Health, consciousness, and the evolution of subjects.
Synthese January 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1007/s11229-022-03998-z via PubMed
Summary
This paper argues that the concepts of health and consciousness are deeply connected and best understood together through an evolutionary lens. Using state-based behavioral and life-history theory as a teleonomic tool, the author shows that Darwinizing the agent- and subject-side of organisms clarifies both health and consciousness as natural phenomena. The work is programmatic, aiming to reframe core problems in the philosophy of medicine and philosophy of mind by integrating evolutionary perspectives.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Consciousness Darwinism Health Organisms Pathological complexity |
| Citations | 20 |
| Key finding | Health and consciousness are closely connected and can be better understood as natural phenomena when examined together through an evolutionary perspective using state-based behavioral and life-history theory. |
Abstract
The goal of this programmatic paper is to highlight a close connection between the core problem in the philosophy of medicine, i.e. the concept of health, and the core problem of the philosophy of mind, i.e. the concept of consciousness. I show when we look at these phenomena together, taking the evolutionary perspective of modern state-based behavioural and life-history theory used as the teleonomic tool to Darwinize the agent- and subject-side of organisms, we will be in a better position to make sense of them both as natural phenomena.