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 Descartes' BabyHow The Science Of Child Development Explains What Makes Us Humanby Paul Bloom Apr 13, 2004
Description"If you really want to understand human nature, you must observe people as they are before they are corrupted by language and culture, by MTV and Hebrew school. You must look at babies." So contends psychologist Paul Bloom-whom Steven Pinker calls "the wunderkind of cognitive science"-in this fascinating account of how we learn to make sense of reality. All humans see the world in two fundamentally different ways: Even babies have a rich understanding of both the physical and social worlds. They expect objects to obey principles of physics, and they're startled when things disappear or defy gravity. Yet they can also read emotions and respond with anger, sympathy, and joy. In Descartes' Baby, Bloom draws on a wealth of scientific discoveries to show how these two ways of knowing give rise to such uniquely human traits as humor, disgust, religion, art, and morality. The myriad ways that our dualist perspectives, born in infancy, undergo development throughout our lives and profoundly influence our thoughts, feelings, and actions is the subject of this richly rewarding book. Reviews"In this thought-provoking book…readers new to the study of psychology, as well as students and scholars, will find much to spark further interest and research." "The twenty-first century was marked by the unveiling of the human genome. The twenty-second century will be marked by the discovery of how this chemical package creates human nature. If you are as impatient as I am for a glimpse of the ingredients that went into making us the knowing species, then treat yourself to Paul Bloom's wonderful book 'DESCARTES' BABY.' It is a carefully argued, richly insightful, and deeply satisfying exploration of how and what we know about the physical, social and spiritual world."
"This gem of a book explains how people can be so smart but at the same time construe the world in seemingly bizarre ways. DESCARTES' BABY is crystal clear, gracefully written, and filled with fascinating observations." "Paul Bloom has a gift for explaining the science of mental development, making it relevant to our everyday lives and to the latest scientific research. This book will excite a new generation of readers. In Bloom's hands, the sober science comes alive." "DESCARTES' BABY is a superb blend of psychology and philosophy. Paul Bloom shines a clear and steady light on what we are, and provides the information we need to speculate on what we may still become." "[Bloom's] prose abounds with lively examples from conceptual art, contemporary fiction and his own child-rearing observations. The result is a delightful and humane study that makes rewarding reading for those interested in cognitive psychology's broader implications." Selling TerritoryWorld Excluding UK & Commonwealth |
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