The Myth of Irrationality: The Science of the Mind from Plato to Star Trek

by John McCrone

In his 1st book, The Ape That Spoke, McCrone described the evolution of the mind & the role played by the development of language. Here he examines aspects of the mind usually seen as mysterious & madness, dreams, emotions, altered states, creativity. There's a widely held conviction that, when necessary, all have the ability to tap into mysterious powers that come from somewhere beyond reason. This belief dates back as far as Plato & provides the intellectual underpinning of social movements such as Romanticism & Individualism. But the power of irrationality is really a myth which has become the largest single barrier to our appreciation of how the mind works. Out of this analysis emerges the possibility of what psychology & philosophy might have been if they hadn't been seduced by the myth of human irrationality. Whether discussing feral children or schizophrenia, Mozart or Freud, laughter or out-of-body experiences, he draws together a vast amount of modern research with characteristic vividness & presents a persuasive theory in a tightly argued narrative. The Myth of Irrationality is a thought-provoking story that takes readers on an informed journey to the forefront of psychological thought.AcknowledgmentsIntroductionThe myth of irrationalityFreud's "revolution"The missing perspectiveOpportunities missedWolf childrenDeaf & dumbThe inner voiceAltered statesDreamingCreativityMadnessHumourEmotionsIrrationalityA new approachBibliographical NotesIndex

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Mikael Kuoppala · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent example of easy-to-read, approachable "grey" psychological literature, "The Myth of Irrationality" is an opinionated view on the human cognitive machinery. McCrone seems to be a firm believer in the theory of social constructionism, which is one of the most fashionable branches of modern philosophy and psychology. The book uses simplifications and one sided rhetoric, but it doesn't even claim to be an objective piece of scientific writing. Many since made advances made in neurology and cognitive sciences have undermined some of the arguments here, but the book still holds some thought provoking views worth pondering.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting passages on language and the importance of the inner voice leading to the supposition of the bi-fold mind. I thought the book and the philosophy it presents were a bit overly dismissive of the important contributions by prominent western thinkers and writers. Nihilistic to the romanticist view of the self and society espoused by Nietzsche, Sartre, Freud, Jung, Rogers and others!

[H. Givens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, even though Star Trek is in the title, it's only mentioned as an example once or twice and not on any deep level. Pop culture in general comes up a bit more, but still isn't the main focus of the book. It's actually a popular-science book explaining an alternate model for how intelligence and supposed irrationality work, and the model is fascinating. Instead of the two-part rational/irrational schema, he suggests a "bifold theory," a brain divided between animal and cultural operations. The animal part is pretty basic, doesn't do much, and isn't scary -- it's basically the skills a similar animal can do, like immediate reactions to stimuli tending to basic needs. In humans, the rest is socially developed and is predicated on having a language.

Full review: https://hannahgivens.wordpress.com/20...