How to Make a Human Being: A Body of Evidence

by Christopher Potter

A startling investigation of what it means to be human.
Human beings know how to make machines. But what kind of machine is a human being? And could we ever make one?
In order to answer these questions, other questions get in the way:
What is it like to be a human being? What is it like to be some other kind of animal? What is reality?
What is consciousness?
Is there a God? What is love?
Why live?
The questions proliferate.
But all these questions can be viewed as facets of a single question:
What is science?

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Science

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 27, 2014

Reviews

[Hande Kılıçoğlu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Potter, kitabında maddenin oluşumundan, insanlığa addedilen ahlaki meselelere kadar geniş bir kapsamda bilimsel ve felsefi olarak "insan"ı inceliyor. Yazar olarak tam bir "septik" diyebiliriz. Kitap bölümlerden ve bölümler de aforizma olarak da kabul edilebilecek savlardan oluşuyor. Yazar hem dini hem de bilimsel olarak madde ve varoluşa dair fikirleri masaya yatırıyor. Araya serpiştirilmiş konuya uygun edebi metinler ve bilim adamlarının sözleri de kitaba zenginlik katmış. Kitaba başlarken klasik bir popüler bilim kitabı okumayı bekliyordum ancak bu kitap beklediğimden çok daha fazlasını verdi bana.

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Potter explores what makes a human being from the beginning of the universe, the beginning of life, the beginning of human beings in our consciousness, language, and reproduction, discussing important facets of humanity like the nature of culture, ethics, religion, mortality, etc. This book takes a sweeping look at all the big questions and factors that influence our humanity. There is of course much that was not mentioned, but nevertheless the scope of the book is impressive.

Potter's style is unique. The book is a series of theses or numerated musings, contemplating the nature of these topics from different perspectives, whether materialist or not. Much of the book is quotations from a vast selection of other thinkers who have written on these topics, from poets and philosophers to biologists, mathematicians, and physicists. This book is a gold mine of quotations.

Potter's overall argument is to show the problems with a reduced materialist account of human life. It is a kind of cumulative argument that the whole is not worth merely the sum of its parts when it comes to human life. It is not so much an argument more often then not, so much as a display of just how unfulfilling a reductionistic account of human life is.

I noticed this on the shelf at my local bookstore and decided to pick it up for my interest in religious philosophy and theology. Potter, it strikes me, is agnostic, where I am not (I am a Christian pastor and professor). So far the most beautiful account of philosophical anthropology has to come from Abraham Joshua Heschel's Who is Man? Perhaps I am more convinced on a number of points that Potter is. In a few spots I felt like he could have given actual positive arguments in a more straight forward manner, rather than, leave it non-dogmatic. Nevertheless, there is an honesty and humility to presenting the ideas the way he did.

I really enjoyed the book. It gave me lots to think about.

[Heidi Quinn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a book you read, per se. It’s a book of thoughts and ideas, probably suited to someone in search of a philosophy in life or looking for meaning. The 25-year-old who recommended it was unaware that by the time you’re my age you’ve heard most of this stuff already.

[Stephen Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes itself as “a body of evidence,” which is a very good description, but it is also intended as a way to “escape the net of scientific reductionism.” I must admit, I bought this book because it was about the human condition, but I was as much attracted to it because of the above tag-lines.

The book is divided into three sections, the first concerning the physics of the universe, the second on the nature of life and consciousness, and the third on various aspects of human life. The first section deals with quantum mechanics and many other theories, but it is presented in an easy-to-read way. In fact the entire book is composed of short reflections on a topic – some just one line – intertwined with quotes from various luminaries. This technique works brilliantly, because one of the author’s wishes is to make his book a platform for mental jumping. This is a work intended to provoke as much thought as possible. The second section deals with the nature of bodies and of minds, detouring into perception, free will and human behaviour; and this a particularly fascinating section, as is the third, which looks at such topics as nature, deities, love, faith, eternity, death, and – in a particularly telling conclusion – humility.

I really enjoyed this book: thought provoking, superbly put together, sometimes amusing. As befits an author who wishes us to escape the net of scientific reductionism, there are plenty of digs at Richard Dawkins, all of which I was glad to see. But the overall range of quotes and sources is huge, making the book much more significant than it would otherwise have been. Highly recommended to all who want to think about the questions of life.

[Vera Rossakoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It doesn't seem to me that this fantastically marvelous universe, this tremendous range of time and space and different kinds of animals, and all the different planets, and all these atoms with all their motions, and so on, all this complicated thing can merely be a stage so that God can watch beings struggle for good and evil - which is the view that religion has. The stage is too big for the drama".
-Richard Feynman (1918-1988), physicist

"I know that the main obstacles to freedom are material: the shortage of fresh water, of enough to eat, of proper housing. I know that in the world elsewhere poverty, disease, war and tyranny bring unremitting suffering to millions. I know that not to be grateful for the life I have is to dishonor the lives of millions who died in war[...]"
-Christopher Potter

And an amazing trip it was.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a proof of this in a cafe by the sea. It's taken me ages to read because some days I've found it unbearably whimsical. These last few days though have been revelatory, so who knows. Star ratings are always nominal; these stars are even more so.

[Sydney Bollinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this. Definitely a favorite.

[Hanyu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool read and I loved the way the book is structured. Many great points of reflection that open doors for you to dig deeper.

[Peter Crofts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts of promising and gradually becomes progressively more self indulgent and at times downright vapid. If you're interested in cosmology, quantum physics, or any of the hard sciences I think you'd do better to look for something on the particular subject of interest written for the general public. The third section, which has the humble title "On Being Human", is when the book becomes downright embarrassing. Nothing here you didn't discuss with your friends pursuing your undergraduate degree over a few beer. I'm not sure whom the audience for this book is, nor why Potter thinks he has developed the wisdom to address whoever these people are.

[anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Bernard O'Leary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Men