Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: The Evolutionary Origins of BeliefW. W. Norton & Company, 17 juli 2008 - 256 sidor "Marvelously funny and provocative."—Publishers Weekly Why do 70 percent of Americans believe in angels, while others are convinced that they were abducted by aliens? What makes people believe in improbable things when all the evidence points to the contrary? And don't almost all of us, at some time or another, engage in magical thinking?In Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast, evolutionary biologist Lewis Wolpert delves into the important and timely debate over the nature of belief, looking at its psychological foundations to discover just what evolutionary purpose it could serve. Wolpert takes us through all that science can tell us about the beliefs we feel are instinctive. He deftly explores different types of belief—those of children, of the religious, and of those suffering from psychiatric disorders—and he asks whether it is possible to live without belief, or whether it is a necessary component of a functioning society. |
Innehåll
Children | |
Animals | |
Tools | |
Believing | |
False | |
Paranormal beliefs | |
Health | |
Moral | |
Science | |
Believable? | |
References | |
Acknowledgements | |
Index | |
Andra upplagor - Visa alla
Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: The Evolutionary Origins of Belief Lewis Wolpert Begränsad förhandsgranskning - 2007 |
Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: The Evolutionary Origins of Belief Lewis Wolpert Ingen förhandsgranskning - 2006 |
Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: The Evolutionary Origins of Belief Lewis Wolpert Ingen förhandsgranskning - 2008 |
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ability ancestors animals apes argued asked babies Barnum effect behaviour body brain Caledonian crows causal beliefs causal thinking causal understanding cause and effect cent century chimpanzees claimed cognitive common sense complex confabulation cultures David Hume death delusions disease embryo environment evidence evolution evolutionary evolved example explanations extrasensory perception false beliefs folk physics forces fundamental genes genetic hallucinations human human evolution hypnosis idea important individual influence interact involved Kanzi language learning lives magical mechanisms medicine mental illness Michael Shermer mind movement mystical nature normal objects one’s origin paranormal paranormal beliefs particularly patients people’s perception person phenomena physical placebo placebo effect possible primates problem programmed psychedelic drugs psychic recognise relation reliable religion religious beliefs result risk role schizophrenia scientists similar social someone stone tools studies subjects suggested supernatural telepathy theory thought University Press witchcraft