Edelman (1992: 100):
Yet while perceptual categorisation and memory are necessary for learning, they are not sufficient. What is needed in addition is a connection to value systems mediated by parts of the brain that are different from those that carry out categorisation. The sufficient condition for adaptation is provided by the linkage of global mappings to the activity of the so-called hedonic centres and the limbic system of the brain in a way that satisfies homeostatic, appetitive, and consummatory needs reflecting evolutionarily established values. These value laden brain structures, such as the hypothalamus, various nuclei in the midbrain, and so on, evolved in response to ethological demands, and some of their circuits are species-specific. It is obvious why this is so: Mating activity and behaviour in birds varies widely from that in whales.
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The notion that all categorisation is guided (differentially weighted) by systems that have been evolutionarily selected for adaptive value is consistent with the SFL perspective that language itself is an expansion and projection of a system that confers biological advantage on organisms with such potential.
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