Identity - In Search of Wisdom

Us and Them: The Science of Identity

Posted by Dr Terry Cooke-Davies | Sep 19, 2020 | Books |

Democrat and Republican. Meat Eaters and Vegetarians. Black and White. As human beings we sort ourselves into groups. And once we identify ourselves as a member of a particular group-say, Red Sox fans-we tend to feel more comfortable with others of our own kind, rather than, say, Yankees fans. Yet we all belong to multiple groups at the same time-one might be a woman, a mother, an American, a violinist. How do we decide which identities matter and why they matter so much? And what makes us willing to die for, or to kill for, a religion, a nation, or a race?

The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently — and Why

Posted by Dr Terry Cooke-Davies | Sep 18, 2020 | Books |

When Richard Nisbett showed an animated underwater scene to his American students, they zeroed in on a big fish swimming among smaller fish. Japanese subjects, on the other hand, made observations about the background environment…and the different “seeings” are a clue to profound underlying cognitive differences between Westerners and East Asians. As Professor Nisbett shows in The Geography of Thought people actually think – and even see – the world differently, because of differing ecologies, social structures, philosophies, and educational systems that date back to ancient Greece and China, and that have survived into the modern world.

Seeing Ourselves: Reclaiming Humanity from God and Science

Posted by Dr Terry Cooke-Davies | Sep 18, 2020 | Books |

In Seeing Ourselves, humanist philosopher and neuroscientist Raymond Tallis goes in search of what kind of beings we are, and where we might find meaning in our lives. If we reject religion, asks Tallis, what should we put in its place? How do we ensure, if we accept the death of God, that something within us does not also die? And where do we find meaning if, as some scientists claim, we are simply organisms shaped by the forces of evolution, with no reason to exist and with no objective value? Tallis begins his quest by establishing what it is we know of our fundamental nature. He examines our relationship to our own bodies, to time, our selfhood and our agency – all manifestations of the unique nature of human consciousness – and shows why human beings are like nothing else in the universe.

Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason and the Gap Between Us and Them

Posted by Dr Terry Cooke-Davies | Sep 17, 2020 | Books |

Our brains were designed for tribal life, for getting along with a select group of others (Us), and for fighting off everyone else (Them). But modern life has thrust the world’s tribes into a shared space, creating conflicts of interest and clashes of values, along with unprecedented opportunities. As the world shrinks, the moral lines that divide us become more salient and more puzzling. We fight over everything from tax codes to gay marriage to global warming, and we wonder where, if at all, we can find our common ground.

God, Gender, Sex and Marriage

Posted by Dr Terry Cooke-Davies | Sep 5, 2020 | Books |

An accessible introduction to important topics that are deeply contested within the Church of England – marriage, gender equality and sexuality. It draws on sources displaying an inclusive perspective whilst staying respectful to those who take a different view.

Issue: Identity

Seeing Ourselves: Reclaiming Humanity from God and Science

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