Clarice Martins Gomes
Dr. Melanie Palomares
PSYC 101.004
02/19/2016
Norton Psychology Reader Essay: “From Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the
Human Brain” by Antonio R. Damasio
Damasio begins his article by introducing one of the most curious cases of
psychology. In 1848, Phineas Gage suffered a terrible accident that changed his life and
personality forever. Gage was a twenty-five years old in charge of a construction in a
railroad in Vermont. He was a completely normal man with abilities and talents
recognized by his boss, co-workers and friends. In the accident, a “the iron enters
Gage’s left cheek, pierces the base of the skull, traverses the front of his brain, and exits
at high speed through the top of the head”, as Damasio describes. Gage was speaking a
few minutes after and walking an hour later. He was able to talk rationally and answer
questions while the doctor was examining him a few hours later the accident.
The author explains that, surprisingly, Phineas Gage survived the accident and
was pronounced cured in less than two months. Unfortunately, that was not the same
case regarding his personality. “Gage’s body may be alive and well, but there is a new
spirit animating it.” The equilibrium between his intellectual faculties and human bias
was completely ruined. According to Damasio, he became an irreverent, profane and
rude man, which was not his usual until then. His language was so vulgar that women
