The origin of consciousness

A new method for determining how and when consciousness evolved

The origin of consciousness was a world-defining event, comparable only with the origin of life itself. But the moment that consciousness emerged is buried deep in the evolutionary record and is hard to identify.

In this article, Simona Ginsburg and Eva Jablonka put forward their new theory about how and when consciousness evolved. They identify a unique marker of minimal consciousness that they believe drove the Cambrian explosion of biodiversity and answers the age-old question of which organisms are conscious.

 

MuZero is an algorithm with a superhuman ability to learn: it has learned to play 57 different Atari video games as well as Chess, Go and Shogi, and defeated the greatest human masters in every one of them. Yet, this amazing algorithm and the computer in which it is implemented are as conscious as your washing machine. Its “intelligence”, manifest in its learning ability, has nothing to do with consciousness – the ability to feel, perceive and think in the deeply subjective sense that we cherish. If you were told that you would become deprived of all subjective perceptions and feelings, you would be devastated and consider such a life to be meaningless. Intelligence – having the ability to learn and solve complex problems like MuZero does –  and consciousness – being the subject of experience – seem to be unrelated.

But are intelligence and consciousness really unrelated? Most people have the strong intuition that clever animals like chimpanzees, dolphins, elephants and dogs are conscious, whereas they are less sure about animals like sea anemones, worms and slugs that show only very simple forms of learning.

web1Why consciousness cannot have evolved SUGGESTED READING Consciousness Cannot Have Evolved By Bernardo Kastrup In the 19th century George John Romanes, an ardent follower of Charles Darwin, articulated this intuition. He interpreted animal psychology within the Darwinian evolutionary framework and defined mind (which he and others of his time used as a synonym for consciousness) in terms of the ability to make learning-based choices:

The criterion of mind, therefore, which I propose, […] is as follows: – Does the organism learn to make new adjustments, or to modify old ones, in accordance with the results of its own individual experience?” (Romanes 1883).

Continue reading

Enjoy unlimited access to the world's leading thinkers.

Start by exploring our subscription options or joining our mailing list today.

Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber? Log in

Latest Releases
Join the conversation

Stephen Younghusband 7 September 2021

Thanks a lot for sharing this excellent info! I am looking forward to seeing more posts by you as soon as possible! I have judged that you do not compromise on quality.[url=https://www.sarolex.is/]fake rolex watches[/url]

Denis Charles 28 August 2021

I have chronic hepatitis B which has led to cirrhosis of the liver. I was told there is no cure and recommended to use lamivudine medication which is not a complete cure for the virus and causes hair loss and kidney problem. I came across Doctor Nelson Ads on this blog site with a series of testimonials from his previous patients who were cured of hepatitis B, erectile dysfunction, kidney disease etc. I placed an order for his product I received at my address via DHL - service within 4 days, and with its instructions I used the product for 21 days. The first week I discovered a huge difference in my health, and when I went for another test my result was negative with no virus in my blood. I recommend Dr Nelson to anyone with kidney stones, breast cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, heart disease, fibrosis, herpes virus, erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer, low semen , lung cancer. Information; E-mail; drnelsonsalim10 @gmail.com
WhatsApp +212703835488

Denis Charles 21 August 2021

I was cured from 5 years of Genital Herpes Virus and Itching Blisters on my genital part within 21 days with Doctor Nelson Salim Herbal Medicine. I was recommended to Dr. Nelson through this news site and his information was shared by his previous clients who have been cured from different diseases. I decided to try Doctor Nelson product which I placed an order and within 4 days I received the product on my address through DHL. And with Dr. Nelson instructions I used the product for 21 days after concluding the herbal product, I was advised to go for another Genital Herpes PCR test which I did and to my surprise my result was negative with no trace of the virus on my blood. I highly recommend him to anyone suffering from HEPATITIS, HERPES ZOSTERS, FIBROID, WEAK ERECTION, KIDNEY CYST, COPD, PROSTATE ENLARGEMENT, ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND SUGAR his information; E-mail; drnelsonsalim10@gmail.com
Whatsapp / call +2348116522191

James Cross 21 August 2021

The unanswered question still is what is it about consciousness that makes it a requirement for UAL.

I might suggest it likely that it might be that consciousness is most economical way from an energy standpoint for living organisms to perform the computations involved in learning.