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(Reference retrieved automatically from SciELO through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Potential and limits of evolutionary explanations of culture: a diachronic approach

Full text
Author(s):
Lorenzo Baravalle [1]
Total Authors: 1
Affiliation:
[1] Universidade Federal do ABC. Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas - Brasil
Total Affiliations: 1
Document type: Journal article
Source: História, Ciências, Saúde : Manguinhos; v. 21, n. 2, p. 439-456, 2014-06-00.
Abstract

The aim of this article is to present some proposals concerning how broadly Darwinism can be applied to the realm of culture. Particular attention is paid to the models here called diachronic, which suggest the existence of patterns of cultural change over time according to the theory of natural selection. By means of a broader epistemological analysis, the relationship between an evolutionary explanation and a historical explanation is considered with a view to tracing the common features of the models in question and bringing to light their relative theoretical cogency and structural limitations. Finally, and more speculatively, potential areas for future research are indicated. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 10/17862-7 - Cognitive strategies and human evolution
Grantee:Lorenzo Baravalle
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral