Is consciousness an emergent property of the brain?

While consciousness is clearly an emergent feature of complex brains, it is a system feature, and as such does not emerge at the “top” or any other “point” of the neural hierarchy. It is a product of the entire system and many levels contribute.

What is the evolutionary function of consciousness?

So, our primary hypothesis is: The ultimate adaptive function of consciousness is to make volitional movement possible. Consciousness evolved as a platform for volitional attention; volitional attention, in turn, makes volitional movement possible.

Is consciousness a spandrel?

Instead of an adaptation, consciousness might be a spandrel (in the sense of Gould and Lewontin Reference Gould and Lewontin1979)—a by-product of some other trait that has adaptive value although consciousness itself has no adaptive value of its own (or may even be dysfunctional).

What is the concept of emergent properties?

An emergent property is a property which a collection or complex system has, but which the individual members do not have. In biology, for example, heart is made of heart cells, heart cells on their own don’t have the property of pumping blood. You will need the whole heart to be able to pump blood.

What is the advantage of consciousness in living organism?

1. Consciousness enables an organism to respond to various external factors. 2. It is the ability of living organisms to respond to various physical, chemical and biological stimuli from their surroundings.

What is evolutionary function?

The evolutionary function of a biological mechanism is determined by its evolutionary history. At some point during our evolutionary history, an organism appeared that had the capacity to process information consciously in a certain brain structure.

What is a spandrel beam?

Definition of spandrel beam : the exterior beam in steel or concrete construction that marks the floor level between stories.

How is consciousness an emergent property?

Consciousness is an emergent property of the brain, resulting from the communication of information across all its regions and cannot be reduced to something residing in specific areas that control for qualities like attention, hearing, or memory.