On the Evolution of Subjective Experience
arXiv Preprint Archive August 18, 2020 via arXiv
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSubjective experience (consciousness) remains a scientific mystery because objective, third-person science cannot fully capture first-person, private experience. Evolutionary evidence suggests that subjective experience first appeared in vertebrates, and its neural substrate is largely preserved in mammals and humans. While the bodily aspects of perception and emotion are understood, the subjective component is not. Converging evidence from theoretical, experimental, and computational studies provides strong constraints and suggests future research directions. Despite limitations, progress has been made in understanding the role of subjective experience in the success of prostheses.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Q-bio.nc Cs.ne Q-bio.pe |
| Key finding | Argues that subjective experience remains a scientific mystery due to the incompatibility of objective science with private experience, but evolutionary evidence and converging research provide constraints and suggest avenues for further study. |
Abstract
Subjective Experience (SE) is part of the ancient mind-body problem, which continues to be one of deepest mysteries of science. Despite major advances in many fields, there is still no plausible causal link between SE and its realization in the body. The core issue is the incompatibility of objective (3rd person) public science with subjective (1st person) private experience. Any scientific approach to SE assumes that it arose from extended evolutionary processes and that examining evolutionary history should help us understand it. While the core mystery remains, converging evidence from theoretical, experimental, and computational studies yields strong constraints on SE and some suggestions for further research. All animals confront many of the same fitness challenges. They all need some kind of internal model to relate their life goals and actionable sensed information to action. We understand the evolution of the bodily aspects of human perception and emotion, but not the SE. The first evolutionary evidence for SE appears in vertebrates and much of its neural substrate and simulation mechanism is preserved in mammals and humans. People exhibit the same phenomena, but there are remaining mysteries of everyday experience that are demonstrably incompatible with current neuroscience. In spite of this limitation, there is considerable progress on understanding the role of SE in the success of prostheses.