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The Human Adaptation for Culture and its Behavioral Implications

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  • C. Cordes

Abstract

During phylogeny, man adapted for culture in ways other primates did not. This key adaptation is the one that enabled humans to understand other individuals as intentional agents like the self. This genetic event opened the way for new and powerful cultural processes but did not specify the detailed outcomes of behavior we see today. It just provided the basis for cultural evolution that, with no further genetic events, enabled the distinctive characteristics of human cognition. These capabilities can explain the motivational underpinnings of a variety of human inclinations and behaviors, such as a tendency toward cooperation, altruism, or fairness.

Suggested Citation

  • C. Cordes, 2004. "The Human Adaptation for Culture and its Behavioral Implications," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2003-10, Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography.
    • Handle: RePEc:esi:evopap:2003-10
    Note: The paper will be emailed on request. Please contact evopapers@econ.mpg.de
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    Cited by:

    1. Christian Cordes & Christian Schubert, 2007. "Toward a naturalistic foundation of the social contract," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 35-62, March.
    2. Buenstorf, Guido & Cordes, Christian, 2008. "Can sustainable consumption be learned? A model of cultural evolution," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(4), pages 646-657, November.
    3. Amendolagine, Vito & von Jacobi, Nadia, 2023. "Symbiotic relationships among formal and informal institutions: Comparing five Brazilian cultural ecosystems," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 47(3).
    4. Christian Cordes, 2012. "Emergent Cultural Phenomena and their Cognitive Foundations," Chapters, in: Guido Buenstorf (ed.), Evolution, Organization and Economic Behavior, chapter 3, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Christian Cordes, 2019. "The promises of a naturalistic approach: how cultural evolution theory can inform (evolutionary) economics," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 29(4), pages 1241-1262, September.
    6. Benjamin Volland, 2012. "The vertical transmission of time use choices," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2012-05, Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography.
    7. Janet Landa, 2012. "Gordon Tullock’s contributions to bioeconomics," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 152(1), pages 203-210, July.
    8. Woersdorfer, Julia Sophie & Kaus, Wolfhard, 2011. "Will nonowners follow pioneer consumers in the adoption of solar thermal systems? Empirical evidence for northwestern Germany," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(12), pages 2282-2291.
    9. Guido Buenstorf & Christian Cordes, 2007. "Can Sustainable Consumption Be Learned?," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2007-06, Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography.
    10. Julia Sophie Wörsdorfer & Wolfhard Kaus, 2010. "Will imitators follow pioneer consumers in the adoption of solar thermal systems? Empirical evidence for North-West Germany," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2010-13, Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography.
    11. Christian Cordes, 2006. "Darwinism in economics: from analogy to continuity," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 16(5), pages 529-541, December.
    12. Anil Hira, 2010. "The evolutionary patterns of political economy: Examples from Latin American history," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-28, April.
    13. Benjamin Volland, 2013. "On the intergenerational transmission of preferences," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 217-249, October.

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