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  • © 2013

The Long Evolution of Brains and Minds

Authors:

  • First book with thorough analysis of relationship between evolution of nervous systems and evolution of intelligence
  • Competent discussion of the mind-body problem in the context of brain evolution
  • Strong arguments against uniqueness of human brain and mind

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Hardcover Book USD 139.99
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Table of contents (17 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
  2. Mind and Intelligence

    • Gerhard Roth
    Pages 7-23
  3. What Is Evolution?

    • Gerhard Roth
    Pages 25-38
  4. The Mind Begins with Life

    • Gerhard Roth
    Pages 39-48
  5. The Language of Neurons

    • Gerhard Roth
    Pages 49-68
  6. Invertebrate Cognition and Intelligence

    • Gerhard Roth
    Pages 107-115
  7. The Deuterostomia

    • Gerhard Roth
    Pages 117-130
  8. The Brains of Vertebrates

    • Gerhard Roth
    Pages 131-163
  9. How Intelligent Are Vertebrates?

    • Gerhard Roth
    Pages 193-207
  10. Do Animals Have Consciousness?

    • Gerhard Roth
    Pages 209-222
  11. Comparing Vertebrate Brains

    • Gerhard Roth
    Pages 223-242
  12. Are Humans Unique?

    • Gerhard Roth
    Pages 243-264
  13. Brains and Minds

    • Gerhard Roth
    Pages 283-297
  14. Back Matter

    Pages 299-320

About this book

The main topic of the book is a reconstruction of the evolution of nervous systems and brains as well as of mental-cognitive abilities, in short “intelligence” from simplest organisms to humans. It investigates to which extent the two are correlated. One central topic is the alleged uniqueness of the human brain and human intelligence and mind. It is discussed which neural features make certain animals and humans intelligent and creative: Is it absolute or relative brain size or the size of “intelligence centers” inside the brains, the number of nerve cells inside the brain in total or in such “intelligence centers” decisive for the degree of intelligence, of mind and eventually consciousness? And which are the driving forces behind these processes? Finally, it is asked what all this means for the classical problem of mind-brain relationship and for a naturalistic theory of mind.

Reviews

From the reviews:

“The author examines in detail the structural/functional differences in the ring nervous systems of Cnidaria, diffuse nerve nets of bilateria, and the complex invertebrate brain of cephalopods (especially octopus), among others. … This book is highly recommended for anyone with research agendas in comparative neuroscience, evolutionary neuroscience, cognitive science in general, and philosophy of mind.” (Paul Tibbetts, The Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol. 88, December, 2013)

Authors and Affiliations

  • Brain Research Institute, Behavioral Physiology, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Gerhard Roth

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access