Abstract
How did the process of Darwinian evolution lead from dead matter to the human mind? Of this long, complicated process the present essay selects and discusses just one step, that from animal behavior to animal mind. The process of living has two aspects, the maintenance of the process in the organism and the interaction of the organism with the world. In animals the latter is organized as behavior. Behavior evolves, as it serves the fitness of the animal. The brain evolves because it improves the behavior in terms of the animal’s fitness. Given the richness of the world and the openness of the future, the organization of behavior can be indirect and most intricate. The animal mind can be understood as behavioral organization at a higher level, as metaorganization. This concept is documented by behavioral studies in a particular animal, the fly Drosophila.