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The Most Unique of all Unique Species

  • Symposium: Neo-Darwinism and Its Discontents
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Abstract

This article identifies the shortcomings of “orthodox neo-Darwinians” such as Richard Dawkins, George Williams and Daniel Dennett in their efforts to describe human nature and human pro-social behavior. As an alternative to the views of these thinkers, the efforts of Peter Richerson, Robert Boyd, and other “dual inheritance” theorists to describe the evolution of human nature are also characterized. It is argued that dual inheritance theorists have surpassed the orthodox neo-Darwinians in their explanations for very important and uniquely human features such as our extensive sociability, complex cumulative culture and morality.

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Further Reading

  • Boyd, R., & Richerson, P. (1985). Culture and the evolutionary process. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

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  • Boyd, R., & Richerson, P. (2005). The origin and evolution of cultures. New York: Oxford University Press.

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  • Gintis, H., Bowles, S., Boyd, R., & Fehr, E. (2005). Moral sentiments and material interests: The foundations of cooperation in economic life. Cambridge MA: MIT.

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  • Henrich, J., Boyd, R., Bowles, S., Camerer, C., Fehr, E., & Gintis, H. (2004). Foundations of human sociality. New York: Oxford University Press.

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  • Joyce, R. (2006). The evolution of morality. Cambridge MA: MIT.

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  • Lumsden, C.J., & Wilson, E.O. (1981). Genes, mind and culture. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

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  • Richerson, P., & Boyd, R. (2004). Not by genes alone: How culture transformed human evolution. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

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  • Stone, B.L. (2008). The evolution of culture and sociology. The American Sociologist (in press).

  • Wilson, E.O. (1978). On human nature. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oglethorpe University, 4484 Peachtree Road, NE, Atlanta, GA, 30319, USA

    Brad Lowell Stone

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  1. Brad Lowell Stone
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Correspondence to Brad Lowell Stone.

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Stone, B.L. The Most Unique of all Unique Species. Soc 45, 146–151 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-008-9075-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-008-9075-7

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