This book purports to devise a pattern of the self that accounts for the role that change and identity play in self-shaping. It focuses on the process through which we discover, know and shape ourselves and wonder whether there is a core of our individuality and how we should account for it. The core is described along with its range of possible variations and its constraints. This volume provides arguments on how individual essence - far from being something monolithic - is inherently dynamic.

The text delves into the link between change and identity in self-shaping, arguably the fundamental issue of personal individuality. Different theories and standpoints are addressed and scrutinized. Descriptive phenomenology will enter along with Max Scheler's stance on axiology, as well as the keystones that account for self-shaping. This book appeals to students and researchers working on the implications of phenomenology for self identification and personal individuality.

Autorentext

Dr. Bianca Bellini's research interests focus on Scheler's stance on personhood and Husserl's stance on imagination. Her interest in literature has led her to delve into the topic of the imaginary; her interest in individuality has led her to delve into the topic of self-shaping. She's been a guest researcher at the Husserl Archives in Leuven, has participated in several international conferences, and has contributed to a high number of publications giving her the opportunity to examine the phenomenological link between change and identity in self-shaping. 

Inhalt
Introduction.- Chapter 1. The Fundamental Issue of Personal Individuality and its Significance.- Chapter 2. Theories on Personal Identity do not Solve the Fundamental Issue.- Chapter 3. Theories on Self-Imagination do not Solve the Fundamental Issue.- Chapter 4. What does my Self Consist in? A Multilayer Pattern of Personal Individuality.- Chapter 5. How the Multilayer Pattern Solves the Fundamental Issue. Self¬-Discovery and Readiness for Self-Reorchestration as Overriding Keys to Self-Shaping.- Chapter 6. Exemplariness as the Key to my Self-Possibilities.- Chapter 7. Exemplariness in Comparison with Other Modes of Influence.- Chapter 8. Availability to Self-Reorchestration: A Panoramic View on Life and the Role of the Imaginary in Self-Shaping.- Chapter 9. When Availability to Self-Reorchestration is not Enough.- Concluding Remarks. The Transcendence of Personal Individuality.- Bibliography.