UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Evolution of Sentience, Consciousness and Language Viewed From a Darwinian and Purposive Perspective

Maxwell, N; (2001) Evolution of Sentience, Consciousness and Language Viewed From a Darwinian and Purposive Perspective. In: Maxwell, N, (ed.) The Human World in the Physical Universe: Consciousness, Free Will and Evolution. (pp. 162-201). Rowman and Littlefield: Lanham, Maryland. Green open access

[thumbnail of Maxwell_24 b Evolution of Consciousness.pdf]
Preview
Text
Maxwell_24 b Evolution of Consciousness.pdf

Download (267kB) | Preview

Abstract

In this article I give a Darwinian account of how sentience, consciousness and language may have evolved. It is argued that sentience and consciousness emerge as brains control purposive actions in new ways. A key feature of this account is that Darwinian theory is interpreted so as to do justice to the purposive character of living things. According to this interpretation, as evolution proceeds, purposive actions play an increasingly important role in the mechanisms of evolution until, with evolution by cultural means, Darwinian evolution takes on a Lamarckian character. According to this view, as evolution proceeds, the mechanisms of Darwinian evolution themselves evolve.

Type: Book chapter
Title: Evolution of Sentience, Consciousness and Language Viewed From a Darwinian and Purposive Perspective
ISBN: 0742512266
ISBN-13: 9780742512269
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Publisher version: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780742512269/The-Human-Wo...
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © 2001 Nicholas Maxwell. All rights reserved. Deposited with the permission of the publisher, Rowman and Littlefield.
Keywords: Darwinian evolution, Consciousness, Sentience, Language, Neuroscience, Purposive action, Cultural evolution
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Science and Technology Studies
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1463707
Downloads since deposit
154Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item