Abstract
In this article we will focus on the evolution of traits in living things. Traits can be physical properties as well as behavior patterns. Special attention will be given to the evolution of social behavior patterns among humans. With this, we mean a behavior that reacts to and is directed at the behavior other humans. We will concentrate on behavior patterns that are universal for all humans, and for which we may assume a well-developed genetical basis. The evolution of culturally transmitted behavior patterns, especially if we characterize them by features which are not universal for all humans may or may be not governed by the same mechanisms with govern the evolution of patterns which are universal for all humans. Examples would be languages, norms, bodies of technical or scientific knowledge. The mechanisms behind the evolution of culturally transmitted aspects of behavior patterns are not well understood within the theoretical framework of biological evolution (Pinker and Bloom 1990) so far. This may be caused by the fact that in studying social and cultural phenomena among humans, we still have not made the shift from typological to population thinking (Mayr 1975, p. 26 f.) which marked the beginning of modern evolutionary biology.
“Physics-envy is the curse of biology.” Joel Cohen.
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Mueller, U. (1996). Evolutionary Explanations from a Philosophy of Science Point of View. In: Hegselmann, R., Mueller, U., Troitzsch, K.G. (eds) Modelling and Simulation in the Social Sciences from the Philosophy of Science Point of View. Theory and Decision Library, vol 23. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8686-3_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8686-3_6
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