“There are three things that might be meant by “the emergence of the modern mind”:”
“first, the emergence of modern ways of thinking about the universe”
“second, the emergence of modern conceptions of the mind”
“third, the emergence of the mind itself with its distinctive human characteristics”
“A.C. Grayling, in his new book The Age of Genius, deals with the first of these questions, arguing that the seventeenth century was the pivotal century during which modern thought took its rise, particularly with respect to physics and astronomy.”
“George Makari, in Soul Machine, deals with the second question, tracing the way the old conception of an immaterial and immortal soul gave way to a view that replaced “soul” with “mind” and placed the latter firmly within the body.”
“Neither author discusses the third question, though it is perfectly legitimate, doubtless requiring us to go back to prehistoric times when Homo sapiens first evolved.”
“I wish Makari had clarified this point so as to ward off any suggestion that he is dealing with the history of the mind itself, as opposed to our ways of thinking and talking about it. The mind is no more created by our ways of conceiving it than the stars are created by our ways of conceiving them (the universe didn’t become heliocentric when Copernicus announced that it was).”