Within Reason #116 Peter Godfrey Smith - Animal Consciousness: What Can We Know?
67 snips
Aug 10, 2025 
Peter Godfrey-Smith is an Australian philosopher of science and a professor at the University of Sydney, known for his insights into the evolution of cognition. He delves into the fascinating world of octopus consciousness, comparing their decentralized brains to human cognition. The discussion challenges ideas about pain perception and animal welfare, specifically considering shrimp and their ethical implications. Godfrey-Smith also explores panpsychism, questioning if everything possesses some form of consciousness, and highlights the complexities of animal experiences.
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Single Origin Of Nervous Systems
- Nervous systems probably originated once around 600 million years ago in jellyfish-like animals.
- Comb jellies might have evolved nervous systems separately, but that's a minority view.
Brains Evolved Repeatedly
- Brains, defined as centralized neuron concentrations, evolved multiple times in different lineages.
- Centralization occurred repeatedly as animals faced similar ecological demands like directed motion and predation.
What Counts As A Nervous System
- Define a nervous system as cells that excite one another and send targeted projections to specific cells.
- This morphology distinguishes nervous systems from diffuse chemical signalling among cells.
