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The Master and His Emissary

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description The Master and His Emissary Overview

The Master and His Emissary is a 2009 nonfiction book by British psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist. It examines differences between the brain's two hemispheres and argues that each supports distinct ways of attending to and interpreting the world. McGilchrist then connects this model to changes in Western intellectual and cultural history, using the master and his emissary as a metaphor for a relationship in which one mode of consciousness comes to dominate the other.

help The Master and His Emissary FAQ

Who wrote The Master and His Emissary, and when was it published?

The book was written by British psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist and published in 2009. It is nonfiction that combines discussion of brain hemispheres with a broader argument about culture and perception.

What does the title The Master and His Emissary refer to?

McGilchrist uses the title as a metaphor for different ways of attending to the world, associated with the brain's two hemispheres. The book presents the emissary as a useful but potentially overdominant way of interpreting reality.

Does the book argue that the two brain hemispheres process the world differently?

Yes, McGilchrist argues that the hemispheres support distinct styles of attention and interpretation. His 2009 book then connects that model to Western history, art, language, and institutions.

Is The Master and His Emissary a standard neuroscience textbook?

No, it is a wide-ranging nonfiction argument by a psychiatrist rather than a conventional clinical textbook. Its central discussion of hemispheres becomes a framework for examining how societies understand knowledge and experience.

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