Evolutionary Thinking Across Disciplines: Problems and Perspectives in Generalized Darwinism

Contents
Contributors
Chapter 1: Generalizing Darwinism as a Topic for Multidisciplinary Debate
1.1 The Problem: Generalizing Darwinism
1.2 Aims, Structure and Content of the Book
1.2.1 Part I: How Can Disciplines Benefit from, or Contribute to, Evolutionary Frameworks?
1.2.2 Part II: Generalizations of Evolutionary Theory: Common Principles or Explanatory Structures?
1.2.3 Part III: Why Should We Be Skeptical of Generalizations of Darwinism?
1.2.4 Part IV: How Can Evolutionary Approaches or the Target Field Be Amended?
References
Part I: How Can Disciplines Benefit from, or Contribute to, Evolutionary Frameworks?
Chapter 2: Is a Non-evolutionary Psychology Possible?
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The Commitments of Evolutionary Psychology
2.3 EP Does Not Privilege Genetic Over Environmental Control of Behaviour
2.4 What Would Constitute a Non-evolutionary Psychology?
2.5 Alternatives to Evolutionary Psychology?
2.5.1 Social Role Theory
2.5.2 Cultural Evolutionary Psychology and Dual Inheritance Theory
2.5.3 Bayesian Cognitive Science
2.5.4 Giddens´ Social Theory
2.6 Conclusions
References
Chapter 3: Evolutionary Economics and the Theory of Cultural Evolution
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Evolutionary Economics and the Contested Relevance of the Darwinian Theory
3.3 Evolutionary Economics and the Theory of Cultural Evolution - Any Gains from Trade?
3.4 Innovative Adaptations Cause a Bias in Economic Evolution
3.5 Conclusions
References
Chapter 4: Repetition Without Replication: Notes Towards a Theory of Cultural Adaptation
4.1 Cultural Evolution Is a Lamarckian, Not a (Neo-)Darwinian Process
4.2 Cultural Evolution Is as Primary and Foundational as Natural Evolution
4.3 There Are No Core Units of Culture
4.4 Literary Texts Are Multi-dimensional Objects of Study
4.5 Cultural Transmission Is Biased
4.6 ``Adaptation´´ Changes Its Meaning in Cultural Evolution
4.7 Cultural Adaptation Exceeds Intertextuality
4.8 Adaptation Studies Must Adapt Evolutionary Theory
4.9 Summary
References
Chapter 5: The Epistemological and Ideological Stakes of Literary Darwinism
5.1 Epistemological Situation of Evolutionary Psychology
5.2 The Debate on the Adaptive Function of Literature
5.2.1 Theory of Enjoyment, in Other Words of Art as a Parasitic Activity
5.2.2 The Theory of Expensive Signals
5.2.3 Theories of Adaptive Gain
5.2.4 Literature as a Behavioral Adaptation Capacity
5.2.5 Art as an Added Value
5.2.6 Art as a Form of Empathy
5.2.7 Pure Cognitive Gain Theories
5.3 The Heuristics of Cognitive Psychology in Practice
5.4 Academic and Philosophical Issues of These Emerging Disciplines
References
Chapter 6: Evolutionary Aspects of Language Change
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Background
6.2.1 From Words to Trees
6.2.2 From Trees to Waves
6.2.3 From Waves to Forests
6.3 Key Aspects of Language Change
6.3.1 Its the System!
6.3.2 Chaque Mot a Son Histoire
6.3.3 Speakers and Listeners
6.3.4 Polygenesis Is Possible
6.4 Future Challenges for Historical Linguistics
6.4.1 Typology of Sound Change
6.4.2 Typology of Lexical Borrowing
6.4.3 Typology of Semantic Shift
6.5 Conclusion
References
Chapter 7: A Community Science Model for Inter-disciplinary Evolution Education and School Improvement
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Evolutionary Concepts in School Improvement
7.2.1 The View from Evolution Education
7.2.2 Diverse Traditions of Evolutionary Theorizing in School Improvement
7.2.3 Towards a More Generalized, Integrative, Pluralistic, and Participatory Approach
7.2.3.1 Generalized
7.2.3.2 Integrative
7.2.3.3 Pluralistic
7.2.3.4 Participatory
7.3 Developing a Community Science Model
7.3.1 Schools as Field Sites for Community-Based Cultural Evolution
7.3.2 The Metacognitive Loop
7.3.3 Theories of Self, Schooling, and Society
7.3.4 Our Theory of School Improvement
7.4 Case Study: The Evolving Schools Project
7.5 Conclusions
References
Chapter 8: Teaching for the Interdisciplinary Understanding of Evolutionary Concepts
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Structures of Knowledge in Science, Cognition, and Evolution Education
8.2.1 Structures of Knowledge in Science
8.2.2 Structures of Knowledge in Cognition
8.2.3 Structures of Knowledge in Education
8.2.3.1 Structure of Knowledge and Curriculum in Evolution Education
8.2.3.2 Structure of Knowledge and Instruction in Evolution Education
8.3 Curriculum and Instructional Design Implications of a Generalized Evolutionary Theory
8.3.1 Learning Progressions and Curriculum Design
8.3.2 Teaching for Conceptual Understanding and Transfer Of Learning
8.3.3 Integrate and Foster Systems Thinking in Evolution Education
8.4 Conclusions: Evolving an Interdisciplinary Evolution Education?
References
Part II: Generalizations of Evolutionary Theory: Common Principles or Explanatory Structures?
Chapter 9: From Games to Graphs: Evolving Networks in Cultural Evolution
9.1 Introduction
9.2 The Cultural Microlevel: Agents Playing Evolutionary Games
9.2.1 The Prisoner´s Dilemma and the Paradox of Altruism
9.2.2 Signaling Games and the Emergence of Conventional Meaning
9.3 The Cultural Macrolevel: Populations and Evolutionary Graphs
9.3.1 Why Are There no ``Species´´ in Cultural Evolution?
9.3.2 Interactive Groupings in Cultural Population Structure
9.4 Synthesis: Games on Graphs
9.4.1 The Prisoner´s Network Game (PN)
9.4.2 The Signaling Network Game (SN)
9.4.3 Dynamical Analysis for Cultural Population Structure
References
Chapter 10: Metaphysics of Evolution: Ontology and Justification of Generalized Evolution Theory
10.1 Introduction
10.2 The Ontological Architecture of Generalized Evolution Theory
10.2.1 Self-Reproducing Systems With Variations
10.2.2 Ontological Specifics of Cultural Evolution
10.2.3 Ontological Specifics of Biochemical Evolution
10.2.4 Populations of Self-Reproducing Systems Competing for Resources
10.2.5 The Functional Notions of Fitness and Selection
10.3 Abductive Justification of CE and GE Theory
10.3.1 Arguments Against Sociobiology
10.3.2 The Argument Against Action and Rational Choice Theory
10.3.3 The Argument Against Pure Sociology
References
Chapter 11: Human Social Evolution via Four Coevolutionary Paths
11.1 How to Explain the Human Social World?
11.2 The Logic of Domination
11.3 The Logic of Capitalism
11.4 What Does This Add to What We Already Know?
11.5 Constructing the Human Niche: Adaptation as a Self-Transcending Process
11.6 Disentangling the Human Niche through the Logic of Its Evolutionary Paths
11.7 Analyzing the Logics Separately, Then Integrating Them Into an Evolutionary Whole
11.8 Integrating Variational With Transformational Processes: Accounting for Continuity in the Analysis of Change
11.9 The Challenge of Human Agency: Its Relation to Social Structures in the Dynamics of Evolutionary Change
11.10 The Agent/Structure Dialectic: Comparisons at Multiple Granularites
11.11 Conclusion
References
Part III: Why Should We Be Skeptical of Generalizations of Darwinism?
Chapter 12: Is Natural Selection Physical?
12.1 Introduction
12.2 What Is Physical
12.3 The Case of Evolutionary Theory
12.4 Perspectives
References
Chapter 13: The Risks of Evolutionary Explanation
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Varieties of Risk
13.3 Do Evolutionary Explanations Entail Special Risks?
13.4 The ADHD Case
13.5 The Seductive Allure of Evolutionary Explanations
13.6 Life History Theory as a Case Study
13.7 Do Cultural Explanations Also Entail Risk?
13.8 Conclusion: Incentive Structures as Amplifiers of Risk
References
Chapter 14: Evolution and Ecology of Organizations and Markets
14.1 Brief History of Evolutionary Thought in Economics and Management
14.2 Schumpeter´s Evolutionary Economics
14.3 What Is Evolutionary About Schumpeterian Economic Evolution?
14.4 Final Thoughts
References
Chapter 15: Pluralism and Epistemic Goals: Why the Social Sciences Will (Probably) Not Be Synthesised by Evolutionary Theory
15.1 Introduction
15.2 What Does it Mean to `Synthesise´ the Social Sciences?
15.3 Background Assumptions and Challenges
15.4 Conclusion
References
Chapter 16: Equations at an Exhibition: On the Cultural Price Equation
16.1 The Power of Price
16.2 A Brief Primer on the Price Equation
16.3 Price on General Selection
16.4 Pictures at an Exhibition
16.5 Problems at an Exhibition
16.6 The Price Equation in Cultural Evolutionary Theory
16.7 El Mouden et al. on Cultural Selection
16.8 Problems for the Cultural Price Equation
16.9 Cultural Reproduction
16.10 Diagnosis
References
Chapter 17: Unlike Agents: The Role of Correlation in Economics and Biology
17.1 Introduction
17.2 Inclusive Fitness, Relatedness, and Correlation
17.3 An Unreliable Heuristic
17.4 Exchange Rates
17.5 Maximizing Agents
17.5.1 Full Control
17.5.2 Decision-Making Context
17.5.3 Maximizing Fitness
17.6 Conclusion
References
Part IV: How Can Evolutionary Approaches Or the Target Field Be Amended?
Chapter 18: From the Modern Synthesis to the Inclusive Evolutionary Synthesis: An Einsteinian Revolution in Evolution
18.1 Introduction
18.2 Accruing Evidence Calling for a New Synthesis
18.2.1 The Case of the Missing Heritability
18.2.2 Integrating Cultural Inheritance
18.2.3 Integrating Epigenetics
18.2.4 Integrating Development
18.2.5 Evolutionary Ecologists Finally Got On-Board: Heredity Is Pluralistic
18.2.6 The Above Review Is Incomplete
18.3 Towards the New Evolutionary Synthesis
18.3.1 The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis
18.3.2 The Inclusive Evolutionary Synthesis
18.3.3 My Implication in the Emergence of the New Synthesis
18.3.4 The Biggest Challenge for the New Synthesis
18.3.5 A Parallel with the Conceptual Revolution of Relativity
References
Chapter 19: Darwinian/Hennigian Systematics and Evo-Devo: The Missed Rendez-Vous
19.1 What Is Evo-Devo for?
19.2 Genetic Control
19.3 Genetic Program
19.4 Architect Genes
19.5 Phylotypic Stage
19.6 Body Plans
19.7 Order and Regularity: Causes, or Consequences?
19.8 Natural Selection Within Soma
19.9 Descent with Modification (Then Phylogeny) within Soma
19.10 What EvoDevo Should Study: Ontophylogenesis
19.11 A Possible Consequence of a True Evo-Devo Research Program: Hierarchical (Phylogenetic) Ordering of Ontogenetic Time
19.11.1 The Method
19.11.2 Detection of Heterochronies
19.11.3 Naming Developmental Stages
19.12 Conclusion
References
Chapter 20: The Generalized Selective Environment
20.1 Introduction
20.2 Defining the Boundaries of the Selective Environment
20.3 Heterogeneity and Reciprocity Blur Boundaries
20.4 The Environment in the Evolution of Honor Cultures
20.4.1 Four Types of Selective Cultural Environment
20.4.2 Ontological Disunity
20.5 The Contrast Class: Agential Explanations of Honor Culture
20.6 Generalized Selective Environment
20.6.1 The Selective Environment in Various Models of Cultural Evolution
20.6.2 Screening off Divine Agency
20.6.3 Screening off Organismic Agency
20.6.4 Screening off Human Agency
20.7 Conclusion
References
Chapter 21: Adding Agency to Tinbergen´s Four Questions
21.1 Tinbergen´s Four Questions
21.2 Tinbergen´s Mid-Century Ethology Program
21.3 Tinbergen´s Philosophy of Science
21.4 Tinbergen´s View of Behaviors as Organs
21.5 Tinbergen´s Four Questions
21.6 Tinbergen´s View of Organisms as Objects
21.7 Organisms as Agents
21.8 Adding Agency to Tinbergen´s Four Questions
21.9 Objects Languish, Agents Flourish
21.10 Bridging Evolution and the Social Sciences with Agency
21.11 Tinbergen´s Fifth Question
References
Chapter 22: Cultural Evolution Research Needs to Include Human Behavioural Ecology
22.1 Introduction
22.2 The ``Cultural Evolution´´ Approach Focuses on Transmission
22.3 The Human Behavioural Ecology Approach Focuses on Biological Fitness
22.4 Cultural Evolution: Clarifying the Confusion Between Phenomenon and Theory
22.5 Human Behavioural Ecologists Have Been Studying Cultural Evolution All Along
22.5.1 Kinship
22.5.2 Religious Institutions
22.5.3 Witchcraft Belief
22.5.4 Maladaptive Behaviours and the Role of Transmission Dynamics
22.6 Organising Research: Tinbergen´s Four Questions About Behaviour
22.7 Difficulties with Cultural Transmission Approaches to Cultural Evolution
22.8 Moving Forward
22.9 Conclusion
References