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Neurocultural Identities and the Problem of Human Violence

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Evil in the Modern World

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Abstract

The chapter begins with a brief description of the evolution of the nervous system in vertebrates, spanning from the least complex life forms to Homo sapiens. In humans the development of the neocortex is driven by the need to live in increasingly complex social groups. The chapter introduces a description of the distinctive features of Homo sapiens: bipedal gait, construction of tools, the ability to travel mentally through time, the theory of mind, self-regulation, verbal language and the capacity for symbolisation. Some of these characteristics (as well as the invention of weapons such as bows and poisoned arrows) probably contributed to the extinction of large animals and other hominid species, several tens of thousands of years ago. The chapter then focuses more specifically on the invention and the origin of languages by discussing how they contributed to the “cognitive revolution” and subsequent expansion of Homo sapiens in all continents. Languages foster human cultures and facilitate relationships among the members of a group. However, linguistic and cultural differences also contribute to separate a community from other communities leading to increasing violence and human aggression. The invention of agriculture, which led to the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to larger, sedentary and hierarchically organised human groups also contributed to a surge in human violence. The authors discuss the current tendency towards globalisation and emphasise some risks connected with it, such as the progressive decline of linguistic diversity, the rising of inequality and the effects on social and psychological distress, including loneliness. The authors conclude by suggesting educational and social interventions aimed at finding the right balance between identity and universalistic tendencies. Furthermore, the authors discuss the possibility to promote educational schemes allowing young children to learn and practise different languages and religions. Finally, the emphasis is put on the importance of self-growth as a means to apprehend and cope with suffering and violence, inherent aspects of the human condition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education, and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy

    Franco Fabbro & Cristiano Crescentini

  2. Degree Course in Psychology, Universite libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

    Alice Fabbro

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  1. Franco Fabbro
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  2. Alice Fabbro
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  3. Cristiano Crescentini
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Correspondence to Cristiano Crescentini .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University, La Mirada, CA, USA

    Laura Dryjanska

  2. Rome, Italy

    Giorgio Pacifici

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Fabbro, F., Fabbro, A., Crescentini, C. (2022). Neurocultural Identities and the Problem of Human Violence. In: Dryjanska, L., Pacifici, G. (eds) Evil in the Modern World. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91888-0_9

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