The Francis Bacon Lecture 2012
This annual lecture will be delivered by Professor Raymond Tallis and is entitled ‘Aping Mankind: Neuromania, Darwinitis and the Misrepresentation of Mankind’
When
Wednesday 29 February 2012
18:30 for 19:00
Where
de Havilland Campus
University of Hertfordshire
AL10 9EU
Aping Mankind: Neuromania, Darwinitis and the Misrepresentation of Mankind
Neuromania is based on the incorrect notion that human consciousness is identical with activity in the brain, that people are their brains, and that societies are best understood as collections of brains. While the brain is a necessary condition of every aspect of human consciousness, it is not a sufficient condition – which is why neuroscience, and the materialist philosophy upon which it is based, fails to capture the human person. Since the brain is an evolved organism, Neuromania leads to Darwinitis, the assumption that, since Darwin demonstrated the biological origins of the organism Homo sapiens, we should look to evolutionary theory to understand what we are now; that our biological roots explain our cultural leaves. In fact, we belong to a community of minds that has developed over the hundreds of thousands of years since we parted company from other primates.
Professor Raymond Tallis
Raymond Tallis was Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Manchester and Consultant Physician in Health Care of the Elderly until 2006. He has written 200 research publications mainly in epilepsy, stroke and neurological rehabilitation. In 2000 he was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and has received many prizes. In July 2011 he was elected Chair of Healthcare Professionals for Assisted Dying.
He has published fiction, poetry, and 22 books on the philosophy of mind, philosophical anthropology, literary theory, the nature of art, and cultural criticism. For this he has been awarded D.Litt. University of Hull, 1997; and D.Litt. University of Manchester, 2002.
Ray is an Honorary Visiting Professor in English at the University of Liverpool. He writes regularly for The Times and has a column in Philosophy Now. He also appears annually at the leading literary and science festivals and is a frequent broadcaster. His latest book, and title of his lecture Aping Mankind. Neuromania, Darwinitis and the Misrepresentation of Humanity was published in 2011.
The Economist Intelligent Life Magazine identified him as one of the world’s leading polymaths.
Downloads
Francis Bacon Powerpoint Slides
Event Timetable with abstracts
More information and booking
This is a free public lecture but please book your place in advance by contacting the Corporate Events Team +44(0) 1707 284004
The Francis Bacon lectures are supported with annual funding from the Royal Institute of Philosophy and additionally by the School of Humanities