Art and adaptability : : consciousness and cognitive culture / / by Gregory F. Tague.

• Superior document: Consciousness, Literature and the Arts, Volume 52
• VerfasserIn: Tague, Gregory F.,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, The Netherlands ;, Boston, [Massachusetts] : : Brill Rodopi,, 2018.; ©2018
• Year of Publication: 2018
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Consciousness, literature & the arts ; Volume 52.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (216 pages) :; illustrations.

Art and Adaptability argues for a co-evolution of theory of mind and material/art culture. The book covers relevant areas from great ape intelligence, hominin evolution, Stone Age tools, Paleolithic culture and art forms, to neurobiology. We use material and art objects, whether painting or sculpture, to modify our own and other people’s thoughts so as to affect behavior. We don’t just make judgments about mental states; we create objects about which we make judgments in which mental states are inherent. Moreover, we make judgments about these objects to facilitate how we explore the minds and feelings of others. The argument is that it’s not so much art because of theory of mind but art as theory of mind.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Setting Boundaries -- Intelligence: Communication and Theory of Mind -- Culture: The Adapted Mind -- Adaptive Functions: Selection and the Human Psyche -- Objections: Philosophy and Byproducts -- Neurobiology and Cognition: Consciousness and Representation -- Conclusion: The Arts and Sciences.