Description

By (author) McGilchrist Iain

Short /annotation:
Iain McGilchrist addresses some of the hardest questions humanity faces – Who are we? What is the world? How can we understand consciousness, matter, space and time? Following neurology, philosophy and physics, McGilchrist leads us to a vision of the world that is profound and beautiful – in line with the deepest traditions of human wisdom.

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In this landmark new book, Iain McGilchrist addresses some of the oldest and hardest questions humanity faces – ones that, however, have a practical urgency for all of us today. Who are we? What is the world? How can we understand consciousness, matter, space and time? Is the cosmos without purpose or value? Can we really neglect the sacred and divine? In doing so, he argues that we have become enslaved to an account of things dominated by the brain”s left hemisphere, one that blinds us to an awe-inspiring reality that is all around us, had we but eyes to see it. He suggests that in order to understand ourselves and the world we need science and intuition, reason and imagination, not just one or two; that they are in any case far from being in conflict; and that the brain”s right hemisphere plays the most important part in each. And he shows us how to recognise the ”signature” of the left hemisphere in our thinking, so as to avoid making decisions that bring disaster in their wake. Following the paths of cutting-edge neurology, philosophy and physics, he reveals how each leads us to a similar vision of the world, one that is both profound and beautiful – and happens to be in line with the deepest traditions of human wisdom. It is a vision that returns the world to life, and us to a better way of living in it: one we must embrace if we are to survive.

Table of contents:
Volume IList of Figures xList of Plates xiiiAcknowledgments xvA Note to the Reader xviiIntroduction 3Part One: The Hemispheres and the Means to Truth Chapter 1 Some preliminaries: how we got here 53Chapter 2 Attention 67Chapter 3 Perception 105Chapter 4 Judgment 135Chapter 5 Apprehension 181Chapter 6 Emotional and social intelligence 193Chapter 7 Cognitive intelligence 225Chapter 8 Creativity 239Chapter 9 What schizophrenia and autism can tell us 305Coda to Part I 371Part Two: The Hemispheres and the Paths to Truth Chapter 10 What is truth? 379Chapter 11 Science”s claims on truth 407Chapter 12 The science of life: a study in left hemisphere capture 431Chapter 13 Institutional science and truth 501Chapter 14 Reason”s claims on truth 547Chapter 15 Reason”s progeny 571Chapter 16 Logic and paradox: a further study in left hemisphere capture 641Chapter 17 Intuition”s claims on truth 673Chapter 18 The untimely demise of intuition 707Chapter 19 Intuition, imagination and the unveiling of the world 753Coda to Part IIAppendices to Volume IAppendix 1 Hemisphere differences and creativity: an examination of Dietrich and Kanso”s evidence 781Appendix 2 Hoaxes are not confined to the field of science 793Appendix 3 Why we should be sceptical of ”public science” 797Credits for the colour plates in volume 1 809Volume II Part Three: The Unforeseen Nature of Reality Chapter 20 The coincidentia oppositorum 813Chapter 21 The One and the Many 843Chapter 22 Time 881Chapter 23 Flow and movement 945Chapter 24 Space and matter 997Chapter 25 Matter and consciousness 1037Chapter 26 Value 1121Chapter 27 Purpose, life and the nature of the cosmos 1167Chapter 28 The sense of the sacred 1193Coda to Part III 1305Epilogue 1309Appendices to Volume IIAppendix 4 What happens to time in depression 1337Appendix 5 Hemisphere differences and morality: review of neuropsychological evidence 1343Appendix 6 Hemisphere differences and beauty: review of neuropsychological evidence 1349Appendix 7 Hemisphere differences and spirituality: review of neuropsychological evidence 1357Ap