A great scientist presents a radical new conception of how our minds work, arguing that rational decisions are not the product of logic alone, but require the support of emotion and feeling.
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Summary
A great scientist presents a radical new conception of how our minds work, arguing that rational decisions are not the product of logic alone, but require the support of emotion and feeling.
Description
"An ambitious and meticulous foray into the nature of being." -- The Boston Globe
A landmark exploration of the relationship between emotion and reason
Since Descartes famously proclaimed, "I think, therefore I am," science has often overlooked emotions as the source of a person’s true being. Even modern neuroscience has tended, until recently, to concentrate on the cognitive aspects of brain function, disregarding emotions. This attitude began to change with the publication of Descartes’ Error in 1995. Antonio Damasio—"one of the world’s leading neurologists" (The New York Times)—challenged traditional ideas about the connection between emotions and rationality. In this wondrously engaging book, Damasio takes the reader on a journey of scientific discovery through a series of case studies, demonstrating what many of us have long suspected: emotions are not a luxury, they are essential to rational thinking and to normal social behavior.
Critic Reviews
“Introduction xi PART IUnpleasantness in Vermont 3Gage's Brain Revealed 20A Modern Phineas Gage 34In Colder Blood 52PART IIAssembling an Explanation 83Biological Regulation and Survival 114Emotions and Feelings 127The Somatic-Marker Hypothesis 165PART IIITesting the Somatic-Marker Hypothesis 205The Body-Minded Brain 223A Passion for Reasoning 245Postscriptum 253Notes and References 269Further Reading 293Acknowledgments 299Index 301”
"An ambitious and meticulous foray into the nature of being." -- The Boston Globe
"We may well be about to discover that the heart is after all in the head." -- Financial Times
"Damasio's arguments are ingenious and wide ranging...His thoughtful and modest exposition should be taken seriously...It is no mean feat to say something original and intelligible about emotion." -- Nature
About the Author
Antonio Damasio, a neurologist and neuroscientist, is at the University of Southern California, where he directs a new brain research institute dedicated to the study of emotion and creativity. He is also an adjunct professor at the Salk Institute. The recipient of numerous awards (several shared with his wife Hanna Damasio, also a neurologist and neuroscientist), he is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of two other widely acclaimed books, The Feeling of What Happens and Looking for Spinoza.
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