Culture for Skeptics: Readings for Nov 3
Continuing from the lively discussion last week, we will finish discussing:
Robert Boyd and Peter J. Richerson. 2005. Solving the Puzzle of Human Cooperation, In: Evolution and Culture, S. Levinson ed. MIT Press, Cambridge MA, pp 105-132.
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I’m adding to this three VERY SHORT readings. The first two are a pair: a Science magazine paper and its accompanying (and politely critical) commentary. While Bowles argues for genetic group selection in humans, you’ll see he might need cultural institutions of some kind to get there. You may be surprised that this paper actually examines some DATA.
Samuel Bowles. 2006. Group Competition, Reproductive Leveling, and the Evolution of Human Altruism. Science 314:1569.
Download PDFRobert Boyd. 2006. Perspectives: Evolution: The Puzzle of Human Sociality. Science 314:1555.
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The third is an Evolution commentary considering cultural group selection and the possibility that current human cooperation is something of a “stalled” evolutionary transition.
Stephen C. Stearns. 2007. Are We Stalled Part Way Through a Major Evolutionary Transition From Individual to Group? Evolution 61(10):2275-2280.
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Viva la selección de los grupos!