Is Consciousness a Spandrel?

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 365-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZACK ROBINSON ◽  
COREY J. MALEY ◽  
GUALTIERO PICCININI
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Phenomenal Consciousness ◽  
Evolutionary Explanation ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Mental Processes ◽  
Evolution By Natural Selection

ABSTRACT:Determining the biological function of phenomenal consciousness appears necessary to explain its origin: evolution by natural selection operates on organisms’ traits based on the biological functions they fulfill. But identifying the function of phenomenal consciousness has proven difficult. Some have proposed that the function of phenomenal consciousness is to facilitate mental processes such as reasoning or learning. But mental processes such as reasoning and learning seem to be possible in the absence of phenomenal consciousness. It is difficult to pinpoint in what way phenomenal consciousness enhances these processes or others like them. In this paper, we explore a possibility that has been neglected to date. Perhaps phenomenal consciousness has no function of its own because it is either a by-product of other traits or a (functionless) accident. If so, then phenomenal consciousness has an evolutionary explanation even though it fulfills no biological function.

What the human annals tell us

1999 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 888-888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwen J. Broude
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Kin Selection ◽  
Reciprocal Altruism ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Mental Processes ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Evolution By Natural Selection ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Cultural Data

Evidence reveals numerous cross-cultural universals regarding human mental processes and behavior. Similarly, cross-cultural data are consistent with predictions from theories of kin selection, reciprocal altruism, and sexual selection inspired by Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. Thus, the “annals of human behaviour” do provide “example[s] fitting the sociobiological bill,” (Lifelines, p. 202) thereby, supporting sociobiological accounts of human behavior.

Hegel's Organizational Account of Biological Functions

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Edgar Maraguat
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
The Other ◽  
Proper Function ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Real Work ◽  
Organizational Account ◽  
Philosophical Debates ◽  
Self Production

Abstract Two concepts have polarized the philosophical debates on functions since the 1970s. One is Millikan's concept of ‘proper function’, meant to capture the aetiology of biological organs and artefacts. The other is Cummins's concept of ‘dispositional function’, designed to account for the real work that functional devices perform within a system. In this paper I locate Hegel's concept of biological function in the context of those debates. Admittedly, Hegel's concept is ‘etiological’, since in his account the existence of purposive organs is explained by appeal to their purpose, yet, against Millikan's concept, Hegel's does not presuppose the phenomenon of natural selection nor derives the function of tokens from the function of types. So, my aim is, first, to present Hegel's approach to biological functions as one neither purely etiological nor purely dispositional. It will appear rather as an example of an organizational account (as those advocated today by McLaughlin, Mossio and others), that attributes function according to present performances (unlike etiological accounts) and emphasizes the role of functional parts in their self-production within the system they belong to (unlike dispositional accounts). Finally, I briefly discuss how Hegel's concept performs against common objections to organizational accounts.

scholarly journals Turing Machines and Evolution. A Critique of Gregory Chaitin’s Metabiology

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-150
Author(s):  
Radosław Siedliński
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Turing Machines ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Evolution By Natural Selection

Abstract The aim of the paper is twofold. First, it presents the fundamental ideas and results of the “metabiology” created by Gregory Chaitin. Second, it shows why metabiology ultimately fails as a candidate for being a proper mathematical model for the theory of evolution by natural selection. Because of genocentric reductionism and biological oversimplifications, metabiology should be perceived rather as an expression of the philosophical worldview of it’s author.

scholarly journals CircRHOT1 Mediated Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis and Invasion of Pancreatic Cancer Cells by Sponging miR-125a-3p

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunkai Ling ◽  
Yanru He ◽  
Xiaoxue Li ◽  
Mingyue Hu ◽  
Yu Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Diagnostic Marker ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Normal Tissues ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Pancreatic Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Tissues

Abstract Background: The present study aimed to investigate the mechanistic biological function of circRHOT1 in pancreatic cancer cells.Methods: The expression of circRHOT1 and miR-125a-3p in pancreatic cancer tissues and their paired adjacent normal tissues was quantified by qRT-PCR. By knocking down or overexpressing circRHOT1 and miR-125a-3p in pancreatic cancer cells, their functions and potential mechanisms were explored.Results: circRHOT1 was overexpressed in pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines, and it was found to directly bind to miR-125a-3p, acting as an endogenous sponge to inhibit its activity. Knockdown of circRHOT1 expression significantly inhibited proliferation as well as invasion, and it promoted apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells via the regulation of E2F3 through the targeting of miR-125a-3p.Conclusion: Taken together, our results demonstrated that circRHOT1 plays critical roles in regulating the biological functions of pancreatic cancer cells, suggesting that circRHOT1 may serve as a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for patients with pancreatic cancer.

scholarly journals Normas naturales y funciones biológicas

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristian Saborido
Keyword(s):  
Biological Function ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Philosophy Of Biology ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Naturalistic Account ◽  
Organizational Approach

RESUMENEn este trabajo abordo el problema de la fundamentación teórica de la noción de normatividad natural desde una perspectiva naturalista. Presento el debate actual sobre las funciones biológicas en filosofía de la biología, en el cual pueden encontrarse algunos intentos de fundamentar las normas naturales a través del concepto de función biológica. Sostengo que el enfoque predominante etiológico-evolutivo no es capaz justificar la adscripción de normas naturales en los sistemas biológicos y propongo que la nueva perspectiva organizacional está en la mejor posición para ofrecer un tratamiento naturalista de la teleología biológica y de la normatividad natural.PALABRAS CLAVENORMATIVIDAD, FUNCIÓN, NATURALISMO, TELEOLOGÍA, MALFUNCIÓN, ORGANIZACIÓNABSTRACTIn this paper I consider the problem of the theoretical grounding of the notion of natural normativity for the naturalistic perspective. I present the current debate on biological functions in philosophy of biology in which there are some attempts to ground natural norms through the notion of biological function. I argue that the mainstream account, i.e. the evolutive-etiological approach, is not able to ground the ascription of natural norms in biological systems and I defend that the new organizational approach is in the best position to offer an adequate naturalistic account for biological teleology and natural normativity.KEYWORDSNORMATIVITY, FUNCTION, NATURALISM, TELEOLOGYGY, MALFUNCTION, ORGANIZATION

Small Fish, Big Questions: Inquiry Kits for Teaching Evolution

2018 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily A. Kane ◽  
E. Dale Broder ◽  
Andrew C. Warnock ◽  
Courtney M. Butler ◽  
A. Lynne Judish ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Evolution Education ◽  
Small Fish ◽  
Teaching Evolution ◽  
Local Schools ◽  
Broader Impacts ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Education And Outreach ◽  
Evolution By Natural Selection

Evolution education poses unique challenges because students can have preconceptions that bias their learning. Hands-on, inquiry approaches can help overcome preset beliefs held by students, but few such programs exist and teachers typically lack access to these resources. Experiential learning in the form of self-guided kits can allow evolution education programs to maximize their reach while still maintaining a high-quality resource. We created an inquiry-based kit that uses live Trinidadian guppies to teach evolution by natural selection using the VIST (Variation, Inheritance, Selection, Time) framework. Our collaborative team included evolutionary biologists and education specialists, and we were able to combine expertise in evolution research and inquiry-based kit design in the development of this program. By constructing the kits with grant funds slated for broader impacts and maintaining them at our university's Education and Outreach Center, we made these kits freely available to local schools over the long term. Students and teachers have praised how clearly the kits teach evolution by natural selection, and we are excited to share this resource with readers of The American Biology Teacher.

Biomimetic Drug Delivery Systems Oriented by Biological Function in Tumor Targeting

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Wang ◽  
Xianyi Sha
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Tumor Targeting ◽  
Drug Delivery Systems ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Delivery Systems ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Simple Preparation ◽  
Targeting Delivery ◽  
Clinical Transformation ◽  
Endogenous Substances

: The emergence of nanoscale drug delivery systems provides new opportunities for targeting delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs and has achieved excellent results. In recent years, with the arising of the concept of intelligent drug delivery systems, the design and preparation of carriers have become more and more complicated, which is not conducive to clinical transformation. Researchers are gradually focusing on biomimetic nanoscale drug delivery systems, trying to combine the physicochemical properties of nanoscale carriers with the natural biological functions of endogenous substances, so as to boost tumor targeting delivery. In this article, we first classify and introduce biomimetic nanoscale drug delivery systems, and then emphasize their unique biological functions. The biomimetic nanoscale drug delivery systems have the advantages of simple preparation, powerful functions, and low immunogenicity, having a good application prospect.

Getting Beyond the Apemen

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Lesley Newson ◽  
Peter J. Richerson
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Human Evolution ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Evolutionary Processes ◽  
Complex Information ◽  
History Of ◽  
Evolution By Natural Selection

This introductory chapter explains why a new story of human evolution is needed, and also lays the foundations of the story told in this book. One of the reasons we need a new story is that previous stories have concentrated on what our male ancestors were doing. Since survival is most at risk in the first years of life, it makes much more sense to concentrate on children and their mothers than on adult males. A brief account of the history of ideas in evolution by natural selection and human evolution provides readers with a background in evolutionary processes. Humans are a product of evolution, but we are not like other animals, because we are connected and readily share complex information. We are unique and our evolution was the result of a unique evolutionary process. To understand ourselves in evolutionary terms, it’s necessary to consider two intertwined evolutionary processes—genes and culture.

2. Evolution and natural selection

2019 ◽  
pp. 9-26
Author(s):  
Samir Okasha
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Charles Darwin ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Early 20Th Century ◽  
Philosophical Argument ◽  
Modern Biology ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Philosophical Significance ◽  
Argument From Design ◽  
Evolution By Natural Selection

In 1859 Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, in which he set out his theory of evolution. The book marked a turning point in our understanding of the natural world and revolutionized biology. ‘Evolution and natural selection’ outlines the theory of evolution by natural selection, explaining its unique status in biology and its philosophical significance. It considers how Darwin’s theory undermined the ‘argument from design’, a traditional philosophical argument for the existence of God; how the integration of Darwin’s theory with genetics, in the early 20th century, gave rise to neo-Darwinism; and why, despite evolutionary theory being a mainstay of modern biology, in society at large there is a marked reluctance to believe in evolution.

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