James Fetzer explores the nature of consciousness and cognition in human beings and other animals. He addresses the inadequacies of the computational conception and expounds on an alternative theory based on the study of signs and symbols as elements of communicative behavior.
Human beings have long nurtured conceits about their exalted place in the universe, but recent scientific advances challenge their claims to any unique gifts of rationality and expose weaknesses in outmoded, mechanistic models of consciousness. Through a fascinating exploration of the mental abilities of species ranging from bacteria to mountain gorillas, noted science philosopher James Fetzer updates and improves these obsolete conceptualizations and offers an important new theory of intelligence - one grounded in evolutionary theory and by which machines can be "intelligent" without possessing minds.
