Haidt 2012: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "== Haidt Ch. 9: Why Are We So Groupish? == === Exhibit A: Major Transitions in Evolution === *Life on Earth underwent a “major transition” around 2 billion years ago **Cells became more complex–developed internal organelles which worked together instead of competing **Single-celled eukaryotes spread throughout the oceans *A few hundred million years later: some eukaryotes develop ability to stay together after cell division and form multicellular organisms **Also...")
 
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**Increased early humans’ ability to hunt, gather, raise children, and raid others
**Increased early humans’ ability to hunt, gather, raise children, and raid others
*Tomasello: human ultrasociality arose in two steps
*Tomasello: human ultrasociality arose in two steps
##Ability to share intentions in groups of 2-3
*#Ability to share intentions in groups of 2-3
##Natural selection favored group-mindedness: shared social norms, beliefs, institutions, goals, etc.  
*#Natural selection favored group-mindedness: shared social norms, beliefs, institutions, goals, etc.  
**Created selection pressures within groups
**Created selection pressures within groups
*Humans’ “shared defensible nest” is our moral communities
*Humans’ “shared defensible nest” is our moral communities

Revision as of 06:49, 4 February 2024

Haidt Ch. 9: Why Are We So Groupish?

Exhibit A: Major Transitions in Evolution

  • Life on Earth underwent a “major transition” around 2 billion years ago
    • Cells became more complex–developed internal organelles which worked together instead of competing
    • Single-celled eukaryotes spread throughout the oceans
  • A few hundred million years later: some eukaryotes develop ability to stay together after cell division and form multicellular organisms
    • Also suppresses competition because each cell only reproduces if the organism as a whole reproduces
  • Whenever a way to suppress free-riding emerges, natural selection at the higher level wins out over selection at the lower level
    • Favors most cohesive “superorganisms”
  • Fittest groups pass on their traits
    • Genes created selfless group members which constituted a selfish group
  • Groups used new forms of technological innovation
  • Some groups are ultrasocial: live in very large groups with internal structure around division of labor
    • One key feature: need to defend a shared nest
    • Two other features: need to feed offspring and intergroup conflict
    • These three factors applied to humans
  • Group selection leads to group related adaptations

Exhibit B: Shared Intentionality

  • Chimpanzees rarely work together
  • In an experiment conducted on chimps and human toddlers, both did equally well on assigned tasks, but chimps failed social challenges whereas children aced them
  • Humans developed shared intentionality: work together to overcome challenges or towards a common goal
    • Increased early humans’ ability to hunt, gather, raise children, and raid others
  • Tomasello: human ultrasociality arose in two steps
    1. Ability to share intentions in groups of 2-3
    2. Natural selection favored group-mindedness: shared social norms, beliefs, institutions, goals, etc.
    • Created selection pressures within groups
  • Humans’ “shared defensible nest” is our moral communities

Exhibit C: Genes and Cultures Coevolve

  • Only around 600,000-700,000 years ago where hominids began to cross over into shared intentionality
    • Most likely Homo heidelbergensis that made this cross
  • Richerson and Boyd argue that cultural innovations evolve similarly to biological ones; you can’t study one without studying the other
    • Thus, cultural innovations around morality might have led to genetic responses, ultimately leading to ultrasociality
  • “Tribal instincts hypothesis”: human groups have always been competing with neighboring groups
    • Groups with cultural innovations that allowed them to cohere better usually won
  • Example: body modifications like tattoos and piercings might have started off as a way to establish a sense of community by creating a physical resemblance/commonality
  • “Self-domestication”: groups selected those who conformed to social and group norms best
    • Selected friends and partners based on “ability to live within the tribe’s moral matrix”
    • Created friendlier, gentler humans and conditions for peaceful coexistence