Description
Book SynopsisExplores how contemporary developments in political theory and neuropsychology can be used to explore the political implication of the relationship between conscious and nonconscious thought.
Table of ContentsIntroduction - The Political Mind; i. Behaviourism: The political automaton; ii. Freud: The politics of the unconscious self and society; iii. Humanism: Self-centred politics; iv. Postmodernism: Taking the self out of politics; v. The politics of synapses?; 1. The Neuroscience of Consciousness; i. Historical trends in the theory of the unconscious; a) The supernatural unconscious; b) The natural unconscious; c) The mechanical unconscious; ii. The nonconscious: How individual are you?; a) Libet and the mysterious half-second; b) Gazzaniga and LeDoux: Why did you do that?; 2. The Politics of Neuroscience; i. The Materialist Problem; ii. William Connolly and Neuropolitical Dualism; iii. How do we politicise neuroscience?; 3. The Political Use of Emotion; i. The psycho-social nature of emotion; ii. Feeling consumed; 4. Endlessly Repeating Ourselves - Narrative and Self-Repetition; i. The story of consciousness; ii. Excursus on Community; iii. The philosophy of neurological temporality; iv. Stuck in a moment that you can't get out of?; 5. Psychological Revolt; i. The potential of the personal conscious; ii. The potential of the social self; 6. The Political Nonconscious; i. The problems of nonconscious politics; ii. The possibilities of nonconscious politics; Conclusion - Skilful Means; Bibliography; Index
