Evolutionary aspects of self- and world consciousness in vertebrates

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 9:124016 (2015)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Although most aspects of world and self-consciousness are inherently subjective, neuroscience studies in humans and non-human animals provide correlational and causative indices of specific links between brain activity and representation of the self and the world. In this article we review neuroanatomic, neurophysiological and neuropsychological data supporting the hypothesis that different levels of self and world representation in vertebrates rely upon i) a 'basal' subcortical system that includes brainstem, hypothalamus and central thalamic nuclei and that may underpin the primary (or anoetic) consciousness likely present in all vertebrates; and ii) a forebrain system that include the medial and lateral structures of the cerebral hemispheres and may sustain the most sophisticated forms of consciousness (e.g. noetic (knowledge based) and autonoetic, reflective knowledge). We posit a mutual, bidirectional functional influence between these two major brain circuits. We conclude that basic aspects of consciousness like primary self and core self (based on anoetic and noetic consciousness) are present in many species of vertebrates and that, even self-consciousness (autonoetic consciousness) does not seem to be a prerogative of humans and of some non-human primates but may, to a certain extent, be present in some other mammals and birds.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,221

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Consciousness in Evolution: Living the Integral Reality of Dr. Haridas Chaudhuri.Anton Grosz - 1995 - Dissertation, California Institute of Integral Studies
Evolutionary explanation and the hard problem of consciousness.Steven Horst - 1999 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 6 (1):39-48.
Consciousness and the World.Brian O'Shaughnessy (ed.) - 2000 - Oxford, GB: Oxford University Press UK.

Analytics

Added to PP
2016-06-30

Downloads
55 (#258,576)

6 months
5 (#244,107)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

References found in this work

Thinking, Fast and Slow.Daniel Kahneman - 2011 - New York: New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Facing up to the problem of consciousness.David Chalmers - 1995 - Journal of Consciousness Studies 2 (3):200-19.
The Principles of Psychology.William James - 1890 - London, England: Dover Publications.
What is it like to be a bat?Thomas Nagel - 1974 - Philosophical Review 83 (October):435-50.
Facing up to the problem of consciousness.D. J. Chalmers - 1996 - Toward a Science of Consciousness:5-28.

View all 73 references / Add more references