The Master and his Emissary, By Iain McGilchrist

Reviewed,Boyd Tonkin
Friday 05 November 2010 01:00 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

This remarkable book is a bold thought-experiment,a history, a manifesto – and a mystery. Psychiatrist and philosopher, McGilchrist strides across cultures and histories.

He argues that the ruling traits of any era depend on the dominance of either the left (analytic, detached, factual) or the right (integrative, holistic, "spiritual") hemispheres of the brain.

If he scorns popular clichés based on this division, he also applies a modified form to individual minds and the biases of whole societies, from ancient Greece to modern science.

For him, the "triumph" of the left hemisphere threatens our very survival. It makes a striking fable. But how is it true? As metaphor, or as metaphysics, his great divide at least takes us on an epic ride.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in