Description

Book Synopsis

Why are we so often in conflictarguing with ourselves and with others, uncertain over who we are and what we need from our lives?

In The Animal and The Thinker, the world-leading, pioneering neuroscientist John Duncan explains that each of us is not just one person we are two. On one side are our animal instincts, built on the sophisticated needs of human life through evolution, but struggling to navigate the complexity of modern life. On the other side is our rational brain which calculates and cogitates, but is often helpless in the face of bigger questions of meaning and purpose.

Dovetailing these two competing sides of ourselves, Duncan draws on a lifetime's pioneering work to attack puzzles that have concerned thinkers, writers and philosophers through human history. Right and wrong. Freedom and responsibility. Women and men. Democracy and justice. Ambition and fulfilment. Understanding how these two sides of ourselves interact offers revealing and often surprising answers to some of the great questions of our lives.

Discover a new perspective on human behaviour, and learn how we can better understand ourselves, our struggles, and our search for meaning.

The Animal and the Idea

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    A Paperback by John Duncan

    £17.09

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    RRP £18.99 – you save £1.90 (10%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Wed 28 Oct 2026.

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      Book details

      Publisher Penguin Random House Group
      Imprint Ebury Publishing
      Published 7 October 2025
      ISBN-13 9780753560938
      978-0753560938
      ISBN-10 0753560933
      Also in:
      Behaviourism, Behavioural theory

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Why are we so often in conflictarguing with ourselves and with others, uncertain over who we are and what we need from our lives?

      In The Animal and The Thinker, the world-leading, pioneering neuroscientist John Duncan explains that each of us is not just one person we are two. On one side are our animal instincts, built on the sophisticated needs of human life through evolution, but struggling to navigate the complexity of modern life. On the other side is our rational brain which calculates and cogitates, but is often helpless in the face of bigger questions of meaning and purpose.

      Dovetailing these two competing sides of ourselves, Duncan draws on a lifetime's pioneering work to attack puzzles that have concerned thinkers, writers and philosophers through human history. Right and wrong. Freedom and responsibility. Women and men. Democracy and justice. Ambition and fulfilment. Understanding how these two sides of ourselves interact offers revealing and often surprising answers to some of the great questions of our lives.

      Discover a new perspective on human behaviour, and learn how we can better understand ourselves, our struggles, and our search for meaning.

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