This week marks the two year anniversary of the Theory of Knowledge Blog. I have made almost 100 posts on a wide variety of different topics and have arranged them below around major themes. (The Unified Approach; Philosophy and Science; Human Values, Morality, and Well-Being; Politics, Religion and Evolution; Psychology; Mind, Consciousness and the Self; Relationships; Personality, Perceptions, and Emotions; Psychopathology; Psychotherapy; and Some Personal Blogs).
If I have one general theme, it is that philosophy and psychology are both far more fragmented than might be the case. It is my sincere hope that, via the Theory of Knowledge I have constructed and similar integrative efforts, we can move from a fragmented pluralism (and relative state of chaos) to a much more integrated pluralism. By that I mean that although there will be much diversity at the level of ideas, emphasis, value, and interests, there nevertheless can be a much greater level of foundational agreement about the nature of human knowledge and the human condition.
The problems associated with the fragmented state of knowledge are apparent everywhere I look. Most notably, the broad systems that coordinate us seem to me to be essentially broken, including our educational system, health system, systems of accreditation, and, most generally, our system of government. Why are these systems broken? Because, at a broad and deep level, we are fundamentally confused about who we are, our nature and needs and the essence of our condition. Because of a lack of understanding of the big picture, people cling to local realities and define themselves against others in misguided and unproductive ways. The best hope we have for fixing our functional systems is via the correct understanding of our broad and general knowledge.
I have enjoyed sharing these blogs and I hope you have enjoyed reading them and that they have given you some helpful notions to reflect on.
The Unified Approach
Introduction to Theory of Knowledge
On Philosophy and Science
What Is Knowledge? A Brief Primer
The Scale and History of the Universe
A Completely Misguided Guide to Reality
Steven Pinker’s Queer Take on Scientism
On Human Values, Morality, and Well-Being
On Making Judgments and Being Judgmental
Was Steve Jobs' Narcissism Justified?
Is it OK to Be a Counselor and Homophobic?
On Politics, Religion, and Evolution
A View from the Radical Center of Politics
Jonathan Haidt's Moral-Political Psychology
Knowledge of Science and Beliefs About Evolution
A Revolution in Evolution: A Return to Lamarck?
Is It Okay if Kids Believe God Sends Nonbelievers to Hell?
Toward Resolving Our God Conflict
The Consequences of Legalizing It
Fatness, Mortality, and the Concept of Truth
Psychology
Searching for Unity in a Fragmented Field
Psychology's Three Great Branches
Why a Unified Theory of Psychology Is Impossible (Part I)
Is There a Unified Theory of Biology (Part II)?
The Conceptual Unification of Psychology (Part III)
Misguided Debates about Human Sexuality
EP Is Not a Viable Integrative Meta-Theory
Rhetoric, Debate, and Dialogue about EP
Mind, Verbal Cognition, Consciousness, and the Self
Three Worldviews on the Nature of Consciousness
The Three Knowledge-Memory Systems that Guide Your Life
The Elements of Ego Functioning
The Forces and Filters of Self-Knowledge
Understanding How We Filter Our Thoughts
Understanding Our Justification Systems
No One Intentionally Tries to Justify Bad-False Things
Alien Hand Syndrome and the Disunity of Mind
Kahneman on Well-Being and Domains of Consciousness
Relationships
Needs, Conflicts, and Resolutions
The Four Kinds of Relational Justification Systems
The Relational Styles of Men and Women
Relationship Quality on a Continuum of 5 Cs
Can You Escape Relationship Armageddon? (Part I)
Escaping Relationship Armageddon Part II
Personality, Perceptions, and Emotions
Another Big Five for Personality
Virtue and the Four Types of Character
Understanding Anger-Guilt Splits
Adaptive and Maladaptive Shame
Perception and Perceptual Illusions
Perceptions, Motives, and Emotions: A Control Theory Model
Psychopathology
Five Broad Models of Mental Illness
Is Psychiatry the Science of Lies?
What Is a Dysfunctional Personality?
Explaining Borderline Personality Disorder to Patients
When Does a Broken Heart Become a Diagnosis?
Depression and the Dimensions of Complexity in Nature
Diagnosing ADD in College Students
Psychotherapy
Vertical and Horizontal Integration in Psychotherapy
Potentially Helpful Technique for Anxiety Producing Thoughts
On Support and Authenticity in the Therapy Room
Some Counsel Following the Tragedy
Some Personal Blogs