IDEAS
A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud
PETER WATSON
For Bebe
There are no whole truths; All truths are half-truths. It is trying to treat them as Whole truths that plays the devil . -ALFRED NORTH WHITEHEAD, DIALOGUES (1953)
While it may be hard to live with generalizations, it is inconceivable to live without them .
-PETER GAY, SCHNITZLER'S CENTURY (2002)
A DF Books NERDs Release
Contents
Author's Note
Introduction: The Most Important Ideas in History-Some Candidates
Prologue: The Discovery of Time
PART ONE: LUCY TO GILGAMESH
The Evolution of Imagination
1. Ideas Before Language
Scavenging-bipedalism and meat-eating-upright posture-the oldest artefacts-changes in brain size and hand-axes-fire-ochre-burial-Neanderthals-the first 'abstract' idea- Berekhet Ram-'the cultural explosion'-cave art-Venus figurines-'split houses'-sexual imagery-textiles-beads and ritual
2. The Emergence of Language and the Conquest of Cold
