Descartes' Error

Damasio’s work concerns emotion and the role of emotion in decision-making. We have an idea that every day decisions are shaped by rational thinking, but Damasio worked with people who have suffered strokes, and as a result are incapable of feeling emotion. And far from making good decisions, they make terrible decisions, and their lives fall apart.

Recommendations from our site

“This book understood emotion in terms of what the brain does – not as a kind of abstract computational process but very much tied in with the particular brain processes.” Read more...

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Paul Thagard, Philosopher

“Damasio worked with people who have suffered strokes and as a result are incapable of feeling emotion. And far from making good decisions, they make terrible decisions, and their lives fall apart.” Read more...

The best books on Neuroscience

David Brooks, Journalist