain and how they are related
to various thought processes which have been at the cornerstone of
philosophical and theological thought throughout history.
Additionally, this neurohermeneutic helps to better interpret how
and why such thoughts develop. Neurohermeneutics is based upon a
synthesis of information from multiple fields including
anthropology, neurophysiology, cognitive neuroscience, genetics,
theology, and philosophy. Many of the major milestones in the
history of philosophical and theological thought from pre-Socratic
thinkers to the present day can be considered from the perspective
of the functioning of the human mind and its multimodal interaction
with the social, cultural, intellectual, and physical environment.
In particular, the development of some of the most dramatic
concepts in philosophy and theology can be considered in relation
to certain brain functions and how those functions enable human
beings to interpret meaning in the world. Similarly,
contemplative/meditative traditions can be considered to be
associated with certain brain functions in order to explore how
such experiences are perceived and interpreted. This book will also
consider the issue of the experience of reality from a
neurophysiological perspective. This leads to fascinating
conclusions regarding the nature and degrees of reality and how the
brain experiences that reality. Although not all philosophical and
theological concepts will be examined, many of the major movements
will be considered in order to extrapolate to the notion that a
neurobiological hermeneutic may provide a basis and fundamental
bias for all philosophical thinking - a "metaphilosophy" (or
"metatheology" in the specific context of religion). Ultimately,
this approach might even lead to a "megaphilosophy" containing
universal concepts that could be conceived of from any
philosophical or theological perspective. The result of this
analysis leads to a description of the "metaphysical mind" which is
necessarily driven to pursue philosophical and theological
questions, but also shapes how the answers to such questions arise.
Thus, the brain itself is "designed" to function in a philosophical
or metaphysical manner. This revolutionary approach to
philosophical and theological thought will provide readers
something to think about for the millennium to come.
General
Imprint: |
Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
December 2013 |
First published: |
December 2013 |
Authors: |
Andrew B. Newberg
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 13mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
252 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-4943-9674-9 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
Philosophy >
General
Books >
Philosophy >
General
|
LSN: |
1-4943-9674-2 |
Barcode: |
9781494396749 |
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