Human Evolution beyond Biology and Culture
Evolutionary Social, Environmental and Policy Sciences

A complete account of evolutionary thought in the social, environmental and policy sciences, creating bridges with biology.

Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh (Author)

9781108470971, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 18 October 2018

564 pages, 33 b/w illus.
25.2 x 17.9 x 2.9 cm, 1.28 kg

'Van den Bergh's book is an outstanding, long-missing synthesis of current strands of evolutionary theorizing in the natural, social and cultural sciences. It fascinates the reader by its thought-provoking claim of a unity of the evolutionary approach across disciplinary boundaries and by the practical implications derived for better understanding environmental problems, climate change, economic development, technology evolution and many more present day topics.' Ulrich Witt, Max Planck Institute of Economics, Germany

Both natural and cultural selection played an important role in shaping human evolution. Since cultural change can itself be regarded as evolutionary, a process of gene-culture coevolution is operative. The study of human evolution - in past, present and future - is therefore not restricted to biology. An inclusive comprehension of human evolution relies on integrating insights about cultural, economic and technological evolution with relevant elements of evolutionary biology. In addition, proximate causes and effects of cultures need to be added to the picture - issues which are at the forefront of social sciences like anthropology, economics, geography and innovation studies. This book highlights discussions on the many topics to which such generalised evolutionary thought has been applied: the arts, the brain, climate change, cooking, criminality, environmental problems, futurism, gender issues, group processes, humour, industrial dynamics, institutions, languages, medicine, music, psychology, public policy, religion, sex, sociality and sports.

Part I. Prevue: 1. Making the improbable probable
2. The world according to evolution
Part II. Evolutionary Biology: 3. Pre-Darwinism, Darwinism and neo-Darwinism
4. Advanced ideas in evolutionary biology and genetics
Part III. Bridging Natural and Social Sciences: 5. Evolution of social behaviour in animals and humans
6. Group selection in biology and the social sciences
Part IV. Evolutionary Social Sciences: 7. Evolutionary theories of human culture
8. Evolutionary economics
9. Evolution of organisations and institutions
10. Technological evolution
Part V. Evolutionary Cultural History: 11. Pre-history until the rise of agriculture
12. Industrialisation and technological history
Part VI. Evolutionary Environmental and Policy Sciences: 13. Survival of the greenest
14. Evolving solutions for climate change
15. Evolutionary policy and politics
16. Evolutionary futures.

Subject Areas: Social impact of environmental issues [RNT], Evolution [PSAJ], Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography [JHMC]