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In the
twenty years that I have been researching human nature, I've
come to understand that a new social theory is developing, one that was
not possible before the new brain, anatomical and genetic sciences
allowed human civilization to make huge leaps in the exploration
of questions of our human origins, identity and society.
As a practical philosopher, I've presented
nature-based theory in a number of books, including THE
MINDS OF BOYS, THE
WONDER OF BOYS, THE
WONDER OF GIRLS, BOYS
AND GIRLS LEARN
DIFFERENTLY!, and WHAT
COULD HE BE THINKING?.
Nature-Based Theory refers to a scientific approach
to human nature that respects our past reliance on religion and social
ideology, but also elevates hard science into equal partnership with
religion and ideology in human identity development.
Until the last few decades, it has been important
to define ourselves mainly based on religious ideas and stories (the
Bible, the Koran, concepts of sin and salvation) and social ideologies
(such as feminism or egalitarianism). And, of course,
religion and ideology still remain a permanent marker in the human
psyche. However, for nature-based theorists and practitioners
like myself, the hard sciences (because they have advanced so much in
the last two hundred years) are now just as important to human family
and community life as religion and social ideology.
Neuro-biology is the hard science I mainly use as a
foundation for my professional work and my own family and personal
life. Neuro-biology is the biological study of the human
brain and body in relation to its natural and social environment.
Neuro-biology is a vast science, which includes
neuro-psychiatry, neuro-chemistry, neuro-physics, and many
others. Fortunately, today, these new brain sciences are not
obscurethey are available to all of us via publications,
media and the internet. I and others have tried to make them
generally accessible through our writing. Perhaps most
stunning, human beings can see ourselves on PET scans and
MRIs. We can know ourselves in ways we never could
before. In our potential knowledge of ourselves, we are not
who we were when our religious texts were written, nor even our
dominant social ideologies developed.
This website, the educational work of the Gurian Institute
and my corporate
training are devoted to the increase in human understanding
of
self, nature and
society through hard sciences, especially brain science. If
you are involved in business, education, social service, parenting,
couples relationships, urban policy, therapy or any other professional
and personal work that utilizes the skills and knowledge of
nature-based thinking, please write me.
Nature-based theory and the new brain and genetic sciences
are presently altering these disciplines:
- business
- psychology
- social
science
- education
- parenting
and child attachment
- urban
policy
- religion
and spirituality
- corrections,
juvenile justice
and law enforcement
- medicine
and physical health.
On this website, you'll find books,
videotapes, links
and other resources through which you, your family
and your workplace can better your understanding of who you are, and
who we might become.
I hope you'll enjoy exploring human life through
the lens of the new sciences, and I hope you'll bring these
sciences into your own life and work in practical ways.
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