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Project

Overlooked Aspects of Cultural Evolution: Information, Maladaptation, and Evolutionary Trends

In the last decades, there has been an important theoretical shift towards a biology-based approach to the study of cultural evolution. This field came to be known as cultural evolutionary theory (CET), and although it consists of multiple approaches including dual-inheritance theory, epidemiology of representations, niche construction, and memetics, which differ from each other in some important respects, it is based on the view that culture changes through time analogously to the way that organisms evolve genetically, and that both evolutionary processes interact causally.

This dissertation addresses what I consider are the grand challenges in CET from a philosophically informed perspective, focusing on often overlooked conceptual and methodological aspects. It aims to complement existing research efforts and enhance our understanding of the intricate nature of cultural evolution. The work is divided into three parts:

In Part I, the widespread use of informational terminology in CET is critically examined. Chapter 1 challenges the notion that avoiding analytical discussions of cultural information is productive, emphasizing the epistemic constraints this creates. Chapter 2 highlights problems arising from the imprecise understanding of cultural information and its impact on research ambiguity.

Part II examines the measurement of cultural cumulation through multiple operationalizations of cultural complexity. Chapter 3 argues that cultural complexity lacks a singular, universally accepted definition, exploring various interpretations of concept plurality. Chapter 4 demonstrates the inconsistency of results generated by different operationalizations of cultural complexity, suggesting the need for a more coherent conceptual framework.

Finally, in Part III, the consequences of adaptationism in CET are examined. Chapter 5 emphasizes the need for rigorous study of cultural maladaptation, identifying four distinct concepts and addressing the challenges of their identification and explanation. Chapter 6 advocates for the integration of cultural evolutionary progress as a fundamental concept in CET, proposing a hypothesis of cultural evolutionary progress based on cultural information, cumulative culture, and adaptationism. Incorporating a notion of cultural evolutionary progress in the conceptual toolbox can be a step towards the practical application of CET.

Date:27 Sep 2018 →  28 Sep 2023
Keywords:Cultural complexity, Cultural evolution, Darwin´s theory, Cultural information
Disciplines:General pedagogical and educational sciences, Communication sciences, Philosophy, Theory and methodology of philosophy, Other philosophy, ethics and religious studies not elsewhere classified, Ethics
Project type:PhD project