Intelligence in the flesh
Subtitle: why your mind needs your body much more than it thinks
By: Guy Claxton
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 331
ISBN-13: 9780300208825
Subjects: Human body; Psychophysiology; Mind and body; Body-mind centering; Emotional intelligence; Intellect; Human physiology
Description: "If you think that intelligence emanates from the mind and that reasoning necessitates the suppression of emotion, you'd better think again--or rather not 'think' at all. In his provocative new book, Guy Claxton draws on the latest findings in neuroscience and psychology to reveal how our bodies--long dismissed as mere conveyances--actually constitute the core of our intelligent life. From the endocrinal means by which our organs communicate to the instantaneous decision-making prompted by external phenomena, our bodies are able to perform intelligent computations that we either overlook or wrongly attribute to our brains. Embodied intelligence is one of the most exciting areas in contemporary philosophy and neuropsychology, and Claxton shows how the privilege given to cerebral thinking has taken a toll on modern society, resulting in too much screen time, the diminishment of skilled craftsmanship, and an overvaluing of white-collar over blue-collar labor. Discussing techniques that will help us reconnect with our bodies, Claxton shows how an appreciation of the body's intelligence will enrich all our lives."--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-313) and index.
Table of contents: title: Limbering up: an introduction; title: A brief history of anti-bodies; title: Bodies: what are we made of?; title: Why the body needs a brain; title: How brain and body talk to each other; title: Emotions and feelings; title: The embodied mind; title: The welling up of consciousness; title: The augmented body; title: Craftiness and expertise; title: Rehab: how can I get my body back?; title: The embodied life: self, spirit and society.