Asier Arias Domínguez
Dept. de Lógica y Filosofía Teórica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España
(pd) Ernst Haeckel.
The study of the evolution of consciousness is gaining momentum among researchers in different fields. Until now, the debate has been largely shaped by theories that concentrate on exteroceptive and cognitive systems, and neuroaffective theories have been notably overlooked. Antonio Damasio’s neuroaffective theory of consciousness proposes that the primordial mental experiences arise from homeostatic feelings, generated by the functioning of the interoceptive system in its unique bidirectional interplay with the body. Recent papers by Damasio and colleagues further support this rationale and open up new avenues for the comparative debate on the evolution of consciousness.
