Descartes' Baby : How Child Development Explains What Makes Us Human - Softcover

Paul Bloom

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0099437945 ISBN 13: 9780099437949

Publisher: Random House, 2005

Synopsis

Why is a forgery worth so much less than an original work of art? What's so funny about someone slipping on a banana peel? Why, as Freud once asked, is a man willing to kiss a woman passionately, but not use her toothbrush? And how many times should you baptize a two-headed twin? "Descartes' Baby" answers such questions, questions we may have never thought to ask about such uniquely human traits as art, humour, faith, disgust, and morality. In this thought-provoking and fascinating account of human nature, psychologist Paul Bloom contends that we all see the world in terms of bodies and souls. 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. They can read the emotions of adults and respond with their own feelings of anger, sympathy and joy. This 'dualist' perspective remains with us throughout our lives. Using his own researches and new ideas from philosophy, evolutionary biology, aesthetics, theology, and neuroscience, Bloom shows how this way to making sense of reality can explain what makes us human. The myriad ways that our childhood views of the world undergo development throughout our lives and profoundly influences our thoughts, feelings, and actions is the subject of this richly rewarding book.

About this title

About the Author

Paul Bloom is Professor of Psychology at Yale University. He is an internationally recognised expert on the psychology of language, social reasoning, morality and art. His previous books include Just Babies and How Pleasure Works, and he has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times, New Yorker and the Guardian. Bloom has won several awards for his research, articles and teaching, and his `Introduction to Psychology' class was one of seven selected by Yale to be made available worldwide. His TED talks have been viewed 2.8 million times.

Review

"'Lifts some weighty concepts with a lightness of touch. It's genuinely thoughtful and thought-provoking, rather than some wearingly trivial pop psychology book about how cute babies are.'" -- Mil Millington * Observer's Summer Reading * "'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.'" -- Steven Pinker "'Simple and compelling... Bloom illuminates his arguments with fascinating case histories... Along the way Bloom offers psychological insight into all manner of puzzling questions... Bloom's underlying philosophical aims are profound... We stand on the brink of a new era of self-discovery.'" * The Times *

Edition details

• Publisher: Random House
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0099437945
• ISBN 13: 9780099437949
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288