Strategies for securing the unity of the self in Augustine and certain modern psychologists
My thesis explores what is involved in attaining an integrated sense of self, a question which is both interesting in its own right and which can also provide one enlightening means of comparing the disciplines of theology and psychology. The first two chapters establish the theological method to be followed and provide an ideological context. I describe why the relationship between theology and psychology is a particularly problematic one and outline why I think some of the methods so far proposed for relating them are unsatisfactory. I suggest instead that in some respects the two disciplines may be seen as providing alternative strategies for securing the unity of the self. With the aid of Charles Taylor's philosophy of personhood, I set out what I mean by the self and what constitutes the unity of the self. I describe how the modem self has developed historically through the relation of individuals to sources of value, and I suggest that theology and some forms of psychology can be understood as offering expressions of complementary sources of such value and hence can be related to one another. I consider postmodern attacks on the unified self and conclude that our contemporary context is one which demands
Innes, Robert Neil
Taylor, Charles; Personhood
Strategies for securing the unity of the self in Augustine and certain modern psychologists. My thesis explores what is involved in attaining an integrated sense of self, a question which is both interesting in its own right and which can also provide one enlightening means of comparing the disciplines of theology and psychology. The first two chapters establish the theological method to be followed and provide an ideological context. I describe why the relationship between theology and psychology is a particularly problematic one and outline why I think some of the methods so far proposed for relating them are unsatisfactory. I suggest instead that in some respects the two disciplines may be seen as providing alternative strategies for securing the unity of the self. With the aid of Charles Taylor's philosophy of personhood, I set out what I mean by the self and what constitutes the unity of the self. I describe how the modem self has developed historically through the relation of individuals to sources of value, and I suggest that theology and some forms of psychology can be understood as offering expressions of complementary sources of such value and hence can be related to one another. I consider postmodern attacks on the unified self and conclude that our contemporary context is one which demands
strategies secure unity self augustine certain modern psychologist explores involve attain integrated sense_self question interest right also_provide mean compare discipline theology psychology first_two establish_theological method follow provide ideological_context describe relationship theology psychology particularly problematic one_outline think method far propose relate unsatisfactory suggest instead respect discipline may_see provide_alternative strategy secure unity self aid charles_taylor philosophy personhood set mean self constitute unity self describe modem self develop historically relation individual source value suggest theology form psychology understood offering expression complementary source value hence related one_another consider postmodern attack unify self conclude contemporary context demand