Man, Beast and Zombie: The New Science of Human Nature

Man, Beast and Zombie: The New Science of Human Nature

by KenanMalik (Author)

Synopsis

Are humans unique? Can animals think as we do? Will machines ever be conscious? What is free will? For centuries, attempts to answer these questions have been the stuff of theological and philosophical dispute, as well as bar-room debate. Now scientists claim they can solve these riddles of human existence, once and for all. Man, Beast and Zombie is a thrillingly original and accessible book. Huge in its reach and powerful in its grasp, it draws on cutting-edge sciences such as evolutionary biology, cognitive psychology and Artificial Intelligence to assess what, precisely, they can and cannot explain about human nature. Kenan Malik explains the histories of these sciences and the philosophies that underpin them and analyses the complex relationship between human beings, animals and machines to explore what really makes us human.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 480
Edition: New
Publisher: Phoenix
Published: 06 Dec 2001

ISBN 10: 0753812959
ISBN 13: 9780753812952
Book Overview: Deftly interweaves philosophy, science and history to answer the most fundamental question of all: What Are We? 'A ray of common sense in a fog of pseudo-science. Kenan Malik's brilliant book cuts through the prejudice and plain ignorance that surrounds sociobiology to show what science can and cannot say about ourselves' Steve Jones 'I want to salute Malik for his stimulating contribution to the debate over the implications of current cognitive science' Sunday Times '[Malik's] eloquent, thoughtful and absorbing book' A.C. Grayling, Independent on Sunday 'This far-ranging and stimulating book...Malik does an excellent job of explaining the disagreements between the high priests of neo-Darwinism...His book is full of lively examples and witty ripostes. His critique of man-as-beast and man-as-zombie is as deep as it is broad, and impressively self-assured...[an] excellent book' Christian Tyler, Financial Times

Author Bio
Kenan Malik trained as a neurobiologist and was a research psychologist at the Centre for Research into Perception and Cognition at Sussex University. He is now a writer and lecturer. His work has appeared in the Guardian, Independentand the Financial Times. He is the author of the acclaimed study of racism, history and science, The Meaning of Race.