On the Origins of the Mind

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Abstract –

At some time in the history of the universe, there were no human minds, and at some time later, there were. Within the blink of a cosmic eye, a universe in which all was chaos and void came to include hunches, beliefs, sentiments, raw sensations, pains, emotions, wishes, ideas, images, inferences, the feel of rubber, Schadenfreude, and the taste of banana ice cream.

A sense of surprise is surely in order. How did that get here?

About the Author

David Berlinski is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute and the author of A Tour of the Calculus, The Advent of the Algorithm, Newton's Gift, and The Secrets of the Vaulted Sky. His new book, a brief history of mathematics, will be brought out by the Modern Library next year. Mr. Berlinski's recent contributions to COMMENTARY include “A Scientific Scandal” (April 2003) and “Has Darwin Met His Match?” (December 2002).