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International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Book | Chapter

186541

Mental organs and the origins of mind

Thomas S. Ray

pp. 301-326

Abstract

I introduce a new hypothesis of the origin of complex mind through the emergence of "mental organs," populations of neurons that bear a specific G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) on their surface. Mental organs provide a direct connection between mental properties (compassion, comfort, awe, joy, reason, consciousness), and the genes and regulatory elements associated with GPCR. Mental properties associated with mental organs have heritable genetic variation and are thus evolvable. Mental organs evolve by duplication and divergence. Over three hundred different GPCR are expressed in the human brain, providing a genetic and regulatory system that allows evolution to richly sculpt the mind.

Publication details

Published in:

Swan Liz (2013) Origins of mind. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 301-326

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-5419-5_16

Full citation:

Ray Thomas S. (2013) „Mental organs and the origins of mind“, In: L. Swan (ed.), Origins of mind, Dordrecht, Springer, 301–326.