Synopses & Reviews
What happens when we accept that everything we feel and think stems not from an immaterial spirit but from electrical and chemical activity in our brains? In this thought-provoking narrative--drawn from professional expertise as well as personal life experiences--trailblazing neurophilosopher Patricia S. Churchland grounds the philosophy of mind in the essential ingredients of biology. She reflects with humor on how she came to harmonize science and philosophy, the mind and the brain, abstract ideals and daily life.
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"Marvelous...A trustworthy guide, [Churchland] gives comfort not by simplifying the research but by asking the right questions." Jascha Hoffman
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"It is hard to conceive of a better guide to this difficult terrain than the MacArthur-award-winning Ms. Churchland...[She] writes with surpassing clarity, elegance, humor and modesty." New York Times
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"Makes beautifully clear how complex and contingent the simplest brain business is." Abigail Zuger New York Times
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"An introspective, thought-provoking work of nonfiction that will promote intense discussion." Adam Gopnik The New Yorker
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"[A] beautiful, unpretentious, enchanting exploration of mind, morals, and the meaning of life." Library Journal
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"Like a refreshing, bracing prairie breeze blowing away the cobwebs and obfuscation of so much philosophy and neuroscience. It is dazzlingly clear, down to earth, and often funny." Owen Flanagan, author of The Really Hard Problem: Meaning in a Material World
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"Bold, deeply insightful and biological to the core, with a warm and soothing touch of humanity." Alison Gopnik, author of The Philosophical Baby: What Children
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"In this remarkably moving and deeply personal book, Patricia Churchland, one of the founders of the field of neurophilosophy, reminds us all that we not only have a brain and how it works, but she plumbs the depths of philosophy's biggest questions from a neuroscience perspective and thereby opens new vistas about ourselves and our humanity." Joaquín Fuster, author of The Prefrontal Cortex
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"A spellbinding journey into the workings of the human brain and the relevance of neuroscience to our daily lives. It will interest anyone who thinks that good philosophy needs be grounded in good science or who is simply curious about how understanding the brain can help us make sense of the human condition. A terrific read!" Joaquín Fuster, author of The Prefrontal Cortex
Synopsis
A trailblazing philosopher's exploration of the latest brain science--and its ethical and practical implications.
About the Author
Patricia S. Churchland is a professor emerita of philosophy at the University of California, San Diego. The recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship for her work in neurophilosophy, she lives in San Diego.