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Human nature, human culture: the case of cultural evolution.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Abstract

In recent years, far from arguing that evolutionary approaches to our own species permit us to describe the fundamental character of human nature, a prominent group of cultural evolutionary theorists has instead argued that the very idea of 'human nature' is one we should reject. It makes no sense, they argue, to speak of human nature in opposition to human culture. The very same sceptical arguments have also led some thinkers-usually from social anthropology-to dismiss the intimately related idea that we can talk of human culture in opposition to human nature. How, then, are we supposed to understand the cultural evolutionary project itself, whose proponents seem to deny the distinction between human nature and human culture, while simultaneously relying on a closely allied distinction between 'genetic' (or sometimes 'organic') evolution and 'cultural' evolution? This paper defends the cultural evolutionary project against the charge that, in refusing to endorse the concept of human nature, it has inadvertently sabotaged itself.

Description

Keywords

cultural evolution, human nature, niche construction, social learning

Journal Title

Interface Focus

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2042-8898
2042-8901

Volume Title

7

Publisher

The Royal Society
Sponsorship
European Research Council (284123)
John Templeton Foundation (unknown)
John Templeton Foundation