The Loss of the Self in a Postmodern Therapeutic Culture

| Discussion Area | Presentations |

Organizer:

Paul Vitz
NYU Department of Psychology
Washington Place, Room 579
New York, NY 10003
email: vitz@xp.nyu.edu

Participants:

John Bechtold Associate Professor of Psychology Messiah College email: jbechtol@messiah.edu David J. Burns Professor of Marketing Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH 44555 Phone: (330) 742-1894 email: dburns@wcba.ysu.edu Karen Coats Department of English Illinois State University email: kscoat2@ilstu.edu Bert Hodges Professor of Psychology Gordon College email: hodges@gordon.edu David Holley Professor of Philosophy University of Southern Mississippi email: holley@usm.edu

Peter Jankowski Assistant Professor of Psychology Judson College email: pjankowski@judson-il.edu Sherri B. Lantinga Assistant Professor of Psychology Department Chair Dordt College 498 4th Ave NE Sioux Center, IA 51250-1697 Phone: (712) 722-6038 email: Lantinga@dordt.edu Mark Lowery Professor of Theology University of Dallas email: lowery@acad.udallas.edu Kent L. Norman Department of Psychology University of Maryland College Park, MD Phone: (301) 405-5924 email: kent_norman@lap.umd.edu James Norwine Department of Geosciences Texas A&M University - Kingsville Phone: (361) 593-3589 email: james.norwine@tamuk.edu

Stephen P. Stratton, Ph.D. Director, Center for Counseling 1 Macklem Drive Asbury College Wilmore, Kentucky 40390 Phone: (859) 858-3511, X2130 email: steve.stratton@asbury.edu Susan Elizabeth Sweeney Associate Professor of English Holy Cross College email: ssweeney@holycross.edu Glenn Weaver Professor of Psychology Calvin College Grand Rapids, MI email: weav@calvin.edu Ronald W. Wright Assistant Professor of Psychology Southern Nazarene University Phone: (405) 491-6682 email: rwright@snu.edu

Seminar Listserv: ss-vitz@calvin.edu

Reading list:

1. Charles Taylor (1989). Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity, Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.
2. Paul C. Vitz (1994). Psychology as Religion, the Cult of Self Worship, 2nd edition, Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans.
3. George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (1999). Philosophy in the Flesh: the Embodied Mind and Its Challenge to Western Thought, New York: Basic Books.

Reserved Reading list:

1. Kenneth J. Gergen (1991). The Saturated Self, New York: Basic Books.
2. Jose Luis Bermudez (1998). The Paradox of Self Consciousness, Cambridge MA: MIT Press.
3. Benedict Ashley (1985). Theologies of the Body, Humanist and Christian, Braintree MA: Pope John 23rd Center.

Some links to on-line readings:

• Postmodernism:
  • Postmodernism, Dr. Mary Klages, Associate Professor, English Department, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Conference on After Postmodernism, University of Chicago, 1997.
  • Postmodernism and Its CriticsShannon WeiseeS & Karla Wesley, Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Alabama.
  • Postmodernism and Christianity, by Kai H. Kwok, SiDIC Group, E&CE Department, University of Waterloo.
• The Self, Consciousness, etc.:
  • The Consciousness in the Natural World Project, Director: Professor JosŽ Luis Bermœdez
  • Bright career prospects for cyberself therapists by the Sentinel-Observer Business Pages Staff
  • Reality vs. Cyberself: Ultimate Discovery of the e-go By Jyotirmaya Sharma, The Times of India, 1 June 2000.
  • Online papers on consciousness compiled by David Chalmers. This is a directory of 1075 online papers on consciousness and related topics.
• Psychology, Christianity, and Whatever:
  • Malcolm Jeeves, Psychology and Christianity: The View Both Ways. Lecture delivered in the Winstanley Lecture Theatre, Trinity College, Cambridge on Tuesday, 28th November 2000.
  • Martin Buber Homepage
  • The Florilegia Institute Gil Bailie
  • Girardian Reflections on the Lectionary Paul Nuechterlein
• Special Stuff
  • Beth Sweeney: Memento
    The official web site for the film, which contains additional information (including clinical notes on Leonard's case): www.otnemem.com
    The trailer that promoted the film: www.apple.com/trailers/independent/memento.html
    The first 8 minutes and 11 seconds of the film: www.ifilm.com/ifilm/product/film_info/0,3699,958510,00.html