The neutrality of evolution for theories of consciousnessRobinson, William S. (2006) The neutrality of evolution for theories of consciousness. In: 10th annual meeting of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness, 23-26 June 2006, Oxford, UK. Full text available as:
AbstractThis poster considers the relation between biological evolution and three theories of conscious, qualitative events: Epiphenomenalism, interactionism, and physicalism. It is sometimes supposed that evolutionists must be physicalists. This poster argues, in contrast, that while each of the three theories can be made compatible with evolution, this compatability can be achieved only by adding an assumption to evolutionary considerations (a different assumption for each case). It further argues that, for each of these additional assumptions, (1) the theory that needs it cannot explain it, and (2) it cannot be supported by any evidence drawn from evolutionary biology. Evolutionary considerations are thus neutral with respect to the choice among the three theories. Comments/DiscussionThis poster seeks to dispel a common misunderstanding about the relation of evolutionary principles and qualitative consciousness.
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