Introduces teachers and students to the difficult subject of self-knowledge and provides readers with a transcultural, normative foundation for a critical evaluation of self-identity and cultural identity.

The theory of knowledge, or epistemology, is often regarded as a dry topic that bears little relation to actual knowledge practices. Knowledge: The Philosophical Quest in History addresses this perception by showing the roots, developments and prospects of modern epistemology from its beginnings in the nineteenth century to the present day. Beginning with an introduction to the central questions and problems in theory of knowledge, Steve Fuller goes on to demonstrate that contemporary epistemology is enriched by its interdisciplinarity, analysing keys areas including: Epistemology as Cognitive Economics Epistemology as Divine Psychology Epistemology as Philosophy of Science Epistemology as Sociology of Science Epistemology and Postmodernism. A wide-ranging and historically-informed assessment of the ways in which man has - and continues to - pursue, question, contest, expand and shape knowledge, this book is essential reading anyone in the Humanities and Social Sciences interested in the history and practical application of epistemology.

Consciousness is the major unsolved problem in biology. Written as an introduction to the field and drawing upon clinical, psychological and physiological observations, this book seeks to answer questions of consciousness within a neuroscientific framework.

People in the ancient world thought of vision as both an ethical tool and a tactile sense, akin to touch. Gazing upon someone—or oneself—was treated as a path to philosophical self-knowledge, but the question of tactility introduced an erotic element as well. In The Mirror of the Self, Shadi Bartsch asserts that these links among vision, sexuality, and self-knowledge are key to the classical understanding of the self. Weaving together literary theory, philosophy, and social history, Bartsch traces this complex notion of self from Plato’s Greece to Seneca’s Rome. She starts by showing how ancient authors envisioned the mirror as both a tool for ethical self-improvement and, paradoxically, a sign of erotic self-indulgence. Her reading of the Phaedrus, for example, demonstrates that the mirroring gaze in Plato, because of its sexual possibilities, could not be adopted by Roman philosophers and their students. Bartsch goes on to examine the Roman treatment of the ethical and sexual gaze, and she traces how self-knowledge, the philosopher’s body, and the performance of virtue all played a role in shaping the Roman understanding of the nature of selfhood. Culminating in a profoundly original reading of Medea, The Mirror of the Self illustrates how Seneca, in his Stoic quest for self-knowledge, embodies the Roman view, marking a new point in human thought about self-perception. Bartsch leads readers on a journey that unveils divided selves, moral hypocrisy, and lustful Stoics—and offers fresh insights about seminal works. At once sexy and philosophical, The Mirror of the Self will be required reading for classicists, philosophers, and anthropologists alike.

Is there a God? - What might God be like? - What is the relationship between faith and certainty? - Can intelligent people believe in spiritual realities? - Why are there so many religions? - Is it possible to experience a relationship with God--and if so, how? If you've asked questions like these, you're in good company. From songwriters such as Bob Dylan and Jewel Kilcher to TV shows such as The X Files and Touched by an Angel, the media and the arts reflect postmodern men and women's search for a living faith and a spiritually oriented life. Real faith isn't blind believism. It is a process that engages your intellect as well as your emotions. If you think faith requires turning your back on truth and intellectual honesty, then Finding Faith is one book you really ought to read. With logic, passion, and even-handedness that the thinking person will appreciate, this book helps you face your obstacles to faith by focusing not on what to believe, but on how to believe. Whether you want to strengthen the faith you have, renew the faith you lost, or discover faith for the first time, Finding Faith can coach, inspire, encourage, and guide you, and help you discover more in life than you'd ever imagined or hoped for.

"Help! I need somebody--but is it a guru or a shrink?" In response to this dilemma, the philosopher Jacob Needleman arranged a lecture series at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco, in the hope of clarifying both the distinctions and the interrelations between these two paths of self-knowledge, psychotherapy and the ancient spiritual disciplines. This book is the enriching and often electrifying result. The eight lecturers--psychotherapists interested in the further reaches of self-development and spiritual teachers concerned with helping people live--dispatch the basic question with little ultimate disagreement. The consensus, most concisely expressed by British therapist A. C. Robin Skynner, is that therapy and the sacred traditions lead in quite different, one might say perpendicular, directions: therapy towards integration and functioning on the plane of normal daily life, spiritual discipline towards the far more difficult and demanding ascent into transcendence and self-evolution. But while the confusion of the two can be dangerous, properly understood they can assist and enhance each other." - Kirkus Reviews, 10/15/76.

Blending numerous heritages, wisdoms, and teachings, this powerfully wrought book encourages people to take charge of their lives, heal themselves, and grow. Movingly rendered, The Book of the Vision Quest is for all who long for renewal and personal transformation. In this revised edition—with two new chapters and added tales from vision questers—Steven Foster recounts his experiences guiding contemporary seekers. He recreates an ancient rite of passage—that of “dying,” “passing through,” and “being reborn”—known as a vision quest. A sacred ceremony that culminates in a three-day, three-night fast, alone, in a place of natural power, the vision quest is a mystical, practical, and intensely personal journey of self-knowledge.

A journey, encompassing the evolution of consciousness, while weaving mysticism, theology, psychology, philosophy, quantum physics, neurology, music, art, into meaningful and relevant patterns of clarification. This work is useful for people concerned with the essence of philosophical inquiry and spiritual growth.

"One day Will and Cameron are headed to California on a father-son motorcycle trip. The next, after both have an inexplicable sense that they should go north, they change course. Later, they find themselves sitting in a Wyoming diner with Great Thunder, who speaks insightful truths about Will's life when they have known each other only a few short minutes. The Quest details Will's real-life journey of self-discovery that begins with a fortuitous meeting with a special mentor, and continues through the following years as he learns to apply Great Thunder's lessons about simplifying life and trusting intuition"--Back cover.

A personalized spiritual program for growth and healing, drawn from Native American practices and other cultural traditions from around the world For centuries, ancient cultures embarked on rites of passage to gain entrance to the spiritual realms and attain self-knowledge. Now international lecturer and healer Denise Linn and Meadow Linn draw on their Native American roots, as well as the teachings of other cultures, to create a carefully crafted spiritual program for anyone wishing to venture on a retreat or create a uniquely personal Quest of his or her own. This practical, engaging book will show you how to: • Discover your life’s purpose • Find mystery at the core of your life • Release limiting beliefs about yourself • Call for a vision • Harness the power of the Sacred Circle • Confront and free yourself from fears • Heal emotional wounds • Develop peace of mind This book gives you the necessary tools to prepare for a Vision Quest that will take you to the center of your soul.