The Dynamics of Cultural Evolution: The Central Role of Purposive Behaviors

This book explores the nature of cultural and culturally structured social and behavioral entities, their evolutionary interactions, and the central role purposive behaviors play in those interactions. It argues that cultural and cultural structured systems are true entities bounded in time and space, interact to produce evolutionary culture change, and that the intent of purposive behaviors is reliably knowable in the aggregate. It provides a comprehensive picture of the evolution of culture and challenges established theories of cultural evolution.

Format: Hardback
Length: 203 pages
Publication date: 10 July 2022
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate nature of cultural and culturally structured social and behavioral entities, exploring their evolutionary interactions and the pivotal role of purposive behaviors in these interactions. It begins by asserting that cultural and cultural structured systems should be recognized as true entities, bounded in time and space, rather than mere ephemera in a constant state of transformation into another system. The book then examines how these entities interact, leading to the emergence of evolutionary culture change. It further argues that the intent of purposive behaviors can be reliably ascertained in the aggregate, particularly when considering expressions of behavioral tendencies in the animal kingdom, including humans.

To support its arguments, the book references well-documented behavioral tendencies as examples of proximate causation in the evolution of settled village societies and, subsequently, socially complex societies. Through these efforts, the book synthesizes various approaches to cultural evolution, presenting a comprehensive and holistic picture of the process. It challenges the notion of cultural systems as entirely open-ended and capable of changing in any direction, as well as the exclusive focus on selective forces as the sole driver of cultural evolution.

This book offers a thought-provoking and critical perspective on established theories of cultural evolution, appealing to scholars and students across diverse disciplines, including anthropology, archeology, evolutionary biology, and epigenetics. It provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between culture, behavior, and evolution, shedding light on the processes that have shaped human societies and our understanding of the world.

Weight: 494g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031048623
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022