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Consciousness and Evolutionary Psychology Haliegh Aaron Hutson

Consciousness and Evolutionary Psychology Haliegh Aaron Hutson. Becoming Conscious -A Look at Some Evolutionary Approaches to Studying Consciousness-. Defining Consciousness?. Dictionary definitions are HOPELESS: ‘state of being conscious’ (Oxford)

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Consciousness and Evolutionary Psychology Haliegh Aaron Hutson

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  1. Consciousness and Evolutionary PsychologyHaliegh Aaron Hutson Becoming Conscious -A Look at Some Evolutionary Approaches to Studying Consciousness-

  2. Defining Consciousness? • Dictionary definitions are HOPELESS: • ‘state of being conscious’ (Oxford) • ‘not sleeping or comatose’ (Collins)

  3. Monism: Consciousness and the observed universe are comprised of the same elements. Origins in Aristotelian metaphysics and Greek philosophy. Dualism Consciousness and the physical world are two completely different entities. Origins in Cartesian empirical philosophy. Extreme Theories of Consciousness

  4. Dawkins’ Conceptualization • “Perhaps consciousness arises when the brain’s simulation of the world becomes so complete that it must include a model of itself (Dawkins, 59).”

  5. From an Evolutionary Perspective • What is the adaptive value of consciousness? • What problem was consciousness designed to solve? • Input from environment is suppose to inform the organism of the adaptive problem. • Is consciousness designed to facilitate the output of evolved psychological mechanisms?

  6. Necker Cube Illusion! Mark Newbold's Animated Necker Cube

  7. Antonio Damasio’s Theory of Consciousness • Examines the phenomenon of consciousness using: • Neurological evidence • Evolutionary theory Damasio, A.R. The feeling of what happens: body and emotion in the making of consciousness. Harcourt Brace & Co.: Orlando, FL

  8. Damasio Continued • Consciousness evolved with an organisms’ ability to “know” itself. • The 3 evolved processes leading to human consciousness: • Proto-Self • Core Consciousness • Extended Consciousness Damasio, A.R. The feeling of what happens: body and emotion in the making of consciousness. Harcourt Brace & Co.: Orlando, FL

  9. Damasio Continued • The Life Urge: an inexplicable desire to maintain homeostasis. • Life urge is common from the single cell to the human being Damasio, A.R. The feeling of what happens: body and emotion in the making of consciousness. Harcourt Brace & Co.: Orlando, FL

  10. Damasio Continued • Proto-Self: A coherent collection of neural patterns which map, moment-by-moment, the state of the physical organism. • Non-conscious • Solely concerned with homeostasis Damasio, A.R. The feeling of what happens: body and emotion in the making of consciousness. Harcourt Brace & Co.: Orlando, FL

  11. Damasio Continued • Core Consciousness: Occurs when the brain’s representation devices generate a representation of the relationship between the organism (the self) and an environmental stimulus. Damasio, A.R. The feeling of what happens: body and emotion in the making of consciousness. Harcourt Brace & Co.: Orlando, FL

  12. Damasio Continued • The relationship between the object and the organism • Is generated in a “second order map” • Recognizing the relationship of the organism (you) and the object is “knowing oneself” • This representation is constantly re-generated and is based on the current affected state of proto-self Damasio, A.R. The feeling of what happens: body and emotion in the making of consciousness. Harcourt Brace & Co.: Orlando, FL

  13. Damasio Continued • Extended Consciousness: The system of memories that are consciously accessible to the organism (both of the past and of the future) • May be uniquely human • Working memory is where the action takes place Damasio, A.R. The feeling of what happens: body and emotion in the making of consciousness. Harcourt Brace & Co.: Orlando, FL

  14. Damasio Continued • Proto-Self: Installed by genome • Hypothalamus; brain stem nuclei • Core Consciousness: Installed by genome • Cingulate cortex; superior colliculi; thalamus • Extended Consciousness: Installed initially by genome, but then accumulates memories (former pulses of core consciousness) • Cerebral cortex Damasio, A.R. The feeling of what happens: body and emotion in the making of consciousness. Harcourt Brace & Co.: Orlando, FL

  15. Rossano’s Proposal • We can study the evolution of consciousness by examining animal behavior and fossil records from hominid evolution. • How? By analyzing these sources for evidence of expertise. Rossano, M. J. (2003). Expertise and the evolution of consciousness. Cognition, 89 (3), 207-236

  16. Rossano’s Proposal • Three tenets of his proposal • Expertise requires deliberate practice • Deliberate practice requires consciousness • If this is so, we can use evidence of expertise to study the evolution of consciousness Rossano, M. J. (2003). Expertise and the evolution of consciousness. Cognition, 89 (3), 207-236

  17. Rossano’s Proposal • Example: the Acheulean hand Axe • Homo Erectus hard at work http://www.exn.ca/hominids/handaxehill.cfm Rossano, M. J. (2003). Expertise and the evolution of consciousness. Cognition, 89 (3), 207-236

  18. Methodological Weaknesses • Are inherent to the study of such an elusive phenomenon as is consciousness

  19. Strengths • Beginning to understand that the study of consciousness will require evolutionary theory and neurological evidence • Provides practical method of inquiry (Rossano) and conceptual theory (Damasio) • Both grounded in evolutionary thought

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