NEW PERSPECTIVES ON CULTURE

NEW NEW PERSPECTIVES PERSPECTIVES ON CULTUREON CULTURE

Is there a biological theory of Is there a biological theory of culture?culture?

Presented by Gautam Sen

Theory of Knowledge Conference 2002

Eyüboğlu High School, Istanbul

WHAT DOES CULTURE WHAT DOES CULTURE MEAN?MEAN?

Some definitions from Clyde Some definitions from Clyde Kluckhohn’s Kluckhohn’s Mirror for Man:Mirror for Man: a way of thinking, feeling and believinga way of thinking, feeling and believing the total way of life of a peoplethe total way of life of a people a storehouse of pooled learninga storehouse of pooled learning learned behaviourlearned behaviour a precipitate of historya precipitate of history


Clifford Geertz’s Clifford Geertz’s definitiondefinition

From From The Interpretations of Cultures:The Interpretations of Cultures:The concept of culture I espouse....is essentially The concept of culture I espouse....is essentially a semiotic one. Believing that...man is an animal a semiotic one. Believing that...man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun, I take culture to be those webs, and the spun, I take culture to be those webs, and the analysis of it to be therefore not an experimental analysis of it to be therefore not an experimental science in search of law but an an interpretive science in search of law but an an interpretive one in search of meaning.one in search of meaning.


WHAT DOES WHAT DOES CULTURE CULTURE MEAN? MEAN?

Are there other ways we can Are there other ways we can we define culture? we define culture?


TWO VIEWS OF TWO VIEWS OF HUMAN NATUREHUMAN NATURE

The Enlightenment view: humans are a part The Enlightenment view: humans are a part of nature, behaving according to immutable of nature, behaving according to immutable natural laws discoverable by the methods natural laws discoverable by the methods of the natural sciences. There is a core of the natural sciences. There is a core human essence which science can discover.human essence which science can discover.

The Standard Social Science view: humans The Standard Social Science view: humans are distinguished from other creatures in are distinguished from other creatures in being creators being creators and and creatures of their social creatures of their social environments and cultures, thus environments and cultures, thus transcending their biological limitations. transcending their biological limitations.


THE ENLIGHTENMENT THE ENLIGHTENMENT VIEWVIEW

All humans are constrained by their All humans are constrained by their biology and by their evolutionary biology and by their evolutionary history. history.

Our biological inheritance defines Our biological inheritance defines our universal and innate capacities our universal and innate capacities hidden beneath our cultural hidden beneath our cultural diversity. diversity.


THE ENLIGHTENMENT THE ENLIGHTENMENT VIEWVIEW

Could the unity underlying our Could the unity underlying our diversity be a ground for universal diversity be a ground for universal equality?equality?

Does “an innate human nature imply Does “an innate human nature imply innate human differences”?innate human differences”?

If so, could these innate differences If so, could these innate differences imply that we are irrevocably locked imply that we are irrevocably locked into our positions in racial, gender into our positions in racial, gender and other kinds of hierarchies? and other kinds of hierarchies?


THE SOCIAL SCIENCE THE SOCIAL SCIENCE VIEWVIEW

““Biology is not destiny”. Biology is not destiny”. The mind is not a product of biology, The mind is not a product of biology,

but a “blank slate” onto which the but a “blank slate” onto which the light of experience, filtered through light of experience, filtered through some innate lens, inscribes mental some innate lens, inscribes mental content.content.


THE SOCIAL SCIENCE THE SOCIAL SCIENCE VIEWVIEW

Since experience originates in the Since experience originates in the social environment, adherents to the social environment, adherents to the SSV often claim that:SSV often claim that:

Bad environments create bad people. Bad environments create bad people. A better society ensures better A better society ensures better

individuals.individuals. Culture, not biology, constrains Culture, not biology, constrains

individuals.individuals.


THE EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY THE EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY (EP) PARADIGM(EP) PARADIGM

The EP paradigm attempts to The EP paradigm attempts to reconcile the two views of human reconcile the two views of human nature by offering a Darwinian nature by offering a Darwinian explanation of how the evolution of explanation of how the evolution of the brain has resulted in a the brain has resulted in a particular architecture of the particular architecture of the human mind. human mind.

FROM THE BRAIN TO FROM THE BRAIN TO THE MINDTHE MIND


FROM THE MIND TO FROM THE MIND TO CULTURECULTURE

THE CONCEPT OF MEMESTHE CONCEPT OF MEMES

Building on an analogy with the gene Building on an analogy with the gene suggested by Dawkins (1976) suggested by Dawkins (1976) The The Selfish Gene, Selfish Gene, Blackmore (1999) and Blackmore (1999) and others developed the idea of a MEME - others developed the idea of a MEME - an idea, a song, an ideology, or a mental an idea, a song, an ideology, or a mental product of any kind which spreads by product of any kind which spreads by replication of a version selected from a replication of a version selected from a population of slightly dissimilar population of slightly dissimilar versions. versions.


Psychology is an extension of Psychology is an extension of biology - that studies how the biology - that studies how the

neurophysiology of the brain enables neurophysiology of the brain enables it to process information;it to process information;

cognitive science - that studies how cognitive science - that studies how the processing of information the processing of information enables the functioning of enables the functioning of specialized circuits within the brain specialized circuits within the brain dealing with key adaptations. dealing with key adaptations.

THE EVOLUTIONARY THE EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY

PARADIGMPARADIGM



PARADIGMPARADIGMBrain’s information processing Brain’s information processing generates BEHAVIOURgenerates BEHAVIOUR

Process informationProcess information

BRAINSBRAINS


Psychology of SpecializedAdaptationsPsychology of SpecializedAdaptations

(e.g., vision, sexuality, reasoning, emotions)(e.g., vision, sexuality, reasoning, emotions)

Cognitive ScienceCognitive Science

NeurophysiologyNeurophysiology


PARADIGMPARADIGM


The brain is a physical system that The brain is a physical system that processes information like a computer, processes information like a computer, using sensory receptors to pick up using sensory receptors to pick up information, which is then sent through information, which is then sent through the brain’s neural networks. the brain’s neural networks.

Over the history of the human species, Over the history of the human species, these neural circuits evolved to solve these neural circuits evolved to solve problems that existed in our evolutionary problems that existed in our evolutionary history. This enabled the species to history. This enabled the species to survive. survive.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY

PARADIGMPARADIGM


The brain has a modular structure, in which The brain has a modular structure, in which each module has a specialized capacity for each module has a specialized capacity for solving a different problem which humans solving a different problem which humans have faced in their evolutionary past (e.g., have faced in their evolutionary past (e.g., language, reasoning, mate selection, social language, reasoning, mate selection, social exchange, etc.). exchange, etc.).

Each module represents an ADAPTATION Each module represents an ADAPTATION that evolved in response to a selection that evolved in response to a selection pressure in the ENVIRONMENT OF pressure in the ENVIRONMENT OF EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTEDNESS.EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTEDNESS.


PARADIGMPARADIGM



PARADIGMPARADIGM There are NO abstract, content-There are NO abstract, content-

independent and general-purpose independent and general-purpose cognitive abilities such as memory, cognitive abilities such as memory, inference, categorization. inference, categorization.

The cognitive abilities that do exist have The cognitive abilities that do exist have evolved to adapt to specific factors in the evolved to adapt to specific factors in the human’s evolutionary environment. human’s evolutionary environment.

These correspond to what we commonly These correspond to what we commonly call INSTINCTS. call INSTINCTS.


FROM MINDS TO FROM MINDS TO MEMESMEMES

The modular mental architecture The modular mental architecture proposed by the EP paradigm includes proposed by the EP paradigm includes a specialised capacity for IMITATION.a specialised capacity for IMITATION.

This capacity for imitation creates This capacity for imitation creates different copies of an idea (more different copies of an idea (more generally, any product of the mind), generally, any product of the mind), some of which are passed on some of which are passed on (replicated) more successfully than (replicated) more successfully than others, creating MEMES. others, creating MEMES.


UNIVERSAL UNIVERSAL DARWINISMDARWINISM

Evolution by natural selection occurs Evolution by natural selection occurs whenever the following conditions are whenever the following conditions are satisfied:satisfied:

1) replication: there are things that can be 1) replication: there are things that can be copied.copied.

2) variation: there are dissimilar copies of 2) variation: there are dissimilar copies of the same thing.the same thing.

3) selection: there is an environment where 3) selection: there is an environment where not all copies survive, but only some get not all copies survive, but only some get copied again. copied again. Presented by Gautam

Sen

SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME EXAMPLES OF MEMESMEMES

Stories and jokesStories and jokes Fashions in clothingFashions in clothing Languages (these are actually large Languages (these are actually large

combinations of memes which combinations of memes which Blackmore calls memeplexes)Blackmore calls memeplexes)

Religions (also memeplexes)Religions (also memeplexes) IdeologiesIdeologies


SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DARWINIST APPROACH TO DARWINIST APPROACH TO

CULTURECULTURE Both the EP paradigm as well as Both the EP paradigm as well as

Universal Darwinism regard the Universal Darwinism regard the cognitive process (or the process of cognitive process (or the process of meme replication) as ‘computational’ - meme replication) as ‘computational’ - i.e., a syntactic operation on a local i.e., a syntactic operation on a local database. Is this an adequate database. Is this an adequate approximation to human thought? approximation to human thought?

The idea of a meme is itself a meme. The idea of a meme is itself a meme. Can memetics then be a metaparadigm? Can memetics then be a metaparadigm?


How does Geertz’s description of How does Geertz’s description of culture as “webs of significance that culture as “webs of significance that he himself has spun” relate to he himself has spun” relate to memes? Perhaps the webs of memes? Perhaps the webs of significance themselves are significance themselves are memeplexes?memeplexes?

SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DARWINIST APPROACH TO DARWINIST APPROACH TO

CULTURECULTURE


WHAT HAVE WE GAINED WITH A WHAT HAVE WE GAINED WITH A DARWINIAN PERSPECTIVE ON DARWINIAN PERSPECTIVE ON

CULTURE?CULTURE?For me, the chief gain has been a For me, the chief gain has been a fertile analogy between the fertile analogy between the BIOSPHERE and the IDEOSPHERE. BIOSPHERE and the IDEOSPHERE. There is a rich diversity in both, and There is a rich diversity in both, and the Darwinian perspective suggests the Darwinian perspective suggests that there may be a similar dynamic that there may be a similar dynamic driving both. driving both.


Is cultural diversity intrinsically valuable Is cultural diversity intrinsically valuable and worth preserving? Value judgement - and worth preserving? Value judgement - can’t be answered within this or any other can’t be answered within this or any other scientific perspective!scientific perspective!

Does the Darwinian dynamic suggest a Does the Darwinian dynamic suggest a tendency towards cultural homogenization? tendency towards cultural homogenization?

Can there be an ecology (or indeed a Can there be an ecology (or indeed a biology) of ideas, just as much as of living biology) of ideas, just as much as of living species. How can this be further explored? species. How can this be further explored?

WHAT HAVE WE GAINED WITH A WHAT HAVE WE GAINED WITH A DARWINIAN PERSPECTIVE ON DARWINIAN PERSPECTIVE ON

CULTURE?CULTURE?


Documents

NEW PERSPECTIVES ON CULTURE