A Mind So Rare : The Evolution of Human Consciousness

First edition. Cloth binding, 371 pp. For centuries philosphers, scientists, and lay people alike have assumed consciousness to be the most distinctive feature of human nature. In recent years a number of influential thinkers have challenged the primacy of consciousness, dismissing it as a superficial by-product of evolution, or even an entirely irrelevant factor in human cognition. A Mind So Rare is a masterful critique of this prevailing view. Drawing on his groundbreaking theory of the origins of the modern mind, Merlin Donald presents the forces, both cultural and neuronal, that power our distinctively human modes of awareness, discussing the evolutionary triumph of human consciousness and speculating on how the mind might continue to develop in the future. Mint condition, in protective mylar cover.