"Touching a Nerve: The Self as Brain" by philosopher Patricia Churchland
June 25, 2013 at 12:51 pm
(This post was last modified: June 25, 2013 at 12:52 pm by Whateverist.)
Just came across this lead for my first summer's read. Can't wait to get my hands on it. I hope this lady is a good writer.
Touching a Nerve: The Self as Brain, by Patricia S. Churchland. Norton. 304 pages. $26.95. [$18 on Amazon]
“You cannot understand the mind without understanding how the brain works,” writes the philosopher Patricia S. Churchland in this marvelous book, which uses recent findings from neuroscience and evolution to illuminate deep questions about human nature. After early chapters debunking the soul and afterlife, Dr. Churchland gives a nuanced account of sex, violence and morality, working up gently but ambitiously from brain chemicals to ethical norms. She predicts that consciousness, which she believes may be shared in some form by all mammals and birds, will eventually be understood by the convergence of “a million little important results,” not by a miraculous discovery. Throughout the book Dr. Churchland draws on episodes from her early life on a Canadian farm to illustrate her arguments. A trustworthy guide, she gives comfort not by simplifying the research but by asking the right questions."
I'm pre-ordering my copy right now.
Touching a Nerve: The Self as Brain, by Patricia S. Churchland. Norton. 304 pages. $26.95. [$18 on Amazon]
“You cannot understand the mind without understanding how the brain works,” writes the philosopher Patricia S. Churchland in this marvelous book, which uses recent findings from neuroscience and evolution to illuminate deep questions about human nature. After early chapters debunking the soul and afterlife, Dr. Churchland gives a nuanced account of sex, violence and morality, working up gently but ambitiously from brain chemicals to ethical norms. She predicts that consciousness, which she believes may be shared in some form by all mammals and birds, will eventually be understood by the convergence of “a million little important results,” not by a miraculous discovery. Throughout the book Dr. Churchland draws on episodes from her early life on a Canadian farm to illustrate her arguments. A trustworthy guide, she gives comfort not by simplifying the research but by asking the right questions."
I'm pre-ordering my copy right now.
