1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910822114703321

Autore

Tallis Raymond

Titolo

Aping mankind : neuromania, Darwinitis and the misrepresentation of humanity / / Raymond Tallis

Pubbl/distr/stampa

London ; ; New York : , : Routledge, , 2011, 2014

ISBN

1-315-71138-9

1-84465-272-6

1-317-49178-5

1-84465-274-2

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (xi, 388 pages) : digital, PDF file(s)

Disciplina

304.5

Soggetti

Cognitive neuroscience

Evolutionary psychology

Consciousness

Neurosciences

Human beings

Evolution (Biology)

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

First published in 2011 by Acumen.

Nota di contenuto

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.

Sommario/riassunto

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 mind–body problems. To



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.