Xcogitate - 2nd Edition: An Introduction to the Examined Life

Modern neuroscience, in describing the way our brain processes our sensory inputs, has transformed the way we see ourselves in relation to the world. This demands a radical reevaluation of traditional philosophical topics. In this text I attempt to outline a modern methodology which emphasizes the importance of theory in our lives. Theorizing is a liberating concept that allows us to articulate ourselves more carefully and more fully than ever before. It connects us with every living and non-living thing in the world, and emphasizes in particular our connections with other humans via empathy and reciprocal altruism. In short, the destruction of our old safely anchored conception of the world is the best thing that ever happened to us, but we must reflect upon our lives in light of these changes in order to take advantage of them. This text is designed to help you begin this process of self-examination by explaining, in ordinary language, how we experience the world, process that experience, and what this means to us in our everyday life.