Again one of my innate weirdness, if I know I would love a book so much even before reading it, I postpone it by masquerading in procrastination. I am trying to get over that annoying habit and finally bought Descartes' Error by Antonio Damasio. It's a fantastic book which was written in 1994, which basically opened up the floodgates of "alternate" view of neuroscience. Damasio builds a beautiful scientific case against Descartes famous quote "I think, therefore I am". Earlier, Thomas Willis bought brain to the center of humanness - reason, deposing heart which had occupied the center stage for centuries. Damasio fine tunes it, arguing to reason, reason needs to collaborate with emotions. The heart of the book is "Somatic Marker Hypothesis" and its one spectacular revelations especially the "card" experiment where body "senses" the bad pack even before a visceral reality emerges leave alone self-realization.
The book quotes Phillip Johnson-Laird which epitomizes beautifully the essence of the book - "In order to decide, judge; in order to judge, reason; in order to reason, decide (what to reason about)."
It doesn't mean go through an infinite loop of metacognition but practice makes it possible to poise instead of soaking in a sea of skepticism.
The essence of what neuroscience is and will be contributing to the human destiny is also beautifully written by Damasio (and a reply too those who undermine the significance of neuroscience):
"Of course, there are risks when brains and minds that came from nature decide to place sorcerer's apprentice and influence nature itself. But there are also risk in not taking the challenge and not attempting to minimize suffering. Doing just what comes naturally can only please those who are unable to imagine better worlds and better ways, those who believe they are already in the best of all possible worlds."
David Brooks interview with Damasio is worth every minute.
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