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Quote by Daniel Dennett

Work

Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meaning of Life

This book delves into the profound implications of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, examining its influence on various aspects of human life and thought. more

Author

Daniel Dennett
Daniel Dennett

Daniel Dennett, born on March 28, 1942, is an American philosopher renowned for his work in cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and philosophy of the mind. His research spans various areas including consciousness, free will, and the philosophy of the mind. more

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“I shall borrow two words used for a slightly different purpose by the great demographer Alfred Lotka to distinguish between the two systems of heredity enjoyed by man: endosomatic or internal heredity for the ordinary or genetical heredity we have in common with animals; and exosomatic or external heredity for the non-genetic heredity that is peculiarly our own - the heredity that is mediated through tradition, by which I mean the transfer of information through non-genetic channels from one generation to the next.”

“We have seen that in certain respects operant reinforcement resembles the natural selection of evolutionary theory. Just as genetic characteristics which arise as mutations are selected or discarded by their consequences, so novel forms of behavior are selected or discarded through reinforcement.”