Thursday, June 15, 2006

 

[evomech] Re: Origin of Instincts


--- In evomech@yahoogroups.com, "alexbertoglio" <alexbertoglio@...> wrote:
>
> I have searched the internet, talkorigins, Baldwinian explanations,
> and the post archive here and been unable to find a good explanation
> of how instincts (not reflexes) originate.
>
> My dad is reading the book "Improbable" by Adam Fawer, and apparently
> it makes a case for a "shared consciousness" to explain instincts that
> are not coded for in DNA. I have tried to explain the Baldwinian
> effect to him but I cannot explain how exactly the DNA itself passes
> instincts.
>
> According to the book, Biologists have been unable to explain how
> babies have the instinct (or skills) to walk, without ever seeing
> walking in action.
>
> I plan on reading "Improbable" to find out exactly what it says, but
> can anyone explain how instincts are formed?
>
> And can anyone explain why the concept of "shared consciousness" is
> used in this regard? I havn't read the book yet, but apparently the
> point is that some things that don't pass by DNA are instead contained
> in everyone, in some meta-physical sense. I don't buy it, but maybe
> someone with more education in meta-physics can explain it better.
>

Hi Alex,

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I could give you anexplanation in terms of conventional theory but I doubt one exists.

Personally, I'm interested in the possibility of an homeostaicinternal evolutionary mechanism. The phenomena of instinct issupportive of this proposal but a coherent explanation from thisperspective is a bit further down the line at the moment.

I'm slightly intrigued by what 'shared conciousness' may mean althoughI'm not particularly interested in anything that can't be tested.

John Latter / Jorolat

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Wednesday, June 14, 2006

 

[evomech] Origin of Instincts

I have searched the internet, talkorigins, Baldwinian explanations,
and the post archive here and been unable to find a good explanation
of how instincts (not reflexes) originate.

My dad is reading the book "Improbable" by Adam Fawer, and apparently
it makes a case for a "shared consciousness" to explain instincts that
are not coded for in DNA. I have tried to explain the Baldwinian
effect to him but I cannot explain how exactly the DNA itself passes
instincts.

According to the book, Biologists have been unable to explain how
babies have the instinct (or skills) to walk, without ever seeing
walking in action.

I plan on reading "Improbable" to find out exactly what it says, but
can anyone explain how instincts are formed?

And can anyone explain why the concept of "shared consciousness" is
used in this regard? I havn't read the book yet, but apparently the
point is that some things that don't pass by DNA are instead contained
in everyone, in some meta-physical sense. I don't buy it, but maybe
someone with more education in meta-physics can explain it better.

Please Note: If you are reading this in a Blog then replying directly to this message (as opposed to making a 'blog comment') requires membership of the 'Evolution: Where Darwin meets Lamarck?' Egroup at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evomech/

Add to: CiteUlike | Connotea | Del.icio.us | Digg | Furl | Newsvine | Reddit | Yahoo