In a new book for the general reader, The Animal and the Thinker, John Duncan examines the dialogue between two different sides of ourselves. On one side are our animal instincts, built on the sophisticated needs of human life through evolution, and following the broad principles of instinctive animal behaviour.  Discharging these instincts, Duncan argues, delivers the sense that our lives have meaning – as we elicit a delighted smile from our child, or exchange matching gifts, or as our team emerges victorious in the World Cup.  But instincts alone cannot navigate the complexity of the modern world. On the other side is a quite different part of ourselves, generating an infinite world of new ideas.  It follows its own principles, powerful and also limited.  It can provide both complex chains of reasoning and over-simplified, sometimes sterile views of social and political questions.

Dovetailing these two competing sides of ourselves, Duncan draws on a lifetime’s work to attack puzzles that have concerned thinkers, writers and philosophers through human history. Right and wrong. Freedom and responsibility. Women and men. Democracy and justice. Ambition and fulfilment. Understanding how these two sides of ourselves interact offers revealing and often surprising answers to some of the great questions of our lives.

In this book, Duncan challenges the traditional idea of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. He argues that the animal side of our nature should be understood and embraced, not overcome or suppressed. In the context of modern culture wars and political upheaval, The Animal and the Thinker shows the strengths and limits of each side of ourselves. The book aims for a new, principled perspective on our needs, our struggles, and our essential humanity.

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Penguin

Blackwell’s

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