ISBN: 9780230252493    Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Year of publishing: 2010     Format:  Hardback No of Pages: 256        

How did we get from unconscious material forces to the dazzling intricacy of the human mind? Standard evolutionary theory has not provided us with a continuous picture of that long emergence. In consequence, psychological theories remain highly fragmented, without deeper roots or foundations, while the general public either remain confused, or invoke miracles or the hand of an intelligent designer. This book provides new concepts from dynamic systems theory, and the new evolutionary synthesis, to present a comprehensive overview of the evolution of cognition. It combines ideas about complexity and environmental structure to highlight the emergence of intelligent systems very early in evolution. Intelligent systems came to dominate evolution through increasing complexity, including cell signalling, epigenetics, developmental systems, behaviour, brain and cognitive systems, to culminate in the human cognitive and other mental systems. This volume has fundamental implications for psychological theory and our understanding of humanity.
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KEN RICHARDSON was formerly Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Human Development and Learning, The Open University, UK (now retired). He has a wide experience in researching and teaching in brain biology, cognitive sciences and human development. He has published around 100 journal papers and is author of Understanding Psychology; Understanding Intelligence; Origins of Human Potential: Evolution, Development and Psychology; Models of Cognitive Development and The Making of Intelligence.
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