Drawing on evidence from across the behavioural and natural
sciences, this book advances a radical new hypothesis: that madness
exists as a costly consequence of the evolution of a sophisticated
social brain in Homo sapiens.
Having explained the rationale for an evolutionary approach to
psychosis, the author makes a case for psychotic illness in our
living ape relatives, as well as in human ancestors. He then
reviews existing evolutionary theories of psychosis, before
introducing his own thesis: that the same genes causing madness are
responsible for the evolution of our highly social brain.
Jonathan Burns' novel Darwinian analysis of the importance of
psychosis for human survival provides some meaning for this form of
suffering. It also spurs us to a renewed commitment to changing our
societies in a way that allows the mentally ill the opportunity of
living.
The Descent of Madness will be of interest to those in the
fields of psychiatry, psychology, sociology and anthropology, and
is also accessible to the general reader.
General
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