Born Knowing: The Innate Knowledge in Our Heads – Lecture and Book Presentation with Prof. Dr. Giorgio Vallortigara

26.06.2025, 18:30

The mind, Giorgio Vallortigara argues, is not a blank slate. Learning through experience is only possible if the nervous system is structured in a certain way from the very beginning. Research on chicks supports the idea of innate knowledge, a concept Konrad Lorenz once summarized with the phrase: “The Kantian a priori is a phylogenetic a priori.”

This is knowledge not exclusive to humans—we share behavioral patterns, dispositions, emotions, and neural structures with living beings separated from us by 300 million years of evolution. Just like human children, “Kant’s chicks” seek out their mothers. They amuse, touch, and provoke thought.

The author, who combines ethology, neuroscience, and literary sensitivity, will present some surprising insights during his lecture and the following discussion: from the empathy of ants to the altruism of parrots, to the mysterious area of the brain where memories are stored—and the biological origins of human belief in supernatural beings. He reminds us that animals are not only loyal companions, but above all “an inexhaustible source of questions.”

Giorgio Vallortigara is Professor of Neuroscience and Cognitive Ethology at the University of Trento. He is an internationally renowned speaker and scientist, and has published several books in Italian with Adelphi Editore: Cervelli che contano (2014, with Nicla Panciera), Pensieri della mosca con la testa storta (2021), Il pulcino di Kant (2023), and most recently A spasso con il cane Luna (2025).

This event is a collaboration with the Italian Consulate General in Frankfurt and Adelphi Editore (Milan), and will be held in English and Italian. Admission is free and no registration is required.