Recent Critiques of Dual Inheritance Theory

Peter J. Richerson

doi:10.26613/esic.1.1.27

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Recent Critiques of Dual Inheritance Theory

Peter J. Richerson

Published/Copyright: April 1, 2017

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From the journal Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture Volume 1 Issue 1

Abstract

The dual inheritance or gene–culture coevolution theory of human evolution was developed in the 1970s and 80s. Early work built mathematical theories derived from then-current work in human development, sociolinguistics, and the diffusion of innovations. More recently it has included a considerable amount of new empirical work. The theory has always had critics in evolutionary biology and the social and behavioral sciences. Morin's book critiques the theory from an alternate epidemiological or attraction theory of cultural evolution that doubts that imitation and adaptation play significant roles in cultural evolution. Lewens's book is a wide-ranging analysis of critiques of gene–culture coevolution theory that finds most of them in error or at least not fatal to the project. His book includes a chapter on critiques based on considerations of human nature, of which Morin's book is one variant, and which Lewens argues are faulty. That is also my conclusion.

Keywords: cultural evolution; dual inheritance theory; attraction theory; human nature

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Published Online: 2017-04-01

Published in Print: 2017-04-01

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.26613/esic.1.1.27

Keywords for this article

cultural evolution; dual inheritance theory; attraction theory; human nature