2004
First Published
3.89
Average Rating
288
Number of Pages
All humans see the world in two fundamentally different even babies have a rich understanding of both the physical and social worlds. They expect objects to obey principles of physics, and they're startled when things disappear or defy gravity. Yet they can also read emotions and respond with anger, sympathy, and joy. In Descartes' Baby, Bloom draws on a wealth of scientific discoveries to show how these two ways of knowing give rise to such uniquely human traits as humor, disgust, religion, art, and morality. How our dualist perspective, developed throughout our lives, profoundly influences our thoughts, feelings, and actions is the subject of this richly rewarding book.
Avg Rating
3.89
Number of Ratings
304
5 STARS
28%
4 STARS
42%
3 STARS
23%
2 STARS
5%
1 STARS
2%
goodreads
Author
Paul Bloom
Author · 9 books
Paul Bloom is the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale University. His research explores how children and adults understand the physical and social world, with special focus on morality, religion, fiction, and art. He has published more than a hundred scientific articles in journals such as Science and Nature, and his popular writing has appeared in the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Atlantic Monthly, Slate, Natural History, and many other publications. He has won numerous awards for his research and teaching. His newest book—Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil—is coming out in November. Paul Bloom lives in New Haven with his wife and two sons.
