Metafรญsica y persona. Filosofรญa, conocimiento y vida
Aรฑo 14, Nรบm. 28, Julio-Diciembre, 2022, ISSN: 2007-9699
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doras y son importantes para ayudarnos a entendernos a nosotros mismos y
comprender cรณmo es que llegamos a ser lo que y quiรฉnes somos.
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๎๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎ฏ, The Strange Order of Things๎ณ๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎ฏ๎ ฑ ๎๎๎ฏ๎ ฑ ๎ ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ข๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ ๎ ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ ๎ ฎ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ
without nuclei, known as prokaryotesโwas followed about 2 billion years later by the far more
complicated world of nucleated cells, or eukaryotes. Multicellular organisms, or metazoans,
came next, 700 to 600 million years agoโฆ (๎๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎ฏ, The Strange Order of Thingsโฆ, p. 54).
๎ ฑ ๎ ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎ข๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ข๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ต๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎-
brian period, which ended 540 to 600 million years ago, and old vintage for certain but not
๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ฏ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ
๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎ข๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ข๎๎๎๎๎ฏ๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ
๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ข๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ
appearance on the world stage (๎๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎ฏ, The Strange Order of Thingsโฆ, p. 56).
๎ ฑ ๎ ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎ข๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ฏ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ
the traditional neuro-centric, brain-centric and even cerebral-cortex-centric accounts is the fact
that nervous systems began their existence as asistants to the body, as coordinator of the life
๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ก๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ณ๎ ฑ๎ป๎๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎ฏ, The Strange Order of Thingsโฆ, p. 66).
๎ ฑ ๎ ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ ๎๎๎๎ ฑ ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฌ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ
some movement of its whole body. To imagine what sensing and responding were like, one
needs to picture pores in the membrane envelope of the cell and realize that when certain
molecules were present at these pores, they served as chemical signals to other cells and
๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ณ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎ข๎๎๎ ๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎๎๎๎ ๎ ฑ
although you can say that the sensing molecules behaved as if there were (๎๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎ฏ, The
Strange Order of Thingsโฆ, p. 72)
๎ ฑ ๎ ๎ฝ๎ณ๎พ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎ข๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ
of the world surrounding nervous systems and serve as the basis for minds and eventually
subjectivity. The march toward minds began with elementary sensing and responding, and
sensing and responding are still at work today in the world of the bacteria that live inside our
organisms and in every animal, plant, water, and soil and even the depth of the earthโฆ The
sensing and responding level of perception precedes minds, historically speaking and is also
present in minded organisms now (๎๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎ฏ, The Strange Order of Thingsโฆ, p. 73).
๎ ฑ ๎ ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ข๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ข๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ
nervous systems that helped them fend for themselves and stay alive. Nervous systems had
๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ฎ๎๎๎ข๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ
creaturesโ and respomding with appropiate movements of sophisticated limbs and of the
๎ ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ข๎ฑ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ข๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎ ๎๎ข๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ข๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ก๎ ๎ ฑ๎ป๎๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎ฏ, The
Strange Order of Thingsโฆ, p. 74).
๎ ฑ ๎ ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎ข๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ข๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ
and movements that they sensed, both outside and inside their own organisms, then began the
ability to map the objects and events being sensed. This meant that rather than merely helped
detect stimuli and respond suitably, nervous systems literally began drawing maps of the con-
๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ข๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ข๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ
circuits (๎๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎ฏ, The Strange Order of Thingsโฆ, p. 74).
๎ ฑ ๎ ๎๎๎ ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎ข๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎ ฑ๎๎๎๎๎ ฑ
of sounds as they occur in space, soft or rough, loud or faint, close or far away, and also think of
maps built from touch, or smell or tasteโฆ Finally, the depictions produced by this web of ner-
vous activity, the maps, are none other than the contents of what we experience as images in our
minds. The maps of each sensory modality are the basis for the integration that makes images
posibleโฆ (As) constituents of minds (๎๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฉ ๎ฉ๎ฉ๎ฐ๎ ฑ๎๎ฏ, The Strange Order of Thingsโฆ, p. 75).