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Record Nr. |
UNINA9910789936703321 |
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Autore |
Tallis Raymond |
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Titolo |
Aping mankind : neuromania, Darwinitis and the misrepresentation of humanity / / Raymond Tallis |
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Pubbl/distr/stampa |
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London ; ; New York : , : Routledge, , 2011, 2014 |
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ISBN |
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1-315-71138-9 |
1-84465-272-6 |
1-317-49178-5 |
1-84465-274-2 |
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Descrizione fisica |
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1 online resource (xi, 388 pages) : digital, PDF file(s) |
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Disciplina |
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Soggetti |
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Cognitive neuroscience |
Evolutionary psychology |
Consciousness |
Neurosciences |
Human beings |
Evolution (Biology) |
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Lingua di pubblicazione |
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Formato |
Materiale a stampa |
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Livello bibliografico |
Monografia |
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Note generali |
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First published in 2011 by Acumen. |
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Nota di contenuto |
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Introduction: The strange case of Professor Gray and other provocations -- Science and scientism -- Consequences -- Neuromania : a castle built on sand -- From Darwinism to Darwinitis -- Bewitched by language -- The sighted watchmaker -- Reaffirming our humanity -- Defending the humanities -- Back to the drawing board. |
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Sommario/riassunto |
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In a devastating critique Raymond Tallis exposes the exaggerated claims made for the ability of neuroscience and evolutionary theory to explain human consciousness, behaviour, culture and society. While readily acknowledging the astounding progress neuroscience has made in helping us understand how the brain works, Tallis directs his guns at Neuromania the belief that brain activity is not merely a necessary but a sufficient condition for human consciousness and that consequently our everyday behaviour can be entirely understood in neural terms. Tallis dismantles this idea, and shows it to be confused and fallacious, sidestepping a whole range of mindbody problems. To |
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explain everyday behaviour in Darwinian terms and to identify human consciousness with the activity of the evolved brain denies human uniqueness, and by minimising the differences between us and our nearest animal kin, misrepresents what we are, offering a grotesquely simplified and degrading account of humanity. We are, shows Tallis, infinitely more interesting and complex than we appear in the mirror of biologism. Combative, fearless and always thought-provoking, Aping Mankind is an important book, one that scientists, cultural commentators and policy-makers cannot ignore. |
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