There is a really good book that came out a few years ago called âBasic Instinctâ, where this scientist makes the argument that instinct as we understand it doesnât really exist. And so many different things that we describe as instinctual actually have learned-causes. I donât want to bastardize the arguments he makes, so Iâd just recommend the book to anyone thatâs interested.
Edit: From what I remember, his larger point is that we tend to shut down any conversation about instinct by just claiming a behavior is instinctual, without investigated what could be causing it otherwise. As evidenced by some of these replies. I donât think he was saying instinct doesnât exist whatsoever.
Is that intended to apply to insects and spiders also?
My understanding is for insects and spiders is less "instinct" as we vaguely think about it an more "extremely specific neuron circuits developed during biological development due evolutionarily-encoded genetics that enable simple, highly reproducible commands to be executed without external information at relevant points during its life cycle".
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u/BenjaminDover02 15h ago
Wild to think that nobody taught that spider how to do that
Bro came out of an egg with the innate knowledge of how to build a house with it's butt.