Evolution

Psy391D - Class 11

(This page last updated 13 October, 2004.)

Supplemental Reading The chapter "Selfish Genes and Selfish Memes" by Richard Dawkins gives an introduction to the principles of evolution, and also introduces the concept of memes. It is chapter 10 in The Mind's I, edited by Hofstadter and Dennett, which is on reserve in the library.

Evolution: Design out of chaos without the aid of Mind

Requirements for Evolution

• variation
• selection
• heredity

Evolutionary Progression

• self-replicating molecules
  • very improbable, but only has to happen once
• random errors in copying
  • most changes will interfere with self-replication
  • a few are improvements
• development of defenses
• single-cell organisms
• colonies of cooperating cells
• specialization within cells
  • protection
  • capturing nutrients
  • encoding info for replication
• multi-cell organisms

"Selfish Genes" working to spread themselves.

Evolutionary Psychology: Exploring how evolution has shaped the genes that shape our brains.

 

Did evolution produce consciousness?

Two possible answers.

1. Yes. Consciousness provides some advantage that increases the probability of survival and reproduction.

The hard part is determining what advantage comes from having consciousness.

2, No. Consciousness does not affect behavior, so it cannot affect survivability. Thus, it could not have been produced by evolution.

Then where did it come from?

 

One Possible Function of Consciousness: Understanding Other People and Predicting Their Behavior

• Proposed by Humphrey
• Examine your own mental states through introspection.
• Based on what you learn, make predictions about others' mental states.
• In turn, predict their behavior.
  
• Explains usefulness of self-awareness, but why does consciousness feel the way it does?
  • Could zombies without consiousness have the same social abilities?
  • Once they had this ability to introspect and understand others, would that make them conscious?

Alternative Explanation: Consciousness as Hyperalertness for Handling Emgergencies

• Proposed by Claxton.
• Originally we were only conscious occasionally.
• Now we are often conscious because we are often responding to emergencies.

Another Alternative: Jaynes' Bicameral Mind

• No talk of consciousness in the Iliad
• Messages from right hemisphere interpreted as instructions from the gods

No class Oct 19.
Midterm Exam Oct 21.
Next class after exam: Consciousness in Animals

Psych 391D: Consciousness Kyle Cave Psychology Dept. U. Mass.