Evolution of the Brain: Creation of the Self

by John C. Eccles

Overview

Sir John Eccles, a distinguished scientist and Nobel Prize winner who has devoted his scientific life to the study of the mammalian brain, tells the story of how we came to be, not only as animals at the end of the hominid evolutionary line, but also as human persons possessed of reflective consciousness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415032247
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/14/1991
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	300
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Sir John Eccles has written many books on the development of the human brain.

Table of Contents

Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgements. List of Abbreviations. Biological evolution. The general story of human evolution. Evolution of hominid brain: bipedality; agility. Linguistic communication in hominid evolution. Cerebral limbic system in relation to the evolution of the reproductive and emotional systems. Visuo-motor evolution: artistic creativity. Evolution of learning and memory. The mind-brain problem in evolution. The self and its brain. The human person. Addendum. References. Subject index and Glossary.

What People are Saying About This

Sir Karl Popper

I regard this book as unique. The problem of human descent has been discussed intensely since Darwin's Descent of Man (1871), but never before has a brain scientist collected all the evidence (and there is a lot of it) pertaining to the most important of all the big problems - the evolution of the human brain, and of the human mind.... It is an extraordinary achievement and an excellent book.

Editorial Reviews

Eccles calls himself a Darwinian, but actually he's a Wallacean — and there's a difference, a big difference between the two views. As Eccles explains, "Wallace felt that human intelligence could only be explained by the direct intervention of Cosmic intelligence." This was a notion Darwin couldn't stomach. ....[O]verall: an interesting book...but one that leaves the reader with a choice: since there are no arguments to speak of, do I bother to consider whether the views advocated herein can be established, or at least defended?
— Psyche

Joseph A. Daraio

Scientist and Nobel Prize winner Eccles tells the story of how we came to be what we are, not only as animals at the end of the hominid evolutionary line, but also as human beings possessed of reflective consciousness. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

Eccles calls himself a Darwinian, but actually he's a Wallacean — and there's a difference, a big difference between the two views. As Eccles explains, "Wallace felt that human intelligence could only be explained by the direct intervention of Cosmic intelligence." This was a notion Darwin couldn't stomach. ....[O]verall: an interesting book...but one that leaves the reader with a choice: since there are no arguments to speak of, do I bother to consider whether the views advocated herein can be established, or at least defended?
— Psyche

Selmer Bringsjord & Joseph A. Daraio

'An extraordinary achievement, and an excellent book.' - Sir Karl Popper

'A valuable contribution to a debate of considerable significance.' - Dr John Polkinghorne, Queen's College, Cambridge

'Epoch-making book ... a monumental achievement of synthesis and analysis, a fitting culmination to a lifetime devoted to understanding the human brain and the nature of the self.' - The Scientific and Medical Network

From the Publisher