An essay on the evolution of cognition: Constructing a theoretical conceptual framework

In this essay we provide an interdisciplinary approach to the problem of the evolution of human cognition and suggest the theoretical framework of genetic system theory (GST) for organizing the relevant content of several disciplines. This bio-social-cultural theory is based on the assumption that organisms are dynamic systems which interact with one another and their environment and are themselves composed of dynamic internal relations at several levels. Special emphasis will be placed upon these internal cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the physiological mechanisms of learning and memory. The human individual organism is emphasized because in its experiential activity over time it is the site of integration for social, and cultural stimuli and because of its unique properties among living things. The primary disciplines for our discussion are drawn from the biological, social, and humanistic sciences and several concrete examples are given from each science.