Join Professor Bruce Hood as he shows that the concept of the 'self' is a figment of the brain, generated as a character to weave our internal processes and experiences together into a coherent narrative.
Most of us consider ourselves to be integrated individuals inhabiting a body that we control like the operator of a sophisticated meat machine. We have a concept of this internal individual making decisions, authoring actions and possessing free will. The feeling that a single, unified, enduring self inhabits the body - the 'me' inside me - is compelling and inescapable. This is how we interact as a social animal and judge each other's actions and deeds.
Professor Bruce Hood, the director of the Bristol Cognitive Development Centre, visits the RSA to show that the driver of this vehicle is a figment of the brain, generated as a character to weave the narrative of the self together into a coherent story. But if the self is an illusion, where does it come from, and does it matter when it comes to the way humans treat each other? Deep thoughts and deep questions to ponder in this talk of self-construction.
Speaker: Bruce Hood, director, the Bristol Cognitive Development Centre.
Chair: Matthew Taylor, chief executive, RSA.
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