The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind - Softcover

Jaynes, Julian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0395563526 ISBN 13: 9780395563526

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (Trade), 1990

Synopsis

At the heart of this book is the revolutionary idea that human consciousness did not begin far back in animal evolution. Rather, Jaynes presents consciousness as a learned process that evolved from an earlier hallucinatory mentality only three thousand years ago. The implications extend into every aspect if human life.

About this title

Review:

"When Julian Jaynes . . . speculates that until late in the twentieth millennium b.c. men had no consciousness but were automatically obeying the voices of the gods, we are astounded but compelled to follow this remarkable thesis." -- John Updike The New Yorker

Synopsis:

At the heart of this revised edition is the idea that human consciousness did not begin far back in animal evolution, but is a learned process brought into being as recently as 3000 years ago out of an earlier hallucinatory mentality. The implications of this theory extend into all aspects of man's psychology, history, culture, religion and even future. Included in this edition is an introduction in which the author answers critics of his theory and presents his new ideas.

About this edition

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (Trade)
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0395563526
• ISBN 13: 9780395563526
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 480