[percy-l] Walker, animals and Julian Jaynes
Nikkibar at aol.com
Nikkibar at aol.com
Tue Mar 25 20:20:01 EDT 2008
Although we did not read Julian Jaynes' (TOOC&TBOTBM)book in the book group,
we did discuss Jaynes' theory of the development of the corpus callosum and
the notion that our distant human ancestors may have walked around in the
world hearing instructions from some outer or perhaps inner voice, like so many
teenagers with cosmic i-Pods. Walker tended to resist any attribution to
animals of anything that smacked of an animal soul in the lower primates or
mammals. I always held for the opposite view and it was I who introduced Jaynes'
theories to the group.
On the other hand, Walker was uncommonly fond of his own animals (to the
point of sardonic sentimentality) and kept schnauzers, and a Siamese cat that I
gave him (Old Broke-tail, photographed on his lap in a TIME magazine story)
and at the time of his death he had an affectionate corgi named Sweet Thing.
The schnauzers were forever getting smashed flat on the street and were a
cause for great grief whenever it would happen. Unfortunately Walker developed a
painful allergy to Old Broke who had to be given away. There was nothing
sardonic about MY affection for the non street wise schnauzers or Old Broke, as I
was (and am) unreservedly sentimental about mine, but then I think of them as
younger brothers, a non-canonical view that Walker regarded as just plain
silly. But then, whenever one of them got spread-eagle flattened on Jahncke
Ave. he was some broken up. Sometimes the emotional centers in the hippocampus
over-rule the cerebrum.
Towards the end of Jaynes' popularity, the word went round that his book had
been an elaborate academic leg-pull, and Walker very much enjoyed feeling
that he had gotten the best of the argument, in the notion that even Jaynes had
not been serious. Later I had occasion to discuss this urban myth with
Jaynes' tennis partner and his view was equivocal. So we'll never know.
Nikki
**************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL
Home.
(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)
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