Author: Ginsburg, S. & Jablonka, E.,
Title: The evolution of the sensitive soul.
Description: Learning and the origins of consciousness. After presenting the historical, neurobiological, and philosophical foundations of their analysis, Ginsburg and Jablonka propose that the evolutionary marker of basic or minimal consciousness is a complex form of associative learning, which they term unlimited associative learning (UAL). UAL enables an organism to ascribe motivational value to a novel, compound, non-reflex-inducing stimulus or action, and use it as the basis for future learning. Associative learning, Ginsburg and Jablonka argue, drove the Cambrian explosion and its massive diversification of organisms. Finally, Ginsburg and Jablonka propose symbolic language as a similar type of marker for the evolutionary transition to human rationality-to Aristotle's “rational soul.” l MIT-Press. Cambridge/London 2019. Cl. with dustjacket. 646 pp. With some markings in the text.

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