The evolution of intelligence

by James H. Fetzer

"Evolutionary theory and philosophy of mind come together in this carefully reasoned explanation of what is now known about humankind's place in nature. According to Professor James H. Fetzer, any scientific account of the evolution of mind must be based on a theoretically defensible conception of what mind is, clarifying the way in which mental states influence behavior. Fetzer disputes the computational conception, currently the most fashionable within cognitive science, and propounds an alternative approach based on semiotics. Using gene-culture co-evolutionary theory, we can identify intelligence with epigenetic rules involving the use of signs. In this view, some machines may be credited with intelligence but not with minds." "Fetzer's wide-ranging discussion sheds light on many controversial issues, including the scientific status of sociobiology, variability in intelligence among human populations, and the relation between biological evolution and moral imperatives."--Jacket.