Human Development and the Spiritual Life

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

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2. A Sketch for a Theory of Psychology

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. The Relevance of Psychology to Spiritual Development

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 3-24

   3. The Nature of Development

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 25-33

   4. Evolution

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 35-47

   5. Impulse Control and Repression

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 49-64

   6. Cognition

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 65-78

   7. Language

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 79-89

3. On the Threshold of the Spirit

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 91-91

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   2. Identity

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 93-107

   3. Narrative

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 109-135

   4. Epistemic Knowing

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 137-147

   5. Knowing the Self

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 149-168

   6. Social and Moral Knowing

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 169-174

   7. Cosmic Knowing

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 175-190

4. Conclusion

   1. Conclusion

      • Ronald R. Irwin

      Pages 191-193

5. Back Matter

   Pages 195-207

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The author proposes a theory of the development of consciousness in which ego is the central agent of socialization and culture and the driving force behind individual self-control and self-regulation. He reviews the literature on identity and narrative; outlines the fields of intellectual, self, moral, and consciousness development; and discusses the evidence indicating that the development of consciousness trancends the limitations of conventional ego development.

• cognition
• development
• evolution
• psychology
• socialization

• Brockville, Canada

  Ronald R. Irwin

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