The Imagined World Made Real
Towards a Natural Science of Culture
Published on 24. April 2003
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-0-14-028830-8 (ISBN)
Description
Human beings are fundamentally creatures of culture. The ability to share knowledge, beliefs and skills is the defining characteristic of our species, and one of the most complex phenomena on earth. Our lives are dictated by the products of culture - such as marriage, money, nationhood - and even wars are fought over it. Science itself is a construction of culture and natural sciences are the most powerful forms of knowledge we have: from explanations of the origins of the universe to the molecular structure of life. So can the natural sciences be used to understand culture - or should this be left to the "human sciences": psychology, sociology and anthropology? Here, Henry Plotkin shows that natural science, in particular evolutionary theory, is in fact essential to exploring our culture. He illustrates how nature and nurture have intertwined in the development of human intelligence from its earliest beginnings. And how by fusing the biological and social we can achieve a "natural science of culture": one that reveals human culture as the extension of processes that are actually billions of years old.
More details
Series
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Edition type
New edition
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
index
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 131 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
254 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-14-028830-8 (9780140288308)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Professor of Psychobiology at University College London, author of two previous Penguins: DARWIN MACHINES AND THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE and EVOLUTION IN MIND.
Content
Marrying the biological and social sciences: culture, social constructions and natural science; possible frameworks; evolution and the theory of evolution; alternative theories to NeoDarwinism; how good a theory is evolutionary theory?; suggested readings. The evolution of intelligence: why intelligence ever evolved at all; the limits of reductionism; intelligence unlimited?; Fodor poses a problem; human intelligence as adaptation or exaptation; suggested readings. The emergence of culture: broadening the picture; the trouble with "levels"; a solution to the levels problem; suggested readings. Naturalizing culture the process way: the puzzle of war; universal Darwinism; modelling co-evolution; the "new" science of memetics; suggested readings. Causal mechanisms: a general framework for understanding psychological mechanism; what those mechanisms may be; concepts, schemata and other higher-order knowledge structures; imitation; language; theory of mind; social force; a single magical mechanism? suggested readings. Individuals, groups and culture: the behavioural ecology of group living; the units and levels of selection; vehicles, interactors and the revival of group selection; niche construction; suggested readings. The strangeness of culture: the construction of social reality; a sociological turn; social representations; cultural psychology; a tentative conclusion; suggested readings.