How to Read the Evidence
The introduction distinguishes the standards of evidence used in philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and theology.
Resources Books The Architecture of Identity
Digital book · Manifested Identity
The Architecture of Identity
Across eleven chapters, Bo McCoy explores identity through philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, social relationships, and spiritual questions. The book examines how memory, narrative, embodiment, and relationships shape the self; why identity can become unsettled during change; and what it means to become someone new. It distinguishes research findings from philosophical and theological interpretations rather than claiming that science settles every question about the self.
- FormatDigital book (PDF)
- Pages205
- Price$7
Find your starting point
Who this book is for
- Readers curious about how consciousness, memory, the body, and relationships shape the sense of self.
- People exploring identity through transition, loss, disruption, or reinvention.
- Readers interested in an interdisciplinary inquiry that distinguishes scientific evidence from philosophical and spiritual interpretation.
Explore in this book
- What identity is and how an identity is built: the construction of the self.
- Memory and personal narrative, the embodied self, and the social self.
- Identity across time: yesterday's self, today's self, and tomorrow's self.
- Disruption, transition, loss, reinvention, and resistance to becoming who we want to be.
- The sacred self: identity, soul, God, and questions of transcendence.
- An integrated theory of identity, humanity's evolving identity, and a glossary of core terms.
A closer look inside
The reading path
Selected chapters and themes show how the book develops its ideas, from understanding the problem to putting the work into practice.
What Is Identity? and How an Identity Is Built
The opening chapters examine the question of identity and the construction of the self.
The Story of Me, the Embodied Self, and the Social Self
Chapters 3–5 explore memory and narrative, the body, and the influence of other people on who we understand ourselves to be.
Yesterday Me, Today Me, Tomorrow Me
Identity across time leads into disruption, transition, loss, reinvention, behavior, and resistance to becoming who we want to be.
The Sacred Self and an Integrated Theory of Identity
The later chapters consider identity, soul, God, transcendence, and an integrated account of who we are.
Humanity’s Identity
The final chapter considers our evolving presence, future identity creation, and what humanity may become, followed by an epilogue and glossary.
From reading to practice
Reading guides and reference material
The book supports its inquiry with guidance on interpreting evidence and a glossary of core terms.
An Interdisciplinary Starting Point
The introduction explains how several disciplines approach identity and why no single discipline owns the question.
Glossary of Core Terms
A reference section at the end of the book brings together its core terminology.
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