Mind in Evolution as assessed through reviews of major texts
BOOKS/PLAY BLOG/ARTICLES VIDEOS/AUTHOR
Re-thinking What it Means We Evolved
Self improvement manual, two novels, and a play, all involving re-thinking what it means we evolved.
Self Improvement Through a New Approach to Evolution. The implications of having evolved applied in our own lives. Me and The Genies. Romantic comedy involving a sleazy television producer and a beautiful Chinese script writer. Father, in a Far Distant Past I Find You. Utopian novel projecting stages in our thinking about evolution onto future civilizations.
Kirkus review: ”Johnston’s contribution to the field is an astonishingly original one. In a way, his version is deeply Cartesian, haunted by the interaction between mind and matter, but also grounded in the ordinary experience of human action. He thoughtfully understands that the quest for an origin story is not merely a matter of genetic mechanics, but also tied to the existence of the human self and the values and purposes that propel that self through a finite life. The commentary is supplemented by short stories, quirkily constructed around the nature of human consciousness and agency; for example, one centers on the famous Turing test.”
“EVOLUTION FOR THE HUMANITIES”
OTHER MEDIA /BIO
Videos and podcasts present our mission--to promote new thinking about evolution. Author and publisher Shaun Johnston studied biochemistry at University College London then went on to become a science writer and artist, and doubter of many things evolutionary.
Website with over 100 articles and reviews preparing artists and students of the humanities for coming up with theories of evolution capable of accounting for what we know it means we evolved. Reviews of classic evolutionary texts provide an original survey of the development of evolutionary theory.
Are You Wonderful? Good Science Says Yes How to tell good science from bad
Which is more important, meaning in life, or science? Meaning in life, says “Are You Wonderful?” It guides the reader through scientific discoveries and what we know about ourselves (good science) to understand how wonderful we really are, and a set of practices based on that for achieving a good life. “Are You Wonderful?” sticks up for common sense--that we have free will and that consciousness can be creative. It argues against the belief that everything we think and do is already physically determined (that's the bad science).
What kind of a thing are we? To find out I suggest you ask, how were we made? And one of the greatest discoveries of modern times is, we got made by having evolved. In this series of essays I review the various ideas people have come up with for how we evolved, different accounts telling us what kind of a creature we are. Think of that choice as like deciding which platform you want your computer to run on. Mac or Windows? Your choice affects the experience you’ll have while using it. It’s entirely up to you. Be aware, these reviews are not a disengaged scholarly survey. They’re the opposite. They’re an impassioned advocacy of a non-physicalist natural-philosophy point of view.
A New Framework For Universal Moral Values
Publisher: Evolved Self Publishing Contact: Shaun Johnston, shaunj100@gmail.com Address: 87 N. Chestnut St, Apt 407, New Paltz, NY 12561
A highly original account of the evolution of life, mind, creativity and consciousness, sure to leave you thinking long after you’ve finished reading. The premise is, our descendents will even tually learn how human nature comes written along our genome. But like us, they’ll still experience being creative and conscious. What will they conclude about how they evolved? Challenge: have we been suffering under a mass delusion for the past half-century? Written in an engaging and accessible style that makes complex scientific concepts easy to understand, 35 pages.
Children of the Genome What knowing we evolved can tell us about ourselves
Re-thinking What it Means We Evolved
Self improve- ment manual, two novels, and a play, all involving re- thinking what it means we evolved.
Kirkus review: Johnston’s contribution to the field is an astonishingly original one. In a way, his version is deeply Cartesian, haunted by the interaction between mind and matter, but also grounded in the ordinary experience of human action.
Website with over 100 articles and reviews preparing artists and students of the humanities for coming up with theories of evolution capable of accounting for what we know it means we evolved. Reviews of classic evolutionary texts provide an original survey of the development of evolutionary theory.
OTHER MEDIA /BIO
Videos and podcasts present our mission--to promote new thinking about evolution. Author and publisher Shaun Johnston studied biochemistry at University College London then went on to become a science writer and artist, and doubter of many things evolutionary.
Are You Wonderful? Good Science Says Yes How to tell good science from bad
Sticks up for common sense-- that we have free will and that consciousness can be creative. It argues against the belief that everything we think and do is already physically determined (that's the bad science).
Mind in Evolution
What kind of a thing are we? When you want to know the nature of something you’ll usually ask, how was it made? One of the greatest discoveries of modern times is, we got made by having evolved. But what that tells you about your own nature depends on whose theory of evolution you adopt.
Publisher: Evolved Self Publishing Contact: Shaun Johnston, shaunj100@gmail.com Address: 87 N. Chestnut St, Apt 407, New Paltz, NY 12561
A highly original account of the evolution of life, mind, creativity and consciousness, sure to leave you thinking long after you’ve finished reading. Challenge: have we been suffering under a mass delusion for the past half- century? 35 pages.
Children of the Genome What knowing we evolved can tell us about ourselves