What Makes Us Human?

by Pasternak, Charles

• ISBN13: 9781851685196
• ISBN10: 1851685197
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-10-26
• Publisher: Oneworld Publications

Summary

How and why did we become who we are? In "What Makes Us Human?" some of theorld's most brilliant thinkers offer their answers to this perennial puzzle,ncluding Susan Blackmore, Robin Dunbar, Susan Greenfield, Richard Harries,enan Malik, Richard Wrangham, Ian Tattersall, and Lewis Wolpert. Together,hey draw on a broad spectrum of disciplines, from anthropology, biochemistry,edicine, and neuroscience, to philosophy, psychology, and religion, to askhat makes us distinctively human. Is it our cognitive abilities, or our usef tools, our story-telling, our beliefs, our curiosity, our ability to cook,r our culture? Are we half-ape or half-angel? "What Makes Us Human?"xplains how and why our ancestors adapted to their surroundings to produceuch clever, talented, and unlikely progeny. It is for all to enjoy.

Table of Contents

Imitation Makes Us Human	p. 1
Memory, Time, and Language	p. 17
Why Are Humans Not Just Great Apes?	p. 37
The Hominid that Talked	p. 49
Half Ape, Half Angel?	p. 71
Material Facts from a Nonmaterialist Perspective	p. 82
What Makes Us Human? - Our Ancestors and the Weather	p. 93
Curiosity and Quest	p. 114
Human Evolution and the Human Condition	p. 133
The Place of 'Deep Social Mind' in the Evolution of Human Nature	p. 146
Causal Belief Makes Us Human	p. 164
The Cooking Enigma	p. 182
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.