Brave New Mind: A Thoughtful Inquiry into the Nature and Meaning of Mental Life

Brave New Mind is a historical and critical account of the development of the computational metaphor on the mind. According to this metaphor, the mind is viewed simply as an "outgrowth" or "emergent property" of the brain, a mere "epiphenomenon". Dodwell argues against this standard model which he claims cannot account for the most unique and humane properties of the mind: the sheer originality and creativity expressed in the highest domains of achievement such as literature, music, art, science, and mathematics. Dodwell's iconoclastic viewpoint laces his book within the same tradition as Roger Penrose's classic, The Emperor's New Mind.