Origins of the Modern MindHarvard University Press, 1991 - 413 pages This bold and brilliant book asks the ultimate question of the life sciences: How did the human mind acquire its incomparable power? In seeking the answer, Merlin Donald traces the evolution of human culture and cognition from primitive apes to artificial intelligence, presenting an enterprising and original theory of how the human mind evolved from its presymbolic form. |
Contents
The Need for a Theory of Cognitive Evolution | 1 |
Darwins Thesis | 20 |
Wernickes Machine | 90 |
Copyright | |
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ability adaptation alphabet anatomical animals apes aphasia appear archaic aspects auditory australopithecines basic behavior biological memory brain capacity chimpanzees chimps cognitive architecture complex construct context cortex Darwin device dominant dyslexia emergence emotional episodic culture episodic memory episodic mind event perception evidence evolutionary evolved EXMF external memory facial expression function gesture guage habilines hominid Homo erectus human cognitive human culture ideographic individual intelligence involved Kanzi language learning lexical lexicon linguistic logograms major mammals memory system mental models metic mimesis mimetic controller mimetic culture mimetic representation mimetic skill modern humans modulation motor narrative Neanderthal Oldowan patterns phonetic phonological pictorial possess Premack primate procedural memory produce representational systems role self-representation semantic semantic memory signs social society sound specific speech storage structure symbolic invention theory thought tion toolmaking transition ture Upper Paleolithic visual symbols visuographic vocal apparatus vocal tract words writing