The Singular Self

An Introduction to the Psychology of Personhood

The Singular Self draws on material from psychology, philosophy, anthropology, and linguistics to develop a hierarchical and structured concept of personhood. In this landmark work, Rom HarrT shows that despite the centrality of our social and cultural identities, the self must ultimately be understood as autonomous, distinct, and continuousùas a shifting but unified pattern of multiplicities and singularities. This masterly analysis offers an opportunity to develop a truly scientific account of personhood. By charting a path across the psychological aspects of our being, from language to biology, HarrT maps the terrain of what is to be a person in the context of discursive psychology. The Singular Self is a profound reappraisal of the many-sided concept of self and makes transparent the deep and subtle aspects of the interplay between private and public ways of being one person in the multiple contexts of everyday life. It is an interdisiplinary tour de force that will influence the development of psychology for years to come.