Civilizations and world
religions
1. Lecture:
The framework of the subject:
phenomena and evolutionary theory of ethnocentrism
F. Fukuyama:
The end of history thesis
„We may wittnessing the end of history as such: that is the end
point of mankind’s ideological evolution and the universalization
of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human
government. ... Some conflicts may happan in places in the Third
World, but the global conflict is over and not just in
Europe…The war of ideas is at an end also. Believers in MarxistLeninism may still exist in places like Managua, Pyongyang, and
Cambridge, Massachusetts, but overall liberal democracy has
triumphed. The future will be devoted not to great exhilarating
struggles over ideas but rather to resolving mundane economic
and technical problems. It will all be rather boring.”
F. Fukuyama
S. Huntington:
The clash of civilization thesis
„There are two important theme of the future: First, the crucial
impact of population growth on instability and balance of power.
The second, clashes of civilizations are the greatest threats to
world peace, and an international order based on civilizations is
the safeguard against world war.
The civilizations will have to learn to live side by side in peaceful
interexchange, learning from each other’s history and ideals, and
art and culture , mutually enriching each other’s lives. The
alternative , in this overcrowed little world is, misunderstanding,
tension, clash, and catastrophe.”
What gives the particular
importance of these topics?
First of all, we should raise three basic questions and find the proper
answers to them:
1st question: what makes our world move?
2nd question: what or who are the subjects of the development?
3rd question: should one expect a radical or profound change in all of
this?
In this context the collective identity and the changes of collective
identity in the history has a special importance.
These questions could be analysed from several points of view:
 What is a territorial or regional organisation (state, nation) like?
 What is a spiritual (ideological) organisation (e.g. a religion) like?
 What is a social organisation on the basis of a „life-programme”
(culture, values)?
Civilizations
Religions
Territorial organizations
Spiritual organizations
Ethnocentrism
Culture
Life-programmeorganizations
Values
Spiritual communities
Nations, states and communities
The general framework-modell of the lectures
Assessment process
Obligatory literature: „Civilizations and world-religions” and the „History of political
ideas” ppt-presentations on the web-page: www.marosan.com
Recommended literature: Marosán György. (2006): Hogyan készül a történelem?
Money-Plan kft
The course implies an exam. There are two components of the mark: an essay and a
written exam.
If someone participates at least 3 lectures from the 5, and writes an acceptable essay at
home, then he or she could receive a mark after his or her essay, (that is: no written
exam needed then).
When someone does not participate enough lectures, and/or his or her essay is not
acceptable or is not good enough, then he or she must make a written exam too.
The topic/theme of the essay must be in a connection with the subject matter of the
course, and it should be an analysis of a definite, designed topic, or movie.
The essay must be of 2600 words long, the dead-line is: 17. december, 2012.
Topics and treatments of essays
Everybody should write two essays: one from „Civilizations and
World-religions” and another from „History of Political Ideas”.
The topic of the first essay: one should watch a film, (which is set in
the case of each student individually), then write an essay
concerning the topic or theme of the movie, (perhaps a
recommendation of 20 lines at the end of the essay).
The topic of the second essay: the decisive events of 21st century on
the basis of articles and news downloaded from the internet. The
student must choose 5 news, events or articles, and write an essay
on its ground.
Both essays should be unbiassed, objective, multisided.
Movie-titles.
Possible themes for essay
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22.
Ütközések (USA)
Hullám (N)
Ajami (Izraeli film) –
Bader Meinhoff csoport (N)
Eper és vér (USA)
Michael Collins (USA)
Aki szelet vet (USA)
Az Én 20. századom (M)
Az összeesküvés (Wansee-i konferencia (USA)
Megfoghatatlan. (Il Divó) Andreotti film (O)
Bukás (N)
A kelet, az kelet. (A)
Lövés utána csend. (N)
Hotel Ruanda. (USA)
Milk (homoszexuális politikusról) (USA)
Hideg napok (M)
Jó éjszakát, jó szerencsét. (USA)
Vera Drake (A – abortusz)
Más ember élete (N)
Szerelem (F – euthanazia)
Mefisztó (Szabó István)
Az elnök emberei (USA) (Watergate ügy)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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8.
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10.
11.
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21.
141 perc a Befejezetlen mondatból. (M –Déri könyv)
20 óra – Sánta Ferenc film
Márvány ember (L)
A nemzet színe-java. (USA)
Z, avagy egy politikai gyilkosság anatómiája (Franciagörög?)
Ítélet Nürnbergben (A)
Karmester (Szabó István)
Luther (N)
Makk Károly: Szerelem,
McCharty korszakról szóló film:
Hamisító (N vagy A)
Hamu és gyémánt (L)
A tanú (magyar)
Cséplő Gyuri (Schiffer P. )
Ámen (A helytartó - Hochut darab)
A csendes amerikai (angol?)
A háborúnak vége (F) Semprun könyvből film
Agitátorok (az Optimistákból)
Tarkovszkij: A tükör
Mészáros Márta: Napló gyermekeimnek
Előttem az élet (Olasz – új)
The points of view of the analysis of the film:
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What is the movie about?
What is its relationship to the particular, chosen topic (to Religions or History of
Political Ideas)
What is the „message” of the movie?
What is its peculiar importance in relationship to the history of 20th and 21st century?
Does it have a „message” in regard of nowadays Hungary?
Which opposite opinions are expressed in the movie?
Which opposite opinions are present according to the topic in question in the
contemporary Hungarian and/or global society?
You could select the behavior, story or path of life of one or more characters, and you
could present and analyse them in your essay.
With what other movies and literary works could you compare the actual, chosen
movie?
What is the relationship of this film to the reality: does it alter the latter drastically or
rather mirrors it in a quite acceptable, adequate way?
The points of view of the
analysis concerning the 21st century
You should choose and download from the internet 5 events, news, information in
the last two years, which you consider to be decisive in regard of the history of
21st century.
 You should show and argue for why do you think these events to be decisive
(rather than others).
 You should unfold their connections and internal relationship, and form your
opinion what kind of future they foreshadow together.
 You should determine the possible message of this foreshadowed picture in
regard of Europe, and in particular in regard of East-Europe.
 You should determine the possible message of this foreshadowed picture in
regard of present Hungarian society.
 The essay must be approximately 8 pages, out of which one page should be about
the analysis of these five tendencies.
 Deadline: 17. December, 2012. Room, E II 22.
An example
At least 45 people, including women and children, have been killed in sectarian violence
involving two ethnic groups over land row in Nigeria's northern state of Benue, police and
witnesses said today. Those killed belong to Tiv ethnic group while the attackers were the
Fulani people who are mostly cattle herdsmen, witnesses said.
The Tiv, who are mostly farmers, also had some of their houses burnt down by the
invaders. Ejike Alaribe, the police spokesman, said the number of people killed in Sunday's
violence is 16 but a witness who spoke to PTI on condition of anonymity insisted the
number could not be less than 45, adding that the country's police is known for reducing
casualty figures.
The cause of the violence is related to land row between the two ethnic groups. The Fulanis,
who are mostly Muslims, seek land for their cattle to graze while the Tivs want to preserve it
for farming.
Ethnic conflict over land are widespread in northern Nigeria. Most frequently, these occure
in the country's north-central state of Plateau where Fulani herdsmen engage in clashes with
the Biroms and other ethnic groups.
Traditional approach of group behavior
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The traditional approach conceives group behavior as stemming
from individual goals, motives and abilities. These assume that
people work together with others because their insights, efforts
or resources can help achieve attractive goals. People help each
other because this indirectly benefits themselves, because of
genetic overlap in families or because of ethnic and cultural
similarities.
The traditional approach focuses on individual-level disposition
or concerns to explain group behavior is found across different
disciplines.
Social identity approach of group behavior
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1970’ H. Tajfel and J. Turner offer a new approach to understand
group behavior: social identity approach.
Social identity approach try to understand social discrimination,
aggression and conflict between different groups in society based on
specific cognitive processes and social cognitions which is based on
existence of a group self.
The group self (instead of the individual self) can guide people’s
behaviors when they realize they are part of group (cognitive selfdefinition) or what they are subjectively committed to the group
(emotional self-involvement).
Anyone can be considered as part of a number of different groups.
These include groups people are born into (defined by gender,
ethnicity, or nationality) as well as self-chosen affiliations for instance
professional, religious or political groups.
What does collective identity means?
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Ethnocentric-syndrome: we trust „our” group without
doubts, hesitation and unconditionally, and we are
suspicious and distrustful in the direction of „other”
groups, in the direction of the „alien”.
Collective identity: it is integrated into our mind that we
identify ourselves with our communities. We conceive
all the harms, threats and insults against our community
as harms, threats and insults against ourselves.
The centre of identity: one form of identity emerges
from all the other possible identities, and it governs and
determines the role and function of every other.
Definition of ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism: „Loyalty to the group, sacrifice for it, hatred and
contempt for outsiders, brotherhood within, warlikeness
without”, „Ethnocentrism is the technical name for this view of
things in which one's own group is the center of everything, and
all others are scaled and rated”, (Sumner, Folkways [1906],
2007:13).
It is the special emotional attitude, that though we smile at
everybody when we are born, when we are „wide awake” we get
to know that there are people whom we could trust, and there
are other people whom we must be afraid of.
When we grow up we learn to separate the world into two sharply
different parts: familiars, friends and acquaintances, whom we
love and trust, and unacquainted, unfamiliar, alien people, whom
we fear, and whom we should rather avoid.
Why ethnocentrism is important?
The political processes are basically determined by the relationship to
„alien” people. In this respect the changing of rejection of
„foreigners” and „aliens” in Hungary is an important factor.
Results of the Derex (Demand for Right-Wing Extremism
Index) report (2012)
Degree of „demand” towards far-right extremist ideas
DEREX
Hungary (Jobbik)
29 (11)
Cathegories
Prejudicialness Anti-system attitude
64 (48)
34 (20)
Netherlands (Partij voor )
5 (1)
45 (16)
13 (5)
24 (10)
5 (3)
14 (3)
3 (1)
France (Front Na)
21 (6)
58 (21)
35 (20)
42 (15)
19 (14)
28 (6)
9 (7)
Belgium (Vlaams Belang
16 (3)
44 (24)
32 (13)
40 (10)
12 (7)
20 (4)
4 (2)
Denmark(Dansk Folkeparti)
2 (1)
38 (13)
13 (4)
21 (12)
3 (3)
9 (3)
1 (1)
Value-orientation
43 (32)
Fear
27 (19)
Dimensions
Value-judgment General disposition
32 (16)
13 (7)
The general picture
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In Hungary (Autumn, 2010) the 48 percent of 16 years and above old population is extremely
prejudicious, 20 percent of them has an anti-system attitude, 32 percent has a strong rightist
value-orientation, and 19 percent could be characterized with strong fear, untrust or pessimism.
In the Autumn of 2010 the attitude-extremists (those whom could be characterized with at least
three features out of the four above-mentioned characteristics) made up the 11 percent of the
population. This is a significant decrease in relation to the 21 percent which was registered in
2009, but its basic reason is spectacular fallback of fear, anti-system attitude and pessimism
after the elections. In the moment of gathering and registration of these date the support of the
FIDESZ-Party and government was on its meridian, and the vast majority of the voters was
satisfied with the public affairs. Since then the general unsatisfaction and anti-institute attitude
went back to its earlier, very high level.
Hungary, in comparison with other 18 examined European countries, is at the head of the list
in regard of prejudiciousness, right-wing value-orientation, but the fear- and untrust-index is
relatively high as well.
The experimental analysis and demonstration of
ethnocentric-syndrome
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The Hamilton-law (the degree of altruism of sociable
animals is in a direct proportion to the degree of
relationship/closeness of genetic connection).
Henri Tajfel-law – the minimal inter-group situation (to
what do we „switch on”?)
M. Shariff – experiment with the boy scout groups (how
could you generate conflicts between different groups?)
The parochial-altruism experiment (how does ethnocentrism
emerge?)
Axelrod – the „fitness-increasing” role of ethnocentricsyndrome (is ethnocentrism useful?)
Instinctive ethnocentrism (racism) in the well-developed,
modern societies.
Origin of ethnocentrism:
1. The Hamilton-law
Hamilton-law (1963 „The Evolution of Altruistic Behavior” ):
rхa>c
The basis of this formula is that in regard of relationships it considers their expenses as
well as their benefits. Concretely, the formula connects:
 the factor marked with r which refers to the immediacy (closeness) of genetic
relationship,
 the a benefit which derives from an altruistic relationship,
 and contrasts with it the c expense of the altruistic behavior.
The formula shows the logical result that if a being experiences that the benefit which
appears at the relatives (which is the product of amount of help and the closeness of
degree of relationship – which latter refers to the genetic closeness) is greater than
the expense which it causes to itself, then it is „expedient” to behave in an altruistic
way, if the main goal is the transmission of the „own” genes.
The evolution helps the realization of this process with different mechanisms:
individual and social/collective learning, hormone-system, etc.
The realization of Hamilton-law in the human world
1.
2.
We are apt to support our relatives – and precisely according
to the degree of relationship – (with money, help, time, and we
are apt to give even our own organs more willingly than in
other cases), and we first of all appeal to them for help. On the
other hand this is why the defense of relatives is so serious and
strong: partly this is the origin of vendetta, almost in a
necessary way.
And inversely: on the one hand the farthest the relationship –
the biological connection – the greater is the possibility of
violence (real and adopted child), and for this very reason we
condemn more seriously and sharply the violence amongst
close relatives (e.g. the „matricide”).
The origin of ethnocentrism:
2. Tajfel – the minimal group-effect experiment
In the experiment one had to make his or her opinion about the pictures of two
painters – Klee and Kandinsky. The leader of experiment divided the
participants into two groups, then the participants could reward with money
the others, whom were partly the members of the same group and partly the
members of the other.
The researchers examined the strategy according to which the people shared the
money: maximal common benefit, the maximalization of own group, and the
maximalization of difference between the two groups, or „honest (fifty-fifty)
decision”.
The decisive strategy of decisions: the maximalization of benefit of own group.
The consequence: even the accidental, and from the real life completely separate
factor could be a form-generating force, and in that way that it even
influences the important decisions, the distribution of resources.
The origin of ethnocentrism:
3. M. Sharif: Robbers Cave experiment
1949-1954 summer boy scout camps, with 10-12 year old participants, forming
accidental groups.
The leaders of experiment let the groups to be formed, then they „programmed”
conflicts into their relation. „The battle began between the two groups, and
none of their members actually knew how it began, but they were sure, that a
member of the other group started it”.
The sign of group-identity: „We” are the brave, strong, honest ones. „They” are
the cowards, bastards, liars.
In the competition they took it for granted that they use even dishonest, unfair
means, and desecrate, violate the symbols of the other group.
The reconcilement could not be realized by attempts of conviction or persuasion
(collective worship), only (1) a common enemy (a sport-group that came form
another camp), or (2) a common, collective work (the compulsion of a
common problem that could be solved only in cooperation with the other,
rival group) could decrease the hostility between those groups.
Origin of ethnocentrism:
4. The altruistic „punishment-games”
Games based on game-theory: Prisoner’s Dilemma, dictator-game, ultimatum-game,
common goods-game.
The leaders of experiment introduce in the game the possibility of immediate punishment:
they grant the possibility for the players, for us, that if we judge someone’s behavior
inappropriate then we could punish the person in question on our own expense.
This sort of penalty or punishment was called „altruistic-punishment”, because:
 It is executed at the punisher’s own cost/expense.
 The punisher does not gain any immediate „benefit” for it.
 It makes harm to the „target”.
This possibility was applied in the experiments in two ways:
 The participants „person in question” could either accomplish the punishment in the
end of the game
 Or they assigned a particular „punisher”, who in the end of the game judged or
evaluated the behavior, and could punish it at the expense of his or her own money.
The hypothesis was: rational agent won’t punish at the expense of own money, unless he
or she get something in return.
But in the reality: most men willingly and gladly punished even at his own cost, or even
by causing harm himself or herself also.
The origin of ethnocentrism:
5. The phenomenon of parochial altruism
In the experiment the participants played the punisher DBP-game, with
three roles: distributor (D), beneficiary (B) and punisher (P).
The groups were formed of miscellaneous participants, of two, nonhostile, but far distant tribes (DBP, BP, DB, DP players from one
tribe).
The equitableness or rightfulness was acknowledged by all, the
selfishness was punished by all, but the aptness to punish was
strongly dependent on the composition of the group:
It was higher in DBP- and BP-cases, and lower in DP- and DB-cases.
All these could be explained by „parochial altruism” : in DP- and DBcases „let his mother cry”, but in DBP- and BP-cases we must
avenge the unjust behavior.
Origin of ethnocentrism:
6. The implicit association test
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Experiment of Anthony Greenwald: word-association game: it is easier to make a
connection in case of known connection than in the case of an unknown one.
(E.g.: rose = sweet-smelling or ugly, snake = dangerous or pretty).
In the second step instead of rose the leader of experiment gave typical „white”
and „coloured” names (George and Alonzo). The result: it was easier to associate
George with the words „handsome” and „love”, and Alonzo with „devil”,
„poison”.
The general trend was such: even the „blacks” tended to associate the „whites”
with favorable words, and even they tended to associate unfavorable expressions
to the „black” face and names.
This instinctive reaction could be of utmost importance in dangerous situations:
the white patient in „shooting” experiments search information in case of white
figure, but in case of a „black” one he shoots immediately.
The so-called ERP (Event-Related Brain Potential) which is the reaction in brain’s
electric state to a discrete event (e.g. to a seen picture), could be detected and
registered by the electrodes placed on the agents head.
The overall confirmed results of these experiments: all human beings
are „instinctively” racist.
The origin of ethnocentrism:
7. The Axelrod-experiment: the EC is adaptive
Axelrod’s simulation experiment started with such „agents” who
preferred their own group and avoided interactions with „aliens”.
The agents met for time to time and they played PD-game. Then
they „rambled away” and/or could cooperate again, or they
could isolate from the cooperation (or could generate a
descendant, and they could also die).
In the population the cooperation was wide-spread, but the ECbehavior also. In the end: after 2000 turns the 74 percent of the
interactions was cooperative, and 76 percent was EC-behavior.
Up to this moment however the „miscellaneous” – „multicultural” community disintegrated, and one-coloured, ethnically
homogenous communities were born. These ones interacted
intensively, but they avoid interaction and communication with
the others.
Symptomes of EC-phenomenon
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5.
6.
The EC has some genetically inherited elements, which function in
a similar way like in our animal ancestors, but it also has some
socially learned elements.
A part of EC could be in connection with concrete experiences of
life, but it also could occur in absence of experiences and concrete
knowledge.
The EC works often as a reflex-operation, but very often it is
realized through a serious deliberation.
The EC is a general human phenomenon, which occur in every
society – independently from the degree of its development.
The EC could influenced, decreased – with addition of objective
data and information – but it could not be eliminated completely.
In many occasions it lurks, it is latent, but there are certain
situations in life – a menace against our own community, the
competing of groups, or the frustration of the individual – which
activate this program.
What is the reason of collective identity?
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Prefiguration:
The role of relational (genetic) connections in altruism (Hamilton-law).
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Environmental pressure:
Growing group and diversity, for this reason the strengthening, the
intensifying of belonging together, of internal relations in the group, and
integration of the community has an even greater importance.
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Function:
It increases the homogeneity, the strength of internal group-relations, prosociality, and it (at least for a certain degree) dissolves the conflicts in the
group.
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Changes:
Gathering societies – one is connected with the (larger) family
Settled societies – one is connected with the tribe (tribal confederations)
Statehood – earlier one is connected with territory (king, kingdom, empire), then with
the religion.
Revolutions of human evolution
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4.
5.
Earliest stage of human evolution: it is the stage of human
ethology
Modern man – EEA (Environment of evolutionary
adaptedness) – and the phase of evolutionary psychology
Symbolic revolution – the cultural evolution became more
important (here appears speech and language)
Neolithic revolution – here appears culture in its entire reality,
and also inequality, rulership and hierarchic community
Institutional revolution – here appears state and everything
else; writing and even more complex, developed conceptual
thinking.
The levels of hierarchic controlling-system
which determines the behavior
1. Earliest level of human evolution = reflex-like, „click-launch”
reaction.
2. The level of emergence of modern man = he „anticipates” the
solution, and acts instinctively (+ some deliberation)
3. Level of symbolic revolution = he realizes the sign, identifies its
meaning or sense, and he behaves in accordance with it.
4. Level of Neolithic revolution = he is in connection with
experience and with what he learnt from his ancestors,
deliberates and behaves according to that.
5. Level of institutional revolution = he analyses the circumstances,
applies the models of science, gathers information, deliberates
prudently, and takes into account the possible consequences.
What does the „institutional” level means?
The institutions are „tinkered” or „gadgeteered” from the earlier
emerged elements of culture, they are systems with a concrete
adaptive functions, which determine and form the human
behavior on a very basic level.
Roles, symbols and rules, made up from the material and spiritual
elements of culture, systems which control the behavior.
Since this point our life takes place within the frames of these
institutions: state, politics, ideology, religion, domination, market
etc. These systems make the environment and circumstances
stable and predictable.
Their functioning is based upon the earlier levels, but on the
institutional level the agent makes deliberations, and takes into
the account the actual and possible effects of these institutions.
Evolution of ethnocentrism
1. Earliest stage of human evolution: etological refusal and
affinity
2. The revolution of „modern man”: emergence of ethnocentric module
3. „Symbolic revolution”:
emergence of
xenophobia (racism)
4. Neolithic revolution:
the prejudice
5. Institutional revolution:
ideology
The Matrioshka-model of ethnocentrism
Level of ideologies
Level of prejudices
Level of xenophobia/homophily
Level of ethnocentric-module
Level of biological kinship
The main steps of group-identity in human
evolution
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2.
3.
4.
Before settle: evolutionary psychological mental module. Its sign is
the ending of the „smiling-phase” of the infant, the fear from
unacquainted, alien people after 7-8 months.
After symbolic revolution: the fear and the identification is raised by
symbols, which we transmit partly orally and partly in written form
(star, cross, song, living speech, etc.).
The stereotype emerged after settling: we have to cooperate with
alien people with whom we are living together, we must „classify”
them in a way or another, and the rejection could change after a
while.
The ideology emerged in the age of institutional revolution, as a
complex institute, (symbols, roles, rules, rites, building, etc.).
Steps of identity in the course
of human evolution
On the first level the biological relatedness is decisive: kinship = biological
descendance or lineage.
After the symbolic revolution the kinship became socially constructed feature.
In this period the communication between communities became a decisive factor.
Claude Lévi-Strauss: „Civilization is exchange of items, information and
spouses”.
It is not the biological relationship, but the system of social relation which is truly
matters. (In the Kalahari Desert „we”, ju hoansi = real human. „Aliens”, „ju
dole” = bad, evil, malicious being. But the word „barbarian” in Ancient Greek
language refers to quite the same: „barbarian” = „that who doesn’t understand
Greek language”, „that who cannot speak intelligibly”)
We must support our own kin, and we have a good reason to expect the same
support from our own kin, and we must reject the alien people, and avoid them.
We try to dehumanize the enemy. (E.g. in American prisons the violence amongst
the prisoners is mentioned with the following slang expression: NHI, that is:
No human involved).
Steps of identity towards the multi-cultural
form of identity
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Blood-brother/sister – the closest family
Foster-brother/sister – extended family, the clan
„Tribe”-brother – tribal federations
„Brethren”, co-religionist – religion (state)
„Nation”-brother – nation (state)
Class-brother – class
„All men become brothers” - mankind
The precedent indications and „preparatory”
functions of religion on the level of animals
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Culture
Tool-using and tool-making
„Politics”
Exchange of needs and activities
Following rules and norms
Pro-sociability.
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Prosocial behavior: or "voluntary behavior intended to benefit another",
consists of actions which "benefit other people or society as a whole",
"such as helping, sharing, donating, co-operating, and volunteering." In
short: a sort of altruism.
These functions could be found in a preliminary form on the
level of „higher primates”.
The mental modules in evolutionary
psychology
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„Modularity of mind” is the notion that a mind may, at least in
part, be composed of separate innate structures which have
established evolutionarily developed functional purposes.
In evolutionary psychology, amongst others, Leda Cosmides
treated the problem of modularity of mind.
This perspective suggests that modules are units of mental
processing that evolved in response to selection pressures. On
this view, much modern human psychological activity is rooted
in adaptations that occurred earlier in human evolution, when
natural selection was forming the modern human species.
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Source: Cosmides, L. & Tooby, J. (1994). Origins of Domain Specificity:
The Evolution of Functional Organization. In L.A. Hirschfeld and S.A.
Gelmen, eds., Mapping the Mind: Domain Specificity in Cognition and
Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
What does the mental modules-level mean?
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1. They are certain forms of behavior, which were called into
existence by problems and challenges given the evolutionary
adaptive environment of early periods of evolution of man.
2. They are functional units which fixed in the brain, and which
provide certain sorts of solution to certain problems of
adaptation. They are „tools” or „instruments” of the solution.
3. We decide with the instinctive, unconscious application of
these mental modules, who could we trust, who could be a
cheater, what should we eat, from what should be afraid of.
4. Its a psychological attitude, a preference that influences the
behavior, and which „presses” the individual towards a certain
direction, and generates definite answers to certain situations
from time to time.
Evoloutionary interpretation of most of the
social phenomena
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We could interpret most of the social phenomena in an evolutionary
way, whose inner core is genetically programmed, and whose outer
layers are a kind of superstructure.
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The ethnocentrism: identity-forming elements each based upon the other,
The religion: layers of spiritual constructions,
The ethics: layers of „good-evil” generating constructions,
The state: layers of territorial controlling,
Politics: layers of mechanisms of collective decision-making,
Governance: layers of mastership, rulership and calling to account,
Internal organizations: layers of evolutionary programmed autonomous unites
(firms, companies, organizations),
Science: layers of cognitive, cognizing, information-collecting, testing and
transmissive mechanisms.
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Basic concepts of evolution
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What do we call „evolution”?
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Evolution on the „micro”-level: the change of the genetical
composition of a population on account of the selective
pressure of environment.
Evolution on the „macro”-level: the evolvement of present
forms of life, during over millions of year, from the most
primitive forms of life.
Every functional unit in a living creature is either an
adaptation, or a by-product or a „bug”.
Every and any adaptation exists only in relationship of
other adaptations, and never in isolation, separated
from them. We could understand and interpret an
adaptation only in the context of other adaptations.
The concept of adaptation
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The fundamental characteristics of adaptation:
It is brought forth by evolutionary, selective
pressure; it is an answer to adaptive problems.
 It increases the sufficiency of a living being
immediately.
 It offers instrumental, „tool-like” solutions to actual
evolutionary problems.
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The process of evolution: evolutionary pressure
 gadgeteering  selection  adaptation
Basic features of adaptation
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What is adaptation in general?
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1.Adaptation is not a process, but a tool or instrument to solve a
problem.
2. The living beings and societies are always forced to face different
problems during their history, and they „evolve” different „constructiontype” solutions.
3. In the natural world these tools (constructions) are organs and types (or
patterns) of behavior.
4. In the human world these tools (constructions) are institutes,
techniques and ideas.
5. The evolving or development of these tools happens in way of
„gadgeteering”: the nature could work with the „material”, which is
already made, the tools „present at hand”. It attaches something to those
tools, alters them a little bit in a way or another; it (the nature) changes
the tools which are present in such a way that they could be used in the
present situation, and they could be alters further in the future, if it is
needed.
The „Matrioshka” model of man
Level of institutions
Level of cultural universals
Level of symbols
Level of mental modules
Level of human
ethology
Three further levels inside
human ethology: 1. primate
brain, 2. mammal brain, and 3.
reptile brain.
MacLean, P. D. (1990): The „three-brain”-model
Second floor: primatebrain
First floor: mammal-brain
Ground-floor: reptilebrain