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

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Trimble, Michael R.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Crying.

Crying--Physiological aspects.

Tragedy.

Physical Description:

viii, 232 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2012.

Summary:

Humans are unique in shedding tears of sorrow. We do not just cry over our own problems: we seek out sad stories, go to films 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.

Contents:

1 Introduction 1

2 Crying 17

3 The Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology of Crying 42

4 Evolution 86

5 Tragedy and Tears 116

6 Tearful Logic 133

7 Why Do We Get Pleasure from Crying at the Theatre? 152.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 174-212) and index.

ISBN:

9780199693184

0199693188

OCLC:

801590119