Mind-Society

How do minds make societies, and how do societies change? Paul Thagard systematically connects neural and psychological explanations of mind with major social sciences (social psychology, sociology, politics, economics, anthropology, and history) and professions (medicine, law, education, engineering, and business). Social change emerges from interacting social and mental mechanisms. Many economists and political scientists assume that individuals make rational choices, despite the abundance of evidence that people frequently succumb to thinking errors such as motivated inference. Much of sociology and anthropology is taken over with postmodernist assumptions that everything is constructed on the basis of social relations such as power, with no inkling that these relations are mediated by how people think about each other. Mind-Society displays the interdependence of the cognitive and social sciences by describing the interconnections among mental and social mechanisms, which interact to generate social changes ranging from marriage patterns to wars. Validation comes from detailed studies of important social changes, from norms about romantic relationships to economic practices, political institutions, religious customs, and international relations. This book belongs to a trio that includes Brain-Mind: From Neurons to Consciousness and Creativity and Natural Philosophy: From Social Brains to Knowledge, Reality, Morality, and Beauty. They can be read independently, but together they make up a Treatise on Mind and Society that provides a unified and comprehensive treatment of the cognitive sciences, social sciences, professions, and humanities.

Paul Thagard is a distinguished philosopher and cognitive scientist who has written many books, including The Brain and the Meaning of Life (Princeton University Press, 2010) and The Cognitive Science of Science (MIT Press, 2012). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Cognitive Science Society, and the Association for Psychological Science.

Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I. Mechanisms
1. Explaining Social Change
Social Change Explanatory Styles Mental, Neural, and Social Mechanisms Emergence The Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Applications Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 1: Social Change
2. Mental Mechanisms
Cognition and Emotion Brains and Semantic Pointers Images Concepts Beliefs Rules Analogies Emotions Mapping Values Inference and Coherence Emotion-Driven Inferences Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 2: Mental Mechanisms
3. Social Mechanisms
Social Mechanisms and Communication What are Social Mechanisms? Structural Connections Social Interactions Verbal Communication Inter-Agent Inference Social Mechanisms for Spreading Emotions Multilevel Explanations Change and Emergence Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 3: Social Mechanisms
Part II. Social Sciences 4. Social Psychology: Romantic Relationships
Relationships Matter Social Cognition and Microsociology Mechanisms in Relationships Murray and Holmes on Interdependent Minds Romantic Relationships: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Trust and Commitment Love Romantic Interactions Contrast with Gottman Relationship Success and Failure Does the Heart Want What It Wants? Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 4: Social Psychology
5. Sociology: Prejudice and Discrimination
Discrimination and Prejudice Stereotypes Women: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Jews: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Social Norms and Institutions Overcoming Prejudice Conceptual Change Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 5: Sociology
6. Politics: Ideology
Political Change Political Mechanisms Ideology: 3-Analysis Ideology: Value Maps Ideological Change The Islamic State: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Nazi Ideology Anarchism Extreme Right-Wing Political Movements Explaining Rwanda Atrocities Power Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 6: Politics
7. Economics: Bubbles and Crashes Beyond Animal Spirits Economic Decisions Booms and Bubbles: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Panics and Crashes: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Mindful Economics Reflexivity Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 7: Economics
8. Anthropology: Religion
CulturesReligionThe Latter-Day Saint Religion: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Why is the LDS Church Successful? Why is Religion Generally So Successful? Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 8: Anthropology
9. History and International Relations: War
Explaining WarHistory International Relations Nationalism Origins of the First World War: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Minds and Groups Historical Explanation Social Cognitivism as a Theory of International Relations Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 9: History
Part III. Professions
10. Medicine: Mental Illness
Mind, Society, and the Professions Medicine Mental Illness Depression: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Depression: Multilevel Mechanisms Treating Depression Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 10: Medicine
11. Law: Wrongful Conviction and Criminal Responsibility
Legal Mechanisms Legal Coherence Wrongful Conviction: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Explaining Wrongful Convictions The Brain and Legal Responsibility Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 11: Law
12. Education: Teaching and Conceptual Change
Learning and Teaching Vaccination: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Conceptual Change Teaching Better Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 12: Education
13. Engineering: Creative Design
Creative Engineering Steve Jobs and Apple: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Engineering Creativity Teaching Creativity Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 13: Engineering
14. Business: Leadership and Marketing
Vision Emotional Intelligence Charisma Leadership of Ed Catmull: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Marketing and Emotional Coherence Apple's Marketing: Social Cognitive-Emotional Workup Enhancing Collective Emotional Intelligence Professions and Social Change Summary and Discussion Notes to Chapter 14: Business
References
Index