Metacognition vs. the Soul: What Really Separates Humans from the Other Animals

Maker M.Ed., Donald

ISBN 10: 1700531867 / ISBN 13: 9781700531865

Published by Independently published, 2019

About this Item

431 pages. 9.00x6.00x1.08 inches. In Stock.

Seller Inventory # zk1700531867

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Metacognition vs. the Soul: What Really Separates Humans from the Other Animals
• Publisher: Independently published
• Publication Date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1700531867
• ISBN 13: 9781700531865
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Brand New
• Weight: 0.73 kilograms

About this title

Synopsis

Many people, whether religious or not, believe that what distinguishes humans from the rest of the animals is a ‘soul’, some nebulous entity that resides somewhere within the living body. “Metacognition vs. the Soul” contends that the human ability to analyze our own thinking and then change accordingly is the true distinguishing feature. Whether it is the way we live or the way we behave, that critical difference in our brain sets us apart, and in certain ways makes us superior.Certain chapters define metacognition, explain how it works in practical terms, and demonstrate why humans have this mental capacity but lower animals do not. In fact, it is the human imperative to use the ability of metacognition that led people to create religion and conjure up the concept of a ‘soul’ in the first place. There is an extensive section comparing the beliefs of various philosophies to the stated tenets of the major monotheisms, with the conclusion that most secular philosophies are ethically superior to those religious precepts. There is another section dealing with great scientists throughout history, with some background of their beliefs concerning religion.This book is fundamentally concerned with self-reliance and self-discipline, not the moralistic strictures that many religious zealots have placed on society. Those psychological regulators are controlled by the hypothalamus (or the id, if you subscribe to Freud), and are not dependent on the existence of some supreme being. Certain chapters explore why mythology was created in the first place, the origins of monotheism, how religion has evolved over the centuries, and why it continues to have great power in the lives of many people. It also explores the difference between the human brain and that of other animals, the differences between philosophies and religions, the conflict between science and religion, the presumed nature of god and the soul, and how embracing and enriching our power of metacognition might ultimately help the human race to continue to positively evolve.