Delgado asserts (see below) that the primary concern of Man should be Man's mental evolution. The problem is that Delgado, along with the majority of the psychiatric and "scientific" community believes the mind of Man to be nothing more than an annoying by-product of electrical and chemical reactions in the brain. Due to this incorrect basic assumption, his "solutions" to Man's individual and social problems lies in drugs, brain implants and neuro-surgery. This type book can sound awfully convincing due to the language of "science" and apparent "humanity", but it actually ignores everything remotely related to the actual functions and workings of the human mind (i.e. thought, attention, intention, decision-making, imagination, responsibility, etc.). Instead, it degrades into physical control by "wise" leaders and scientists. Delgado was a pioneer, and the acceptance of his ideas by the general "scientific" and higher education communities says more about the flawed ideologies and morality of modern intelligence than about anything related to a true understanding of Man and his societies. The blurb below is a preview of Delgado's inane notions. This book is vital reading for anyone desiring to understand where modern "mental science" is going and why it is failing. Extrapolation of Delgado's ideas results in a view of society where all people are genetically manipulated from pre-birth, implanted with brain microchips, and mentally manipulated "for their own benefit" by "compassionate and wise leaders". This will always lead to totalitarianism, destruction of personal freedom, and a civilization which poorly mimics the best of what Man could actually someday be if other (non-psychiatric) theories and methods were followed. From the inside book flap: Physical control of the mind by direct manipulation of the brain is a novel event in man's history. In this forty-first volume in World Perspectives Dr. Jose M. R. Delgado describes his pioneer work in implanting electrodes in the brains of cats, monkeys, and men. He shows how, by electrical stimulation of specific cerebral structures, movements can be induced by radio command, hostility may appear or disappear, social hierarchy can be modified, sexual behavior may be changed, and memory, emotions, and the thinking process may be influenced by remote control. Direct nonsensory communication between brains and computers has already been accomplished; and with the aid of miniaturized subcutaneous instruments, messages have been sent to neuronal structures through the intact skin. These discoveries have medical, psychological, sociological, and philosophical implications. The knowledge of brain physiology thus gained can give man more command over himself and his civilizations development to be welcomed, since awareness is our best defense against manipulation. The mind is no longer unreachable, and may be the subject of experimental investigations, We need to reorient the aims of civilization to restore a balance between its physical and psychological evolution. Our present mechanized society is dangerously self-perpetuating, and should be psychocivilized in order to develop wiser minds to control intelligently the awesome technological energy discovered by man. Dr. Delgado believes man's primary objective should be "not the development of machines, but of man himself." He writes lucidly about his work, putting it into the context of what is known about the mind and the brain, and exploring long-range ethical and social implications of his discoveries. The result is an exceedingly important and provocative book. THE AUTHOR José M. R. DELGADO was born in Ronda, Spain, and received his medical training at Madrid University, where he was Associate Professor of Physiology until 1950, when he came to Yale University to work with Dr. John Fulton. He is now Professor of Physiology at Yale, where he has developed techniques for electrical and chemical stimulation of the brain and has applied them to the study of primate and human behavior. He has published more than 200 scientific papers and is a well-known authority in neuro-behavioral research. THE EDITOR RUTH NANDA ANSHEN, philosopher and editor,
plans and edits World Perspectives, Religious Perspectives, Credo Perspectives,
Perspectives In Humanism, and The Science of Culture Series. She also writes
and lectures on the relationship of knowledge to the nature and meaning
of man and existence.
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