Metazoa : animal minds and the birth of consciousness

By:

Smith, Peter Godfrey

Material type: Text

TextPublication details: London William Collins 2020Description: x, 336pISBN:

9780008321239 (pbk.)

Subject(s):

DDC classification:

128.2 SMI

Summary: Combining science, philosophy, and his own observations gleaned from "watery hours" spent scuba diving, Godfrey-Smith (history, philosophy of science, Univ. of Sydney; Theory and Reality) examines the origins of animal consciousness. In his work, Other Minds, the author focused on octopuses; here, the book's "tentacular form" shows him considering several animal groups as he investigates the puzzle of how subjective awareness came to exist. This is no dry, academic treatise; Godfrey-Smith takes care to keep the work accessible by summarizing key points, explaining the work of relevant scientists and philosophers, and punctuating the text with memorable facts. The book is enlivened by the wit and affection with which the author often regards his subjects of study. He writes, for example, of the arthropod way of evolving ("when in doubt, add some legs") or the mantis shrimp's odd appearance ("a head festooned with golf clubs and party lights"). An astonishing range of creatures are considered and a fascinating argument advanced about how evolutionary innovations can give rise to animal minds.

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Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode
Book	Plaksha University Library	Psychology	128.2 SMI (Browse shelf(Opens below))	Available		004634

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58586937-metazoa

Combining science, philosophy, and his own observations gleaned from "watery hours" spent scuba diving, Godfrey-Smith (history, philosophy of science, Univ. of Sydney; Theory and Reality) examines the origins of animal consciousness. In his work, Other Minds, the author focused on octopuses; here, the book's "tentacular form" shows him considering several animal groups as he investigates the puzzle of how subjective awareness came to exist. This is no dry, academic treatise; Godfrey-Smith takes care to keep the work accessible by summarizing key points, explaining the work of relevant scientists and philosophers, and punctuating the text with memorable facts. The book is enlivened by the wit and affection with which the author often regards his subjects of study. He writes, for example, of the arthropod way of evolving ("when in doubt, add some legs") or the mantis shrimp's odd appearance ("a head festooned with golf clubs and party lights"). An astonishing range of creatures are considered and a fascinating argument advanced about how evolutionary innovations can give rise to animal minds.

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