Includes bibliographical references (pages [249]-294) and index.
Contents:
Part I: About life and its regulation (homeostasis). On the human condition ; In a region of unlikeness ; Varieties of homeostasis ; From single cells to nervous systems and minds -- Part II: Assembling the cultural mind. The origin of minds ; Expanding minds ; Affect ; The construction of feelings ; Consciousness -- Part III: The cultural mind at work. On cultures ; Medicine, immortality, and algorithms ; On the human condition now ; The strange order of things.
Summary:
The Strange Order of Things is a pathbreaking investigation into homeostasis, the condition that regulates human physiology within the range that makes possible not only survival but also the flourishing of life. Antonio Damasio makes clear that we descend biologically, psychologically, and even socially from a long lineage that begins with single living cells; that our minds and cultures are linked by an invisible thread to the ways and means of ancient unicellular existence and other primitive life-forms; and that inherent in our very chemistry is a powerful force, a striving toward life maintenance that governs life in all its guises, including the development of genes that help regulate and transmit life. The Strange Order of Things is a landmark reflection that spans the biological and social sciences, offering a new way of understanding the origins of life, feeling, and culture.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.