Descartes' Error

Name: Descartes' Error
Author: Antonio Damasio

by Antonio Damasio

Neuroscience argument that emotion underlies human rationality and decision-making

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About the author

Antonio Damasio

Portuguese-American neuroscientist who proposed the somatic marker hypothesis—that emotions are essential to rational decision-making. Descartes' Error challenged the mind-body dualism at the heart of Western philosophy. His work bridging neuroscience and philosophy has been enormously influential.

More by Antonio Damasio

The Feeling of What HappensInvestigation of consciousness and how the brain creates self-awareness
Looking for SpinozaPhilosophical exploration of emotion, ethics, and joy through neuroscience lens
Self Comes to MindNeuroscientific framework for understanding consciousness and personal identity
The Strange Order of ThingsExploration of how feeling shapes behavior, culture, and social order