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SUMMARY:Entering the Soul Niche - Nicholas Humphrey
DTSTART:20130226T131000Z
DTEND:20130226T140000Z
UID:TALK42433@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Xinyi Liu
DESCRIPTION:Human beings are animal-machines with added souls. This was fa
 mously Descartes’ view\, and it’s the view of a good many people today
 . I think it’s essentially right. Humans have evolved a kind of consciou
 sness that\, when egged on by culture\, leads them to have an extraordinar
 y view of  their own metaphysical importance. The idea of the soul\, consi
 dered objectively is absurd. Yet it’s an idea that is nonetheless irresi
 stible to humans. Why should consciousness have evolved to promote it? The
  clear answer is that humans who believe in the idea of the soul live more
  productive and creative lives. Indeed arguably it has been the main drive
 r of human evolution in the last hundred thousand years.
LOCATION:The Richard King Room\, Darwin College
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