Cognitive Variations: Reflections On The Unity And Diversity

Description: Sir Geoffrey Lloyd presents a cross-disciplinary study of the problems posed by the unity and diversity of the human mind. On the one hand, as humans we all share broadly the same anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and certain psychological capabilities - the capacity to learn a language, for instance. On the other, different individuals and groups have very different talents, tastes, and beliefs, for instance about how they see themselves, other humans and the world around them. These issues are highly charged, for any denial of psychic unity savours of racism, while many assertions of psychic diversity raise the spectres of arbitrary relativism, the incommensurability of beliefs systems and their mutual unintelligibility. Lloyd surveys a fascinating range of subjects, examining where different types of arguments, scientific, philosophical, anthropological and historical can take us. He discusses colour perception, spatial cognition, animal and plant taxonomy, the emotions, ideas of health and well-being, concepts of the self, agency and causation, varying perceptions of the distinction between nature and culture, and reasoning itself. To avoid the pitfalls of misleading dichotomies (especially between cross-cultural universalism and cultural relativism) he pays due attention to the multidimensionality of the phenomena to be apprehended and to the diversity of manners, or styles, of apprehending them. The weight to be given to different factors, physical, biological, psychological, cultural, ideological, varies as between different subject-areas and sometimes even within a single area. He uses recent work in social anthropology, linguistics, cognitive science, neurophysiology, and the history of ideas to redefine the problems and clarify how our evident psychic diversity can be reconciled with our shared humanity. Review: Sir Geoffrey is at it again. He is still trying to bridge the ever-yawning gap between ancient Greek medicine and Chinese medicine, of which he is an acknowledged savant of the former discipline and an enthusiastic disciple of the latter... As anticipated, the author is at his best when discussing Greek thought, and here is where this book offers rel gems to the reader M. J. Geller, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute The issue of Geoffrey Lloyd's book in the book is impressive... In short, Lloyd has done a great job of summarizing debates in nine areas of contention. That is no mean feat. Joel Richeimer, Dao ...a rich, well-researched and eminently readable book. Cognitive Variations displays the strengths of multi-disciplinary research at its very best. Lloyd's breadth of knowledge enables him to make connections and see problems that more narrowly-focused researchers have overlooked...a very good book... Rachel Cooper, Mind Geoffrey Lloyd's book is the best recent overall summary of the state of play in the discussion of our social behaviour. Ian Hacking. London Review of Books Table of Contents: Introduction; 1. Colour Perception; 2. Spatial Cognition; 3. The Natural Kinds of Animals and Plants; 4. The Emotions; 5. Health and Well-being; 6. The Self, Agency, and Causation; 7. Nature Versus Culture Reassessed; 8. Reason; Conclusion; Notes on Editions; Bibliography