Title: Civilizations and world religions
1Civilizations and world religions
- 1. Lecture
- The framework of the subject
- phenomena and evolutionary theory of
ethnocentrism
2F. Fukuyama The end of history thesis
- We may wittnessing the end of history as such
that is the end point of mankinds ideological
evolution and the universalization of Western
liberal democracy as the final form of human
government. ... Some conflicts may happan in
places in the Third World, but the global
conflict is over and not just in EuropeThe war
of ideas is at an end also. Believers in
Marxist-Leninism may still exist in places like
Managua, Pyongyang, and Cambridge, Massachusetts,
but overall liberal democracy has triumphed. The
future will be devoted not to great exhilarating
struggles over ideas but rather to resolving
mundane economic and technical problems. It will
all be rather boring. - F. Fukuyama
3S. Huntington The clash of civilization thesis
- There are two important theme of the future
First, the crucial impact of population growth on
instability and balance of power. The second,
clashes of civilizations are the greatest threats
to world peace, and an international order based
on civilizations is the safeguard against world
war. - The civilizations will have to learn to live side
by side in peaceful interexchange, learning from
each others history and ideals, and art and
culture , mutually enriching each others lives.
The alternative , in this overcrowed little world
is, misunderstanding, tension, clash, and
catastrophe.
4Topics of the semester
- Introduction. The model of social development
- How is history made?
- Phenomenon of ethnocentrism (from the view-point
of sociology, psychology and cultural
anthropology) - Religions according to history of religions and
comparative religious studies - The role and place of religion in the society
(the view-point of religious freedom) - The psychological and evolutionary theory of
religions - The concept of civilization, and the development
of civilizations (Spengler, Toynbee) - Culture as an interpretative framework of history
- The historical tendencies of changing of values
- The emergence of nation and its historical
importance - Nations, states and religions in the global world
- Conflicts of identities in the 21st century
(Fukuyama, Huntington, Ferguson and others)
5Contents of the semester
- 1. Lecture September 8 9.40-12.50
- 1. sept. 8. Introduction and evolutionary
phenomena of the ethnocentrism, - 2. sept. 8. The formal and sociological theory
of the civilizations and the religion - 2. Lecture October 20. 13.10- 18.00
- 3. oct. 20. Theory of the civilizations,
civilizations in the history and the clash of
the civilizations - 4. oct. 20. The role of the religion in the
society and the concept of the freedom of the
religion. - 5. oct. 20. Cultures, walues, nations, and the
post-modern 21. century
6The general way of approach of the lecture
- We will analyse the general frame of our life,
and the formations which make up the most
important frames of reference of people. - These are the systems, in which our life take
place, and which govern our behavior. If we ask,
why do people behave in this or that way in a
particular society, we arrive at these systems. - Further, these systems grant collective identity,
that is to say for a certain degree people
derive their relationship to other people from
their relation to them. - Your career most probably will bring you to an
organisation, where you should make analyses
concerning international systems. We would like
to provide the basis for such analyses.
7What gives the particular importance of these
topics?
- First of all, we should raise three basic
questions and find the proper answers to them - 1st question what makes our world move?
- 2nd question what or who are the subjects of the
development? - 3rd question should one expect a radical or
profound change in all of this? - In this context the collective identity and the
changes of collective identity in the history has
a special importance. - These questions could be analysed from several
points of view - What is a territorial or regional organisation
(state, nation) like? - What is a spiritual (ideological) organisation
(e.g. a religion) like? - What is a social organisation on the basis of a
life-programme (culture, values)?
8The general framework-modell of the lectures
Nations, states and communities
Spiritual communities
Civilizations
Religions
Ethnocentrism
Territorial organizations
Spiritual organizations
Culture
Life-programme- organizations
Values
9Assessment process
Obligatory literature Civilizations and
world-religions and the History of political
ideas ppt-presentations on the web-page
www.marosan.com Recommended literature Marosán
György. (2006) Hogyan készül a történelem?
Money-Plan kft The course implies an exam. There
are two components of the mark an essay and a
written exam. If someone participates at least 3
lectures from the 5, and writes an acceptable
essay at home, then he or she could receive a
mark after his or her essay, (that is no written
exam needed then). When someone does not
participate enough lectures, and/or his or her
essay is not acceptable or is not good enough,
then he or she must make a written exam too. The
topic/theme of the essay must be in a connection
with the subject matter of the course, and it
should be an analysis of a definite, designed
topic, or movie. The essay must be of 2600 words
long, the dead-line is 17. december, 2012.
10Topics and treatments of essays
- Everybody should write two essays one from
Civilizations and World-religions and another
from History of Political Ideas. - The topic of the first essay one should watch a
film, (which is set in the case of each student
individually), then write an essay concerning the
topic or theme of the movie, (perhaps a
recommendation of 20 lines at the end of the
essay). - The topic of the second essay the decisive
events of 21st century on the basis of articles
and news downloaded from the internet. The
student must choose 5 news, events or articles,
and write an essay on its ground. - Both essays should be unbiassed, objective,
multisided.
11Movie-titles.Possible themes for essay
- A katedrális (német-kanadai)
- Hullám (N)
- Ajami (Izraeli film)
- Ég velünk (USA)
- A vágy forradalma (francia)
- Ütközések (USA)
- Vittorio de Sica Csoda Milánóban (Olasz)
- Aki szelet vet (USA)
- Isten nagy, én kicsi vagyok (francia)
- Fellini Róma (Olasz)
- Megfoghatatlan (Il Divó) Andreotti film (O)
- Pasolini Médeia (Olasz)
- Rosellini Róma nyílt város (Olasz)
- A háborúnak vége (F) Semprun könyvbol film
- Berlin fölött az ég, (német)
- Kapcsolat (USA, Jodie Fosterrel, 1997)
- Tarkovszkij A tükör
- A kelet, az kelet. (A)
- Anna és a király (USA)
- Enyedi Ildikó Simon mágus (magyar)
- Ámen (francia-német-német film)
- Bergman Úrvacsora (svéd)
- Andrzej Wajda Szenthét (Lengyel)
- A paradicsom meghódítása (Angol-amerikai-francia-s
panyol) - Bergman Suttogások, sikolyok (svéd)
- A Magdolna novérek (ír)
- Luther (N)
- Goya kísértetei, (spanyol).
- Mennyei királyság, (Amerikai-angol, stb.)
- Bergman A hetedik pecsét
- Bresson Egy falusi plébános naplója (francia)
- Bergman Tükör által homályosan (svéd)
- Tarkovszkij Andrej Rubljov (szovjet-orosz)
- Szent Lajos király hídja (spanyol-angol-francia)
- Enyedi Ildikó A buvös vadász (magyar)
- Hét év Tibetben (Amerikai)
- Bresson Jeanne DArc pere
- Vera Drake
12The points of view of the analysis of the film
- What is the movie about?
- What is its relationship to the particular,
chosen topic (to Religions or History of
Political Ideas) - What is the message of the movie?
- What is its peculiar importance in relationship
to the history of 20th and 21st century? - Does it have a message in regard of nowadays
Hungary? - Which opposite opinions are expressed in the
movie? - Which opposite opinions are present according to
the topic in question in the contemporary
Hungarian and/or global society? - You could select the behavior, story or path of
life of one or more characters, and you could
present and analyse them in your essay. - With what other movies and literary works could
you compare the actual, chosen movie? - What is the relationship of this film to the
reality does it alter the latter drastically or
rather mirrors it in a quite acceptable, adequate
way?
13The points of view of the analysis concerning
the 21st century
- You should choose and download from the internet
5 events, news, information in the last two
years, which you consider to be decisive in
regard of the history of 21st century. - You should show and argue for why do you think
these events to be decisive (rather than others). - You should unfold their connections and internal
relationship, and form your opinion what kind of
future they foreshadow together. - You should determine the possible message of this
foreshadowed picture in regard of Europe, and in
particular in regard of East-Europe. - You should determine the possible message of this
foreshadowed picture in regard of present
Hungarian society. - The essay must be approximately 8 pages, out of
which one page should be about the analysis of
these five tendencies. - Deadline 17. December, 2012. Room, E II 22.
14An example
- At least 45 people, including women and children,
have been killed in sectarian violence involving
two ethnic groups over land row in Nigeria's
northern state of Benue, police and witnesses
said today. Those killed belong to Tiv ethnic
group while the attackers were the Fulani people
who are mostly cattle herdsmen, witnesses
said.The Tiv, who are mostly farmers, also had
some of their houses burnt down by the invaders.
Ejike Alaribe, the police spokesman, said the
number of people killed in Sunday's violence is
16 but a witness who spoke to PTI on condition of
anonymity insisted the number could not be less
than 45, adding that the country's police is
known for reducing casualty figures.The cause
of the violence is related to land row between
the two ethnic groups. The Fulanis, who are
mostly Muslims, seek land for their cattle to
graze while the Tivs want to preserve it for
farming.Ethnic conflict over land are
widespread in northern Nigeria. Most frequently,
these occure in the country's north-central state
of Plateau where Fulani herdsmen engage in
clashes with the Biroms and other ethnic groups.
15Traditional approach of group behavior
- The traditional approach conceives group behavior
as stemming from individual goals, motives and
abilities. These assume that people work together
with others because their insights, efforts or
resources can help achieve attractive goals.
People help each other because this indirectly
benefits themselves, because of genetic overlap
in families or because of ethnic and cultural
similarities. - The traditional approach focuses on
individual-level disposition or concerns to
explain group behavior is found across different
disciplines.
16Social identity approach of group behavior
- 1970 H. Tajfel and J. Turner offer a new
approach to understand group behavior social
identity approach. - Social identity approach try to understand social
discrimination, aggression and conflict between
different groups in society based on specific
cognitive processes and social cognitions which
is based on existence of a group self. - The group self (instead of the individual self)
can guide peoples behaviors when they realize
they are part of group (cognitive
self-definition) or what they are subjectively
committed to the group (emotional
self-involvement). - Anyone can be considered as part of a number of
different groups. These include groups people are
born into (defined by gender, ethnicity, or
nationality) as well as self-chosen affiliations
for instance professional, religious or political
groups.
17What does collective identity means?
- Ethnocentric-syndrome we trust our group
without doubts, hesitation and unconditionally,
and we are suspicious and distrustful in the
direction of other groups, in the direction of
the alien. - Collective identity it is integrated into our
mind that we identify ourselves with our
communities. We conceive all the harms, threats
and insults against our community as harms,
threats and insults against ourselves. - The centre of identity one form of identity
emerges from all the other possible identities,
and it governs and determines the role and
function of every other.
18Definition of ethnocentrism
- Ethnocentrism Loyalty to the group, sacrifice
for it, hatred and contempt for outsiders,
brotherhood within, warlikeness without,
Ethnocentrism is the technical name for this
view of things in which one's own group is the
center of everything, and all others are scaled
and rated, (Sumner, Folkways 1906, 200713). - It is the special emotional attitude, that though
we smile at everybody when we are born, when we
are wide awake we get to know that there are
people whom we could trust, and there are other
people whom we must be afraid of. - When we grow up we learn to separate the world
into two sharply different parts familiars,
friends and acquaintances, whom we love and
trust, and unacquainted, unfamiliar, alien
people, whom we fear, and whom we should rather
avoid.
19Why ethnocentrism is important?
The political processes are basically determined
by the relationship to alien people. In this
respect the changing of rejection of foreigners
and aliens in Hungary is an important factor.
20Results of the Derex (Demand for Right-Wing
Extremism Index) report (2012)
Degree of demand towards far-right extremist
ideas
DEREX Cathegories Dimensions
Prejudicialness Anti-system attitude
Value-orientation Fear
Value-judgment General disposition Hungary
(Jobbik) 29 (11) 64 (48) 34 (20) 43 (32)
27 (19) 32 (16) 13 (7) Netherlands (Partij
voor ) 5 (1) 45 (16) 13 (5) 24 (10) 5
(3) 14 (3) 3 (1) France (Front Na) 21 (6) 58
(21) 35 (20) 42 (15) 19 (14) 28 (6) 9
(7) Belgium (Vlaams Belang 16 (3) 44 (24)
32 (13) 40 (10) 12 (7) 20 (4) 4 (2)
Denmark(Dansk Folkeparti) 2 (1) 38 (13)
13 (4) 21 (12) 3 (3) 9 (3) 1 (1)
21The general picture
- In Hungary (Autumn, 2010) the 48 percent of 16
years and above old population is extremely
prejudicious, 20 percent of them has an
anti-system attitude, 32 percent has a strong
rightist value-orientation, and 19 percent could
be characterized with strong fear, untrust or
pessimism. - In the Autumn of 2010 the attitude-extremists
(those whom could be characterized with at least
three features out of the four above-mentioned
characteristics) made up the 11 percent of the
population. This is a significant decrease in
relation to the 21 percent which was registered
in 2009, but its basic reason is spectacular
fallback of fear, anti-system attitude and
pessimism after the elections. In the moment of
gathering and registration of these date the
support of the FIDESZ-Party and government was on
its meridian, and the vast majority of the voters
was satisfied with the public affairs. Since then
the general unsatisfaction and anti-institute
attitude went back to its earlier, very high
level. - Hungary, in comparison with other 18 examined
European countries, is at the head of the list in
regard of prejudiciousness, right-wing
value-orientation, but the fear- and
untrust-index is relatively high as well.
22The experimental analysis and demonstration of
ethnocentric-syndrome
- The Hamilton-law (the degree of altruism of
sociable animals is in a direct proportion to the
degree of relationship/closeness of genetic
connection). - Henri Tajfel-law the minimal inter-group
situation (to what do we switch on?) - M. Shariff experiment with the boy scout groups
(how could you generate conflicts between
different groups?) - The parochial-altruism experiment (how does
ethnocentrism emerge?) - Axelrod the fitness-increasing role of
ethnocentric-syndrome (is ethnocentrism useful?) - Instinctive ethnocentrism (racism) in the
well-developed, modern societies.
23Origin of ethnocentrism1. The Hamilton-law
- Hamilton-law (1963 The Evolution of Altruistic
Behavior ) - r ? a gt c
- The basis of this formula is that in regard of
relationships it considers their expenses as well
as their benefits. Concretely, the formula
connects - the factor marked with r which refers to the
immediacy (closeness) of genetic relationship, - the a benefit which derives from an altruistic
relationship, - and contrasts with it the c expense of the
altruistic behavior. - The formula shows the logical result that if a
being experiences that the benefit which appears
at the relatives (which is the product of amount
of help and the closeness of degree of
relationship which latter refers to the genetic
closeness) is greater than the expense which it
causes to itself, then it is expedient to
behave in an altruistic way, if the main goal is
the transmission of the own genes. - The evolution helps the realization of this
process with different mechanisms individual and
social/collective learning, hormone-system, etc.
24The realization of Hamilton-law in the human world
- We are apt to support our relatives and
precisely according to the degree of relationship
(with money, help, time, and we are apt to give
even our own organs more willingly than in other
cases), and we first of all appeal to them for
help. On the other hand this is why the defense
of relatives is so serious and strong partly
this is the origin of vendetta, almost in a
necessary way. - And inversely on the one hand the farthest the
relationship the biological connection the
greater is the possibility of violence (real and
adopted child), and for this very reason we
condemn more seriously and sharply the violence
amongst close relatives (e.g. the matricide).
25The origin of ethnocentrism 2. Tajfel the
minimal group-effect experiment
- In the experiment one had to make his or her
opinion about the pictures of two painters Klee
and Kandinsky. The leader of experiment divided
the participants into two groups, then the
participants could reward with money the others,
whom were partly the members of the same group
and partly the members of the other. - The researchers examined the strategy according
to which the people shared the money maximal
common benefit, the maximalization of own group,
and the maximalization of difference between the
two groups, or honest (fifty-fifty) decision. - The decisive strategy of decisions the
maximalization of benefit of own group. - The consequence even the accidental, and from
the real life completely separate factor could be
a form-generating force, and in that way that it
even influences the important decisions, the
distribution of resources.
26The origin of ethnocentrism
3. M. Sharif Robbers Cave experiment
- 1949-1954 summer boy scout camps, with 10-12 year
old participants, forming accidental groups. - The leaders of experiment let the groups to be
formed, then they programmed conflicts into
their relation. The battle began between the two
groups, and none of their members actually knew
how it began, but they were sure, that a member
of the other group started it. - The sign of group-identity We are the brave,
strong, honest ones. They are the cowards,
bastards, liars. - In the competition they took it for granted that
they use even dishonest, unfair means, and
desecrate, violate the symbols of the other
group. - The reconcilement could not be realized by
attempts of conviction or persuasion (collective
worship), only (1) a common enemy (a sport-group
that came form another camp), or (2) a common,
collective work (the compulsion of a common
problem that could be solved only in cooperation
with the other, rival group) could decrease the
hostility between those groups.
27Origin of ethnocentrism 4. The altruistic
punishment-games
- Games based on game-theory Prisoners Dilemma,
dictator-game, ultimatum-game, common goods-game.
- The leaders of experiment introduce in the game
the possibility of immediate punishment they
grant the possibility for the players, for us,
that if we judge someones behavior inappropriate
then we could punish the person in question on
our own expense. - This sort of penalty or punishment was called
altruistic-punishment, because - It is executed at the punishers own
cost/expense. - The punisher does not gain any immediate
benefit for it. - It makes harm to the target.
- This possibility was applied in the experiments
in two ways - The participants person in question could
either accomplish the punishment in the end of
the game - Or they assigned a particular punisher, who in
the end of the game judged or evaluated the
behavior, and could punish it at the expense of
his or her own money. - The hypothesis was rational agent wont punish
at the expense of own money, unless he or she get
something in return. - But in the reality most men willingly and gladly
punished even at his own cost, or even by causing
harm himself or herself also.
28The origin of ethnocentrism 5. The phenomenon
of parochial altruism
In the experiment the participants played the
punisher DBP-game, with three roles distributor
(D), beneficiary (B) and punisher (P). The
groups were formed of miscellaneous participants,
of two, non-hostile, but far distant tribes (DBP,
BP, DB, DP players from one tribe). The
equitableness or rightfulness was acknowledged by
all, the selfishness was punished by all, but the
aptness to punish was strongly dependent on the
composition of the group It was higher in DBP-
and BP-cases, and lower in DP- and DB-cases. All
these could be explained by parochial altruism
in DP- and DB- cases let his mother cry, but
in DBP- and BP-cases we must avenge the unjust
behavior.
29Origin of ethnocentrism 6. The implicit
association test
- Experiment of Anthony Greenwald word-association
game it is easier to make a connection in case
of known connection than in the case of an
unknown one. (E.g. rose sweet-smelling or
ugly, snake dangerous or pretty). - In the second step instead of rose the leader of
experiment gave typical white and coloured
names (George and Alonzo). The result it was
easier to associate George with the words
handsome and love, and Alonzo with devil,
poison. - The general trend was such even the blacks
tended to associate the whites with favorable
words, and even they tended to associate
unfavorable expressions to the black face and
names. - This instinctive reaction could be of utmost
importance in dangerous situations the white
patient in shooting experiments search
information in case of white figure, but in case
of a black one he shoots immediately. - The so-called ERP (Event-Related Brain Potential)
which is the reaction in brains electric state
to a discrete event (e.g. to a seen picture),
could be detected and registered by the
electrodes placed on the agents head. - The overall confirmed results of these
experiments all human beings are instinctively
racist.
30The origin of ethnocentrism 7. The
Axelrod-experiment the EC is adaptive
- Axelrods simulation experiment started with such
agents who preferred their own group and
avoided interactions with aliens. - The agents met for time to time and they played
PD-game. Then they rambled away and/or could
cooperate again, or they could isolate from the
cooperation (or could generate a descendant, and
they could also die). - In the population the cooperation was
wide-spread, but the EC-behavior also. In the
end after 2000 turns the 74 percent of the
interactions was cooperative, and 76 percent was
EC-behavior. - Up to this moment however the miscellaneous
multicultural - community disintegrated, and
one-coloured, ethnically homogenous communities
were born. These ones interacted intensively, but
they avoid interaction and communication with the
others.
31Symptomes of EC-phenomenon
- The EC has some genetically inherited elements,
which function in a similar way like in our
animal ancestors, but it also has some socially
learned elements. - A part of EC could be in connection with concrete
experiences of life, but it also could occur in
absence of experiences and concrete knowledge. - The EC works often as a reflex-operation, but
very often it is realized through a serious
deliberation. - The EC is a general human phenomenon, which occur
in every society independently from the degree
of its development. - The EC could influenced, decreased with
addition of objective data and information but
it could not be eliminated completely. - In many occasions it lurks, it is latent, but
there are certain situations in life a menace
against our own community, the competing of
groups, or the frustration of the individual
which activate this program.
32What is the reason of collective identity?
- Prefiguration
- The role of relational (genetic) connections in
altruism (Hamilton-law). - Environmental pressure
- Growing group and diversity, for this reason the
strengthening, the intensifying of belonging
together, of internal relations in the group, and
integration of the community has an even greater
importance. - Function
- It increases the homogeneity, the strength of
internal group-relations, pro-sociality, and it
(at least for a certain degree) dissolves the
conflicts in the group. - Changes
- Gathering societies one is connected with the
(larger) family - Settled societies one is connected with the
tribe (tribal confederations) - Statehood earlier one is connected with
territory (king, kingdom, empire), then with the
religion.
33Revolutions of human evolution
- Earliest stage of human evolution it is the
stage of human ethology - Modern man EEA (Environment of evolutionary
adaptedness) and the phase of evolutionary
psychology - Symbolic revolution the cultural evolution
became more important (here appears speech and
language) - Neolithic revolution here appears culture in
its entire reality, and also inequality,
rulership and hierarchic community - Institutional revolution here appears state and
everything else writing and even more complex,
developed conceptual thinking.
34The levels of hierarchic controlling-system which
determines the behavior
- 1. Earliest level of human evolution
reflex-like, click-launch reaction. - 2. The level of emergence of modern man he
anticipates the solution, and acts
instinctively ( some deliberation) - 3. Level of symbolic revolution he realizes the
sign, identifies its meaning or sense, and he
behaves in accordance with it. - 4. Level of Neolithic revolution he is in
connection with experience and with what he
learnt from his ancestors, deliberates and
behaves according to that. - 5. Level of institutional revolution he
analyses the circumstances, applies the models of
science, gathers information, deliberates
prudently, and takes into account the possible
consequences.
35What does the institutional level means?
- The institutions are tinkered or gadgeteered
from the earlier emerged elements of culture,
they are systems with a concrete adaptive
functions, which determine and form the human
behavior on a very basic level. - Roles, symbols and rules, made up from the
material and spiritual elements of culture,
systems which control the behavior. - Since this point our life takes place within the
frames of these institutions state, politics,
ideology, religion, domination, market etc. These
systems make the environment and circumstances
stable and predictable. - Their functioning is based upon the earlier
levels, but on the institutional level the agent
makes deliberations, and takes into the account
the actual and possible effects of these
institutions.
36Evolution of ethnocentrism
- 1. Earliest stage of human evolution etological
refusal and affinity - 2. The revolution of modern man emergence of
ethno- centric module - 3. Symbolic revolution emergence of
xenophobia (racism) - 4. Neolithic revolution the prejudice
- 5. Institutional revolution ideology
37The Matrioshka-model of ethnocentrism
Level of ideologies
Level of prejudices
Level of xenophobia/homophily
Level of ethnocentric-module
Level of biological kinship
38The main steps of group-identity in human
evolution
- Before settle evolutionary psychological mental
module. Its sign is the ending of the
smiling-phase of the infant, the fear from
unacquainted, alien people after 7-8 months. - After symbolic revolution the fear and the
identification is raised by symbols, which we
transmit partly orally and partly in written form
(star, cross, song, living speech, etc.). - The stereotype emerged after settling we have to
cooperate with alien people with whom we are
living together, we must classify them in a way
or another, and the rejection could change after
a while. - The ideology emerged in the age of institutional
revolution, as a complex institute, (symbols,
roles, rules, rites, building, etc.).
39Steps of identity in the course of human
evolution
- On the first level the biological relatedness is
decisive kinship biological descendance or
lineage. - After the symbolic revolution the kinship became
socially constructed feature. - In this period the communication between
communities became a decisive factor. Claude
Lévi-Strauss Civilization is exchange of items,
information and spouses. - It is not the biological relationship, but the
system of social relation which is truly matters.
(In the Kalahari Desert we, ju hoansi real
human. Aliens, ju dole bad, evil, malicious
being. But the word barbarian in Ancient Greek
language refers to quite the same barbarian
that who doesnt understand Greek language,
that who cannot speak intelligibly) - We must support our own kin, and we have a good
reason to expect the same support from our own
kin, and we must reject the alien people, and
avoid them. - We try to dehumanize the enemy. (E.g. in American
prisons the violence amongst the prisoners is
mentioned with the following slang expression
NHI, that is No human involved).
40Steps of identity towards the multi-cultural form
of identity
- Blood-brother/sister the closest family
- Foster-brother/sister extended family, the clan
- Tribe-brother tribal federations
- Brethren, co-religionist religion (state)
- Nation-brother nation (state)
- Class-brother class
- All men become brothers - mankind
41The precedent indications and preparatory
functions of religion on the level of animals
- Culture
- Tool-using and tool-making
- Politics
- Exchange of needs and activities
- Following rules and norms
- Pro-sociability.
- Prosocial behavior or "voluntary behavior
intended to benefit another", consists of actions
which "benefit other people or society as a
whole", "such as helping, sharing, donating,
co-operating, and volunteering." In short a sort
of altruism. - These functions could be found in a preliminary
form on the level of higher primates.
42The mental modules in evolutionary psychology
- Modularity of mind is the notion that a mind
may, at least in part, be composed of separate
innate structures which have established
evolutionarily developed functional purposes. - In evolutionary psychology, amongst others, Leda
Cosmides treated the problem of modularity of
mind. - This perspective suggests that modules are units
of mental processing that evolved in response to
selection pressures. On this view, much modern
human psychological activity is rooted in
adaptations that occurred earlier in human
evolution, when natural selection was forming the
modern human species. - Source Cosmides, L. Tooby, J. (1994). Origins
of Domain Specificity The Evolution of
Functional Organization. In L.A. Hirschfeld and
S.A. Gelmen, eds., Mapping the Mind Domain
Specificity in Cognition and Culture. Cambridge
Cambridge University Press
43What does the mental modules-level mean?
- 1. They are certain forms of behavior, which were
called into existence by problems and challenges
given the evolutionary adaptive environment of
early periods of evolution of man. - 2. They are functional units which fixed in the
brain, and which provide certain sorts of
solution to certain problems of adaptation. They
are tools or instruments of the solution. - 3. We decide with the instinctive, unconscious
application of these mental modules, who could we
trust, who could be a cheater, what should we
eat, from what should be afraid of. - 4. Its a psychological attitude, a preference
that influences the behavior, and which presses
the individual towards a certain direction, and
generates definite answers to certain situations
from time to time.
44Evoloutionary interpretation of most of the
social phenomena
- We could interpret most of the social phenomena
in an evolutionary way, whose inner core is
genetically programmed, and whose outer layers
are a kind of superstructure. - The ethnocentrism identity-forming elements each
based upon the other, - The religion layers of spiritual constructions,
- The ethics layers of good-evil generating
constructions, - The state layers of territorial controlling,
- Politics layers of mechanisms of collective
decision-making, - Governance layers of mastership, rulership and
calling to account, - Internal organizations layers of evolutionary
programmed autonomous unites (firms, companies,
organizations), - Science layers of cognitive, cognizing,
information-collecting, testing and transmissive
mechanisms.
45Basic concepts of evolution
- What do we call evolution?
- Evolution on the micro-level the change of the
genetical composition of a population on account
of the selective pressure of environment. - Evolution on the macro-level the evolvement of
present forms of life, during over millions of
year, from the most primitive forms of life. - Every functional unit in a living creature is
either an adaptation, or a by-product or a bug. - Every and any adaptation exists only in
relationship of other adaptations, and never in
isolation, separated from them. We could
understand and interpret an adaptation only in
the context of other adaptations.
46The concept of adaptation
- The fundamental characteristics of adaptation
- It is brought forth by evolutionary, selective
pressure it is an answer to adaptive problems. - It increases the sufficiency of a living being
immediately. - It offers instrumental, tool-like solutions to
actual evolutionary problems. - The process of evolution evolutionary pressure ?
gadgeteering ? selection ? adaptation
47Basic features of adaptation
- What is adaptation in general?
- 1.Adaptation is not a process, but a tool or
instrument to solve a problem. - 2. The living beings and societies are always
forced to face different problems during their
history, and they evolve different
construction-type solutions. - 3. In the natural world these tools
(constructions) are organs and types (or
patterns) of behavior. - 4. In the human world these tools (constructions)
are institutes, techniques and ideas. - 5. The evolving or development of these tools
happens in way of gadgeteering the nature
could work with the material, which is already
made, the tools present at hand. It attaches
something to those tools, alters them a little
bit in a way or another it (the nature) changes
the tools which are present in such a way that
they could be used in the present situation, and
they could be alters further in the future, if it
is needed.
48The Matrioshka model of man
Level of institutions
Level of cultural universals
Level of symbols
Level of mental modules
Level of human ethology
Three further levels inside human ethology 1.
primate brain, 2. mammal brain, and 3. reptile
brain.
49MacLean, P. D. (1990) The three-brain-model
Second floor primate-brain
First floor mammal-brain
Ground-floor reptile-brain