| Preface: Commanding the Dark Side Within |
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x | |
| Acknowledgments |
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xiv | |
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Chapter One The Problem of Sociocentrism |
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3 | (52) |
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Sociocentric Thought Should Be Distinguished from Sociological Thought |
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7 | (2) |
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Humans Are Influenced by Groups within Groups |
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9 | (2) |
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Primary Forms of Sociocentric Thought |
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11 | (36) |
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The Logic of Groupishness |
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13 | (4) |
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The Logic of Group Validation |
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17 | (4) |
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Many Group-Validated Beliefs Are Dangerous |
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21 | (4) |
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The Logic of Group Control; the Logic of Conformity |
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25 | (1) |
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Groups Impose Ideologies on Group Members |
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26 | (4) |
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People Tend to Blindly Conform to Group Rules and Groupthink |
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30 | (5) |
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Group Conformity Is Often Dangerous |
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35 | (4) |
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Dissenters Are Frequently Punished |
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39 | (5) |
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Groupishness, Group Validation, Group Control, and Group Conformity Interconnect and Interact |
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44 | (3) |
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Some Historical Notes on Sociocentric Thinking |
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47 | (6) |
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Concepts in Natural Languages That Imply Sociocentric Thinking or Its Opposite |
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53 | (2) |
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Chapter Two Manifestations of Sociocentric Thought in Human Societies |
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55 | (41) |
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Mass Media Shape and Are Shaped by Sociocentric Thinking |
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55 | (2) |
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Unbridled Global Capitalism Is a Powerful Sociocentric Force in Human Life |
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57 | (8) |
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Schooling Is a Prevailing Sociocentric Agent |
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65 | (7) |
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Speciescentrism Is a Dangerous Form of Sociocentrism |
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72 | (6) |
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Many Studies Illuminate Problems Implicit in Sociocentric Thinking |
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78 | (7) |
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Sociocentric Thought in Academic Disciplines and in the Professions |
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85 | (11) |
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Case Notes: Psychology and Psychiatry Often Foster Sociocentric Thought |
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89 | (7) |
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Chapter Three Sociocentric and Other Irrational Uses of Language |
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96 | (15) |
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The Mind Naturally Generates Concepts and Perspectives That Serve Its Interests |
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100 | (3) |
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Humans Often Distort Reality through Irrational Lenses |
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103 | (3) |
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People Often Have Trouble Seeing through Ideological Uses of Words |
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106 | (2) |
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People Frequently Use Inappropriate Analogies to Serve Sociocentric Interests |
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108 | (3) |
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Chapter Four Sociocentric Counterfeits of Ethical Reasoning |
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111 | (20) |
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It Is Essential to Distinguish among Questions of Ethics, Social Conventions, Religion, and the Law |
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112 | (1) |
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113 | (2) |
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Ethics versus Political Ideology |
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115 | (2) |
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117 | (3) |
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Overturning Unethical Laws Is Often Difficult Due to Groupthink |
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118 | (2) |
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Ethics versus Social Conventions |
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120 | (9) |
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Social Mores Vary across Cultures |
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121 | (2) |
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Taboos Are Prevalent in Human Societies |
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123 | (6) |
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Some Acts Are Unethical in and of Themselves |
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129 | (2) |
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Chapter Five Sociocentric Thinking and Egocentric Thinking in Interrelationship |
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131 | (30) |
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The Human Mind Is Frequently Irrational while Having the Capacity for Rational Thought |
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132 | (1) |
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Humans Are Frequently Egocentric |
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133 | (1) |
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Two Primary Tendencies of Egocentric Thought |
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134 | (1) |
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Sociocentricity Can Be Directly Linked to Egocentric Thought |
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134 | (2) |
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Distinguishing Rational from Egocentric and Sociocentric Thoughts |
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136 | (1) |
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Self-Deception Plays a Primary Role in Sociocentric Thought |
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137 | (4) |
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Many Complex Relationships Exist between and Among Egocentric, Sociocentric, and Rational Thought |
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141 | (1) |
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142 | (3) |
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Sociocentric Thought Can Be More Dangerous Than Egocentric Thought |
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145 | (1) |
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Convincing Parallels between Egocentric and Sociocentric Thought |
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146 | (12) |
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Egocentric Dominating and Submissive Tendencies Are Often Transformed into Sociocentric Domination and Submission |
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146 | (3) |
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People Often Use Egocentric Standards for Determining What to Believe |
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149 | (1) |
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Sociocentric Standards for Determining What to Believe Are Linked with Egocentric Standards |
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150 | (1) |
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Piaget's Insights on Egocentricity Can Be Linked to Sociocentric Thought |
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151 | (2) |
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Sociocentric Pathological Tendencies Are Common in Human Life |
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153 | (1) |
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Sociocentric Pathological Tendencies Can Be Challenged |
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154 | (2) |
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Groups Routinely Use Sociocentric Defense Mechanisms |
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156 | (2) |
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Intrinsic Cognitive Processes Can Serve Rational, Egocentric, or Sociocentric Agendas |
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158 | (3) |
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Chapter Six Envisioning Critical Societies |
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161 | (40) |
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Cultivating Critical Thinking Is the Key to Fairminded Critical Societies |
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161 | (2) |
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Critical Thinking Is Largely Ignored in Today's Societies |
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163 | (1) |
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20 Barriers to Critical Societies |
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164 | (1) |
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Critical Societies Support Maximum Freedoms |
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165 | (4) |
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Critical Societies Encourage Intellectual Autonomy and Responsibility |
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169 | (1) |
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Critical Societies Entail the Following Six Hallmarks |
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170 | (3) |
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Conceptualizing Everyday Ways of Thinking in Critical Societies |
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173 | (3) |
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Using the Tools of Critical Thinking to Emancipate the Mind |
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176 | (3) |
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177 | (2) |
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179 | (2) |
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Why the Analysis of Critical Thinking Is Important |
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180 | (1) |
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All Thinking Is Defined by the Eight Elements That Make It Up |
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180 | (1) |
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The Elements of Thought and Questions They Imply |
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181 | (1) |
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To Evaluate Thinking We Must Understand and Apply Intellectual Standards |
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182 | (2) |
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Critical Thinkers Routinely Apply Intellectual Standards to the Elements of Reasoning in Order to Develop Intellectual Virtues |
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184 | (1) |
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Critical Thinkers Commit Themselves to the Development of Intellectual Virtues |
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185 | (1) |
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Essential Intellectual Traits |
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186 | (2) |
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The Mind's Three Distinctive Functions |
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188 | (4) |
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Conclusion: Some Elements of Critical Societies Can Be Found Throughout Human History |
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192 | (9) |
| Afterword |
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201 | (2) |
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| References |
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203 | (8) |
| Image Sources |
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211 | (4) |
| Appendix A Some Basic Definitions |
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215 | (10) |
| Appendix B The Logic of Sociocentric Thought |
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225 | (6) |
| Index |
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231 | (7) |
| About the Author |
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238 | |
