Emotion,+Reason,+and+the+Human+Brain

Jack

Aim: The book was the pioneering work of the "somatic marker hypothesis", a system by which emotions, behavior and decision-making, and examining how rationality requires emotional input. The book argues that René Descartes' "error" was the “dualist separation of mind and body, rationality and emotion” (Wikipedia). It aimed to prove that our body and our emotions have a key role in the way we think and in rational decision-making.

Audience: Descartes' Error is for those who see the difference between reason and feeling as artificial. The idea that the book contests the division on the basis of both clinical experience and the findings of modern neuroscience was well received by its audience. It has been read and celebrated by teachers and students alike. Damásio aimed to provide an examination of the human behavior that could be digested by all while still maintaining its educational purpose. It is well know as, described by the author, “encouraging to its readers” (Wikipedia). Due to its empowering nature, Descartes’ Error became one of the most popular books published on the subject to date. Cultural: Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain, went on to win several awards for its cultural impacts. Damásio’s writing brought light unto a relatively unstudied subject, making its a pivotal step in the history of modern psychology; changing the culture of the area forever. Still, it is regarded as one of the most influential books in the past twenty years (Wikipedia). Since the book contained such far-reaching themes, it worked its way into universal culture. Since its publication, Descartes’ Error has become the touchstone of behavioral psychology, being taught throughout the world.

Historical: Damasio studied medicine at the University of Lisbon and went on to earn his doctorate. The majority of his doctoral studies on behavior were conducted under one of the most prestigious institutions on the subject in Boston (Wikipedia). It was during his studies that he began his work on decision making and the psychology of emotion. He began the ground-breaking work of attempting to disprove the psychology of the 19th century, eventually writing Descartes’ Error in an attempt to do just so.

Sources: "Descartes' Error." //Wikipedia//. Wikimedia Foundation, 2010. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.