Research Catalog

Title

The philosophy of human nature / Howard P. Kainz.

Author

Kainz, Howard P.

Publication

Chicago, Ill. : Open Court, ©2008.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xvii, 184 pages : illustrations; 23 cm

Summary

"A philosophical analysis of the concept of human nature and controversies surrounding it"--Provided by publisher.

Subject

• Philosophical anthropology
• Human behavior
• Philosophy
• Psychology
• philosophical anthropology
• human behavior
• philosophy
• psychology
• Verhaltenspsychologie
• Verhalten
• Verhaltensforschung
• Philosophische Anthropologie
• Menselijke natuur
• Gedrag
• Filosofische antropologie

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-178) and index.

Contents

The "difference" question -- Some philosophical approaches -- Critique of these historical approaches -- Distinctive human conceit? -- The importance of being self-conscious -- Are there any distinctively human instincts? -- Some historical positions -- Complex instincts in humans? -- Human cognitive instinct -- Human behavioral instinct -- Can personality traits and intelligence be inherited? -- Heredity -- The past and present of genetics -- The problem of isolating variables -- Contemporary areas of controversy -- The political paradox : some ironies in democracy -- Dobzhansky's social paradox -- Are there any significant sex-related personality characteristics? -- Biological differentiation of the sexes -- Psychological differences -- Historical overview of theories about M/F differences -- Some socio-political considerations -- Possible implications of M/F brain differentials -- The future of human evolution -- Social and cultural evolution -- Patterns in the past -- Projections of the future -- Contemporary harbingers of a third stage -- Is human nature a unity or a duality? -- Experiential aspects --Positions taken in the history of philosophy -- Reflections on a metaphysical paradox -- Historical philosophical positions emphasizing the unity-in-duality of personality -- Mind-body causality and the problem of the "prime analogate" -- Human freedom -- materialists and the idea of freedom -- Consequences of the rejection of the idea of freedom -- Clarification of terms -- Conceptual analysis -- Human development -- Problems connected with this analysis -- Procedural aspects -- The stages of consciousness, infancy to adolescence -- Maturity -- Psychological maturity -- Existential maturity -- The relationship to physical goods -- The relationship to others -- The relationship to oneself -- Objective maturity versus relative maturity -- The nature of love -- Cosmic love? -- Interpersonal love : cultural influences -- Philosophers and love -- Love and its opposites (what love is not) -- What love is -- The types of love -- Philosophy and the paranormal -- Empirical research on paranormal phenomena -- Research methodologies -- Major types of PSI -- Philosophical issues connected with PSI -- Survival after death -- Initial prejudices -- The experiential evidence : NDEs? -- Philosophical analysis -- Conclusions regarding immortality -- Immortality versus resurrection -- Special problems with resurrection -- A final possibility.

ISBN

• 9780812696196
• 0812696190

LCCN

2008001593

OCLC

• ocn191206851
• 191206851
• SCSB-9581931

Owning Institutions

Princeton University Library