A thought-provoking author talk at Gordon Library

A thought-provoking author talk at Gordon Library

Published on 14 August 2024

Acclaimed journalist and author Paul Ham explores the relationship between the soul and the mind and how this influences human behaviour and history.

Paul Ham is a former Sunday Times correspondent and the author of award-winning books including Passchendaele: Requiem for Doomed Youth, 1914: The Year the World Ended and Kokoda.

His latest book The Soul: A History of the Human Mind explores the driving force in human history - the relationship between the soul and the mind.

The book explores the idea of the soul and shows how these beliefs have animated and driven the history of humankind.

According to Ham, almost everyone thinks they have a soul, but nobody knows what it is. For thousands of years it was considered an organ, something that was part of all of us and survived the death of the body. The soul could be saved, condemned, tortured or bought.

During the Enlightenment period in history the soul became known as the mind and today, neuroscientists demonstrate that the mind is the creation of the brain. In the minds of the faithful the religious soul lives on, while the secular soul means whatever anyone wants it to mean.

Paul Ham will discuss these beliefs and how they have influenced historical events at the author talk on Wednesday 21 August between 3pm and 4pm at Gordon Library.

Bookings for the free talk are at krg.nsw.gov.au/whatson. Gordon Library is located at 799 Pacific Highway Gordon.

ends

Media enquiries: [email protected] or 9424 0000

Tagged as:

• Media releases