Antonio & Hanna Damasio, The Strange Order Of T... -

: The title refers to the fact that complex social strategies (like cooperation) appeared in evolution long before the nervous systems and minds we typically credit for them. Cultural Implications Antonio Damasio, What is the strange order of things?

The book argues that feelings are not merely "background noise" but are the primary engines behind human intellect and the creation of arts, morality, science, and governance. Antonio & Hanna Damasio, The Strange Order of T...

: Feelings are "mental deputies" of homeostasis. They translate the state of the body into mental terms—pain signals a homeostatic deficit, while pleasure signals flourishing. These feelings acted as catalysts, prompting early humans to solve problems like hunger or cold through cultural invention. : The title refers to the fact that

: Damasio redefines homeostasis as more than just a "thermostat" for balance; it is a dynamic, "strange" imperative that began with single-celled organisms like bacteria. These organisms show "intelligent" social behaviors (cooperation and conflict) without having a brain or nervous system, simply to stay alive. : Feelings are "mental deputies" of homeostasis

In , Antonio Damasio (with contributions often discussed alongside his partner Hanna Damasio) provides a pathbreaking investigation into how homeostasis —the biological drive for survival and flourishing—serves as the foundation for human culture. Core Concepts & Main Ideas

: A central theme is that the mind and body are a single system. Consciousness arises from the fusion of sensory images with the subjective "feelingness" of the body's internal state. Damasio emphasizes that "No body, never mind".