Why humans like to cry tragedy, evolution and the brain / Michael Trimble.

Author/creator Trimble, Michael R.
Format Electronic
Publication InfoOxford : Oxford University Press,
Descriptionviii, 232 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.
Supplemental ContentFull text available from Ebook Central - Public Library Complete
Supplemental ContentFull text available from Ebook Central - Academic Complete
Subjects

Contents Introduction -- Crying -- The neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of crying -- Evolution -- Tragedy and tears -- Tearful logic -- Why do we get pleasure from crying at the theatre? -- Appendices: Neuroanatomy -- Glossary of terms
Abstract Humans are unique in shedding tears of sorrow. We do not just cry over our own problems: we seek out sad stories, go to film and the theatre to see Tragedies, and weep in response to music. What led humans to develop such a powerful social signal as tears, and to cultivate great forms of art which have the capacity to arouse us emotionally? Friedrich Nietzsche argued that Dionysian drives and music were essential to the development of Tragedy. Here, the neuropsychiatrist Michael Trimble, using insights from modern neuroscience and evolutionary biology, attempts to understand this fascinating and unique aspect of human nature--Book jacket.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references (p. 174-212) and index.
Access restrictionAvailable only to authorized users.
Technical detailsMode of access: World Wide Web
Genre/formElectronic books.
LCCN 2012406888
ISBN9780199693184 (hbk.)
ISBN0199693188 (hbk.)