Philosophy For Our Times After Evolution | Oliver Scott Curry, Daniel Everett, Janet Radcliffe Richards
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May 1, 2018 
Oliver Scott Curry, a cognitive and evolutionary psychologist from Oxford, Daniel Everett, a linguist and cultural anthropologist, and Janet Radcliffe Richards, a practical philosopher, delve into the interplay of evolution, culture, and human behavior. They challenge genetic determinism, emphasizing culture's role in shaping society and emotional responses. The trio explores personal anecdotes from field research, critiques the simplification of cultural constructs, and calls for deeper engagement in the evolutionary psychology landscape, highlighting the need for impartial scientific inquiry.
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Evolved Mechanisms Are Flexible
- Humans possess evolved psychological mechanisms that shape behaviour but these mechanisms are flexible.
- Evolutionary approaches can explain shared human tendencies and generate testable hypotheses about culture.
Use Evolution To Guide Cultural Research
- Use evolutionary theory to identify cognitive mechanisms that shape how we invent and transmit cultural practices.
- Investigate who we copy and why to understand cultural innovation and spread.
Brain Strata And Plasticity
- The human brain shows evolutionary strata but its primary trait is plasticity.
- Claims that language is an instinct lack clear evidence and the notion of hardwired modules is questionable.