The The Matter With Things

By (author) McGilchrist Iain
Short description/annotation:
Iain McGilchrist addresses some of the hardest questions humanity faces - Who are we? What is the world? How can we understand consciousness, matter, space and time? Following neurology, philosophy and physics, McGilchrist leads us to a vision of the world that is profound and beautiful - in line with the deepest traditions of human wisdom.
Description:
In this landmark new book, Iain McGilchrist addresses some of the oldest and hardest questions humanity faces - ones that, however, have a practical urgency for all of us today. Who are we? What is the world? How can we understand consciousness, matter, space and time? Is the cosmos without purpose or value? Can we really neglect the sacred and divine? In doing so, he argues that we have become enslaved to an account of things dominated by the brain''s left hemisphere, one that blinds us to an awe-inspiring reality that is all around us, had we but eyes to see it. He suggests that in order to understand ourselves and the world we need science and intuition, reason and imagination, not just one or two; that they are in any case far from being in conflict; and that the brain''s right hemisphere plays the most important part in each. And he shows us how to recognise the ''signature'' of the left hemisphere in our thinking, so as to avoid making decisions that bring disaster in their wake. Following the paths of cutting-edge neurology, philosophy and physics, he reveals how each leads us to a similar vision of the world, one that is both profound and beautiful - and happens to be in line with the deepest traditions of human wisdom. It is a vision that returns the world to life, and us to a better way of living in it: one we must embrace if we are to survive.
Table of contents:
Volume I List of Figures x List of Plates xiii Acknowledgments xv A Note to the Reader xvii Introduction 3 Part One: The Hemispheres and the Means to Truth Chapter 1 Some preliminaries: how we got here 53 Chapter 2 Attention 67 Chapter 3 Perception 105 Chapter 4 Judgment 135 Chapter 5 Apprehension 181 Chapter 6 Emotional and social intelligence 193 Chapter 7 Cognitive intelligence 225 Chapter 8 Creativity 239 Chapter 9 What schizophrenia and autism can tell us 305 Coda to Part I 371 Part Two: The Hemispheres and the Paths to Truth Chapter 10 What is truth? 379 Chapter 11 Science''s claims on truth 407 Chapter 12 The science of life: a study in left hemisphere capture 431 Chapter 13 Institutional science and truth 501 Chapter 14 Reason''s claims on truth 547 Chapter 15 Reason''s progeny 571 Chapter 16 Logic and paradox: a further study in left hemisphere capture 641 Chapter 17 Intuition''s claims on truth 673 Chapter 18 The untimely demise of intuition 707 Chapter 19 Intuition, imagination and the unveiling of the world 753 Coda to Part II Appendices to Volume I Appendix 1 Hemisphere differences and creativity: an examination of Dietrich and Kanso''s evidence 781 Appendix 2 Hoaxes are not confined to the field of science 793 Appendix 3 Why we should be sceptical of ''public science'' 797 Credits for the colour plates in volume 1 809 Volume II Part Three: The Unforeseen Nature of Reality Chapter 20 The coincidentia oppositorum 813 Chapter 21 The One and the Many 843 Chapter 22 Time 881 Chapter 23 Flow and movement 945 Chapter 24 Space and matter 997 Chapter 25 Matter and consciousness 1037 Chapter 26 Value 1121 Chapter 27 Purpose, life and the nature of the cosmos 1167 Chapter 28 The sense of the sacred 1193 Coda to Part III 1305 Epilogue 1309 Appendices to Volume II Appendix 4 What happens to time in depression 1337 Appendix 5 Hemisphere differences and morality: review of neuropsychological evidence 1343 Appendix 6 Hemisphere differences and beauty: review of neuropsychological evidence 1349 Appendix 7 Hemisphere differences and spirituality: review of neuropsychological evidence 1357 Ap