Consciousness EvolvingJames H. Fetzer A collection of stimulating studies on the past, the present, and the future of consciousness, Consciousness Evolving contributes to understanding some of the most important conceptual problems of our time. The advent of the modern synthesis together with the human genome project affords a platform for considering what it is that makes humans distinctive. Beginning with an essay that accents the nature of the problem within a behavioristic framework and concluding with reflections on the prospects for a form of immortality through serial cloning, the chapters are divided into three sections, which concern how and why consciousness may have evolved, special capacities involving language, creativity, and mentality as candidates for evolved adaptations, and the prospects for artificial evolution though the design of robots with specific forms of consciousness and mind. This volume should appeal to every reader who wants to better understand the human species, including its distinctive properties and its place in nature. (Series A) |
Contents
Natural consciousness | 19 |
Special adaptations | 87 |
Artificial consciousness | 161 |
Epilogue | 221 |
239 | |
Name index | 247 |
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Common terms and phrases
ability adaptationist adaptive advantage agents algorithm argument Artificial Intelligence autonomous awareness behavior behavior based robotics Blind Watchmaker blindsight brain Bringsjord Cambridge capacity causal grain causal role Chalmers classical classicists cloning cognitive science color complex concepts control system creativity defined definition Dennett Descartes difficult engineering environment epiphenomenalism etiological function evolutionary robotics evolved example experience explain field find first fitness Flanagan Floreano functional role genetic Harnad human individuals instantiated internal dynamics internal representations interpreter inverted inverted spectrum Koza’s language of thought live logically supervenient mechanisms mental metaconsciousness metaphysical mind mobile robot natural selection neural network neurons Nolfi objects ofthe one’s organisms P-consciousness phenomenal consciousness phenomenal properties philosophical philosophy of mind physical possible problem processing programs pure sensory-motor qualia question real world reason recharging reflection requires scientific sense sensory specific story sufficient supervenience symbolic theoretical theory things tion traits Turing visual zombies