Ginsburg and Jablonka’s Associative Learning During Evolution
Neurobiologist Simona Ginsburg and evolutionary theorist Eva Jablonka propose that learning during evolution has been “the driving force” in the transition to basic or minimal consciousness.
Simona Ginsburg
Professor
Simona Ginsburg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, retired from the Open University of Israel. She specializes in interdisciplinary research and has made significant contributions to the field.
Eva Jablonka
Geneticist & Evolutionary Theorist
Eva Jablonka is an Israeli evolutionary theorist and geneticist, known for her interest in epigenetic inheritance. Her emphasis on non-genetic forms of evolution has received interest from those attempting to expand the scope of evolutionist thinking. Jablonka has been described as being in the vanguard of an ongoing revolution within evolutionary biology, and is a leading proponent of the extended evolutionary synthesis.
Key Takeaways
Core Claim
Consciousness emerged from the evolution of advanced associative learning abilities.
How It Works
“Unlimited associative learning” lets organisms assign meaning to complex, novel stimuli.
Distinguishing Idea
Learning, not reflex or instinct, drove the rise of minimal consciousness across species.
Ginsburg and Jablonka’s Associative Learning During Evolution
Neurobiologist Simona Ginsburg and evolutionary theorist Eva Jablonka propose that learning during evolution has been “the driving force” in the transition to basic or minimal consciousness. They identify the evolutionary marker as “a complex form of associative learning,” which they term “unlimited associative learning” and which “enables an organism to ascribe motivational value to a novel, compound, non-reflex-inducing stimulus or action, and [to] use it as the basis for future learning” (Ginsburg & Jablonka, 2019).
Associative learning, Ginsburg and Jablonka argue, “drove the Cambrian explosion and its massive diversification of organisms.” They suggest that “consciousness can take many forms and is found even in such animals as octopuses (who seem to express emotions by changing color) and bees (who socialize with other bees)” (Ginsburg & Jablonka, 2022). As for the evolutionary transition to human rationality, they propose “symbolic language as a similar type of marker” (Ginsburg & Jablonka, 2019).
Tools
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