Description
Book SynopsisThomas McNamara, in Evolution, Culture, and Consciousness, presents the first comprehensive theory of human perception and consciousness based on the generally accepted principles of evolutionary psychology. This theory, building on the best evolutionary research, explains that just a few simple neurological changes in the primate brain account for human speech, self-consciousness and the creation of meaning out of experience. All primates can learn, but our species evolved a new instinct for learning, which makes childhood learning just as powerful as the other biological instincts found in all other primates. McNamara shows that children are genetically programmed to learn not just what to think, but how to think, shaping the preconscious process for creating meaning out of experience. However, because our environment has changed radically since our origin, this archaic form of consciousness has become a major block to human development and success. After explaining how we have all b
Table of ContentsChapter 1 PART I: THE EVOLUTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS: An Overview of the Theory: Introduction; Culture and Consciousness: A Dialectical Relationship; The Evolutionary Role of the Self-Concept; The Biology of Psychology; The Psychology of Religion; Towards a Chapter 2 PART II: THE EVIDENCE: The Role of Culture in Human Evolution: Plato's Theology of Mind; The Theology of Psychology; The Psychology of Culture; Cognition and Culture; The Principle Stages in the Development of Human Consciousness; Instinct, Meaning, Chapter 3 PART III: THE PROBLEM: The Limits of Instinctual Self-Consciousness: The Ego is the Ultimate Symbol; Experience and the Creation of Meaning; The Age of the Ego; The Problems of the Ego; Judgmentalness; The Individual and the Institution; Ego Scannin Chapter 4 PART IV: PRESENT-CENTERED CONSCIOUSNESS: A New Consciousness for a New Environment: Religion versus Mysticism; Individualism: The Anti-Culture; Political Mysticism; Mysticism, Science, and Consciousness; Present-Centered Philosophy; Postmodern Philo Chapter 5 References Chapter 6 Index Chapter 7 About the Author
