Spinozism, realism and selfhood
This project combines the insights of Spinoza and critical realism to develop a model of self which presents us with the opportunity to enhance our personal autonomy by learning how to replace what Spinoza calls inadequate ideas with more adequate ideas of ourselves. The first part of this project offers an analytic and conceptual framework for understanding the self in terms of emotional constitution, the distinctions between personal and impersonal value and how these are connected to the structure of will. The second part shows how we can make significant inroads towards personal emancipation by applying the critical realist method of explanatory critique to ourselves and using it to revise and transform our emotional responses - thus uniquely bringing the insights of critical realism into the personal domain where it has previously been centred on the public domain. It also answers the question of âHow should we live?â by developing an ethical standpoint predicated on an open system based theory of individuality combined with a hierarchy of being which exhorts us to act towards others not only on the basis of their real natures, but also according to the real situations we find ourselves in. Essentially,
Evenden, Martin James
BF Psychology ; HM Sociology
Spinozism, realism and selfhood. This project combines the insights of Spinoza and critical realism to develop a model of self which presents us with the opportunity to enhance our personal autonomy by learning how to replace what Spinoza calls inadequate ideas with more adequate ideas of ourselves. The first part of this project offers an analytic and conceptual framework for understanding the self in terms of emotional constitution, the distinctions between personal and impersonal value and how these are connected to the structure of will. The second part shows how we can make significant inroads towards personal emancipation by applying the critical realist method of explanatory critique to ourselves and using it to revise and transform our emotional responses - thus uniquely bringing the insights of critical realism into the personal domain where it has previously been centred on the public domain. It also answers the question of âHow should we live?â by developing an ethical standpoint predicated on an open system based theory of individuality combined with a hierarchy of being which exhorts us to act towards others not only on the basis of their real natures, but also according to the real situations we find ourselves in. Essentially,
realism selfhood project combine insight spinoza critical realism develop_model self present_opportunity enhance personal_autonomy learn replace spinoza call inadequate idea adequate idea ourselves first_part project offer analytic conceptual_framework self term emotional constitution distinction personal impersonal value connect structure will second_part show make_significant towards personal emancipation apply critical realist method explanatory critique use revise transform emotional_response thus uniquely bring insight critical realism personal domain previously centre public_domain also answer_question live develop ethical standpoint predicate open system base theory individuality combine hierarchy act towards others basis real nature also accord real situation essentially