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From: usenet@nlm-mcs.arpa (usenet news poster)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Emotions (was Re: Simulating thinking is NOT like simulating flying)
Keywords: emotion
Message-ID: <11271@nlm-mcs.arpa>
Date: 2 Feb 90 20:14:02 GMT
References: <2088@syma.sussex.ac.uk> <GHH.90Feb1092159@cognito.princeton.edu> <ecU302k684eG01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com>
Reply-To: pkarp@tech.NLM.NIH.GOV (Peter Karp)
Organization: National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Md.
Lines: 13


I propose that emotions are actually vestigal behavior from an earlier
evolutionary level of cognition.  I'm suggesting that our ancestors
(and perhaps most living animals) were not endowed with what we think
of as rational behavior, and thus relied on a more primitive,
genetically-programmed form of cognition that predisposed them to
exhibit certain behaviors in certain situations.  These genetic
behaviors were selected for according to their survival value.  An
emotion like love might have led to increased production and of and
survival of children, fear might have led to increased survival in
threatening situations, etc.  There are other possibilities as well;
emotions might also be necessary for childrens survival until they
develop more advanced cognitive abilities.