Animal and the Thinker Instinct, Reason and the Dance of Our Divided Selves
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Biographical note
John Duncan is among the pioneers of modern cognitive neuroscience. He has worked for more than forty years on the puzzles of mind and brain, with joint appointments at the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford. He is a Fellow of both the Royal Society and the British Academy. In 2012 he was awarded the Heineken Prize in Cognitive Science.<b>A tour de force. John Duncan has marshalled his experience as a world-class cognitive neuroscientist to remind us that whilst reason seems to define the human mind, the role of our animal instincts, as studied through Darwinian ethology, powerfully shape our behaviour and our social values. Duncan writes with an elegant clarity which is simultaneously thought-provoking and entertaining</b>
Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, University of Cambridge
<b>Electric... a book full of good science, sage advice and deep understanding of the human condition</b>
Professor Robin Dunbar, University of Oxford
<b>John Duncan is one of the most interesting and thoughtful scientists to tackle the complexities of the human brain, and in this provocative and enjoyable book he explores how we are simultaneously rational and logical, but also animalistic and reactive in our thoughts and behaviour. Spanning human experience, from laughter to logic, he delves into the conflicts and convergences of these different brain systems with wit and insight</b>
Professor Sophie Scott CBE
The big questions of our lives bring fierce debates. Right and wrong. Freedom and responsibility. Women and men. Democracy and justice. Ambition and fulfilment. Where do answers lie in a mind that produces the many sides and needs of humanity?
In The Animal and the Thinker, pioneering neuroscientist John Duncan lays out the principles, strengths and weaknesses of two sides of ourselves. One side follows the principles of instinctive animal behaviour. It is elaborate, sophisticated, conflicted yet essential - without it, our life would have no meaning. On the other side is our rational brain. It generates an infinite world of new ideas, but often, its need for focus generates sterile social beliefs and destructive culture wars. Our rational side is brilliant, but often, it is wrong.
For thousands of years, writers, thinkers and philosophers have seen human life as a war between Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Duncan shows that there is no war. To bring humanity and reality to the great, conflicted questions of our lives, we need the dance between these two essential sides of ourselves.