Surfaces and Essences

Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking

Douglas Hofstadter, Emmanuel Sander

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English

Basic Books
23 April 2013

Philosophy; Philosophy of mind

In a major new work from the author of Godel, Escher, Bach and I Am a Strange Loop, two leading scholars argue that analogy is the basis for all human thoughts. From this singular premise, Pulitzer-Prize winning author Doug Hofstadter and French psychologist Emmanuel Sander construct a broad argument that explains how analogies help us find order out of the chaos of the world. From the simplest forms (a single word, category, or phrase) to infinitely complex constructions (an idiom, or proverb, or algorithm) analogies are the tools our brains use to interpret and master daily life. We are faced with a swirling and intermingling multitude of ill-defined situations, none of which comes with a sharp frame delineating it, either spatially or temporally. Our brain is constantly grappling with this unpredictable chaos, always trying to make sense of what surrounds it and swarms into it. How do we make sense of this? The authors argue that these situations provoke an automatic triggering, or unconscious evocation, of certain familiar categories, which, once retrieved from dormancy, help us to organise the enormous potential of our brain. To a large extent, this means the spontaneous coming-to-mind of all sorts of words. And from the simplest of words to the most complex of idiomatic constructions, the retrieval and usage of analogies are the common thread in all of our thoughts. But where do these words come from, and how do they bubble up? What is going on when one merely thinks silently to oneself, 'a mother and her daughter'? These are the question Hofstadter and Sander grapple with. With his trademark wit and singular talent for making complex ideas both accessible and yet still provocatively challenging, Hofstadter has partnered with Sander to create a major new contribution to the study of how the mind works.

By: Douglas Hofstadter, Emmanuel Sander
Imprint: Basic Books
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 245mm, Width: 196mm, Spine: 52mm
Weight: 1.070kg
ISBN: 9780465018475
ISBN 10: 0465018475
Pages: 512
Publication Date: 23 April 2013
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Prologue: Analogy as the Core of Cognition 1. The Evocation of Words 2. The Evocation of Phrases 3. A Vast Ocean of Invisible Analogies 4. Abstraction and Inter-category Sliding 5. How Analogies Manipulate Us 6. How We Manipulate Analogies 7. Naive Analogies 8. Analogies that Shook the World Epidialogue: Katy and Anna Debate the Core of Cognition

Douglas Hofstadter is College Professor of Cognitive Science and Computer Science at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. Emmanuel Sander is a professor of Psychology at the University of Paris.

Reviews for Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking

Donald Norman, author of Living with Complexity and The Design of Everyday Things Doug Hofstadter and Emmanuel Sander rip apart everyday understanding to reveal insights of both mind and universe. The key is to recognize that analogies and concepts are the same things, that they are ubiquitous, universal, and key to understanding human thought. Easy to read, but deep to comprehend. The result is both enjoyable and profound. Barbara Tversky, Professor Emerita of Psychology, Stanford University, and Professor of Psychology and Education, Columbia Teachers College Surfaces and Essences has much of both. And more. This book is fun! And serious. Category, analogy (and similarity) are at the core of cognition. On every page, you will find delights: you will be informed, you will be puzzled; you will agree vehemently and you will disagree just as vehemently; you will ponder. And you will return for more.