Consciousness, Culture, and the Brain

Human consciousness arises not only from brain activity but also from an external network of symbols, termed the exocerebrum. This system comprises artificial cultural prostheses—such as speech, symbols, music, dance, painting, and external memories from writing to the Internet—that substitute for cerebral functions the brain cannot perform biologically alone. The brain cannot process symbols without this external system. The authors argue for a continuous spectrum between brain and exocerebrum, neuronal circuits and cultural prostheses, with no dividing line needed.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Human consciousness is a phenomenon that occurs not only in the brain but also in an external network, a symbolic system. This symbolic system is defined as an exocerebrum. The exocerebrum is a system of artificial cultural prostheses that substitute functions the brain cannot carry out through exclusively biological means. The exocerebrum is a symbolic system that substitutes the cerebral circuits that are incapable by themselves of completing functions that are characteristic of human mental behavior. The brain is not capable of processing symbols without the help of an external system essentially made up of speech, symbols, the non-discursive forms of communication (such as music, dance, and painting), and the exterior artificial memories (from writing to the Internet). We are in the presence of a continual spectrum, one in which there is no need to draw a dividing line between the brain and the exocerebrum, between the neuronal circuits and the cultural prostheses.