Sentience

This book explores the emergence of sentience, arguing that it's a progressively evolving biological and neurobiological phenomenon, not a sudden appearance. The author proposes a three-stage model of sentience's emergence, progressing from single-celled organisms to more complex animals with increasingly sophisticated nervous systems and brains. The book examines various animal species across these stages, using neurobiological and behavioural evidence to support the theory. Several philosophical viewpoints on consciousness, including panpsychism and integrated information theory, are discussed in the proposed model. Ultimately, the author aims to resolve the "explanatory gap" between the physical brain and subjective experience by highlighting the crucial role of biological emergence in the creation of sentience.