Sociality is the key to the evolution of consciousness
August 23, 2024 09:47 Source: "Chinese Social Sciences Journal" Issue 2962, August 23, 2024 Author: Lian Zhixian/Compiled

 Bet365 app download David Oakley, professor of psychology at University College London, and Peter Halligan, emeritus professor of the School of Psychology at Cardiff University, recently published an article on the "Dialogue" website to discuss the concept of "consciousness" scientific explanation,And how biological and cultural factors combined to influence brain evolution。

Why consciousness evolved from the physiological structure of the brain?Consciousness is one of the active areas in neuroscience research,Current research on consciousness is full of controversy,People bet365 live casino games are arguing over several competing theories。Previous research found 29 theoretical formulations about consciousness in more than 1,000 articles。But New York University philosophy professor David Chalmers and others believe,No scientific theory can truly explain consciousness。

Oakley and Halligan define consciousness as embodied subjective awareness,Including self-awareness。They think,Intuition plays an important role in the study of consciousness。Human subjective experience affects and supports intuition,Found in all human cultures,With free will、Human rights、Democracy、Justice、Social and cultural concepts such as morality are closely related,This has become the basic philosophy of most countries and their criminal justice systems。

bet365 Play online games Intuition is an automatic cognitive process,No reflection or analysis required,can determine how people perceive and interpret daily life。While intuition is helpful in many daily activities,Even crucial,But it could also be wrong,It may even adversely affect people’s understanding of science。

There is currently no more unified and authoritative scientific explanation that can explain how the brain generates and maintains human subjective consciousness,But most neuroscientists believe that subjective consciousness is a product of the brain。Some scholars believe,The evolution of consciousness may be part of the evolution of the nervous system,The key function of consciousness is to help living things survive and reproduce。Overall,Consciousness、Bet365 app download Will、Agency、Personality etc. seem to be closely related to each other,Therefore,It is easy to think that consciousness evolved for the benefit of the individual。However Oakley and Halligan believe,Consciousness did not evolve to help individuals survive,But to help groups spread their ideas to the wider world、Experiences and feelings,Thereby potentially sustaining the existence of the species and enhancing its well-being in a wider sense。Their core idea is that sociality is key to the evolution of the brain and cognition,Sociality here refers to the tendency and ability of groups and individuals to live in communities and create social connections。This view is consistent with some new theories that have recently emerged in the field of genetics,Bet365 app download That is, natural selection acts on individual genes in human groups,Also works on multiple levels,Includes cultural and social influences on intergenerational transmission of characteristics。

Oakley and Halligan said,Although human beings’ biological nature is deeply rooted,But the nature of society is largely determined by humans’ roles and interactions in society。They think,To provide a more scientific explanation for subjective consciousness,The key is to acknowledge that biology and culture jointly influence the evolution of the brain。

(Lian Zhixian/Compiled)

Editor: Zhang Jing
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