Human Evolution: Nature and Culture
Nature and Culture
Introduction:
From the Cro-Magnon man, Homo sapiens has not evolved significantly; our bodies remain fundamentally the same as they have been for thousands of years. However, our culture has undergone a spectacular development. Culture distinguishes and separates us from animals. There is a significant difference between basic biological processes, like digestion, and complex human activities, such as solving a square root or building a cathedral. The humanization process involves leveraging our cognitive abilities to communicate and understand the world. This would have been impossible without the necessary brainpower. In short, without the *hominization* process, the process of *humanization* could not have occurred. We are products of both biology and culture.
The concepts of nature and culture are generally opposed. Nature refers to the biological, universal features found in all humans by virtue of belonging to the same biological species. Conversely, culture is associated with the acquired, the artificial, and the particular features that characterize how each human group solves the problem of survival.
Confusion
There is a tendency to think that what happens in nature is inherently good, and everything created by humans is bad because it can disrupt and harm nature. In reality, the concepts of “good” and “bad” are value judgments created by human culture. Nature is neither good nor bad; it is amoral because it is outside the standards of conduct of human beings.
The myth of the noble savage, described by Rousseau, exemplifies this confusion. Rousseau imagined that in an original state of nature, before the creation of culture, human beings lived happily. For Rousseau, “state of nature” and “civilization” are antagonistic terms, representing primal goodness versus the corruption of morals, respectively.
Culture
Definition
The anthropologist E.B. Tylor defined culture as “a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” The Spanish philosopher Jesús Mosterín offers another definition: for Mosterín, culture is “information transmitted between animals of the same species by social learning.” He explains that, compared to the genetic information provided by genes, cultural information is provided by memes (memetic information).
Animal Instinct
Animals have developed a system of instincts. These instincts ensure their survival and allow for an appropriate response to each stimulus they receive. In conclusion, animal behavior is primarily instinctive. It is also predictable, as it does not vary significantly. An animal’s behavior is programmed into its genetic code. Animals are born with an anatomy specifically designed to successfully implement these instinctive responses. Instinct and anatomy are determinants.
However, many animals can develop acquired behaviors through experimentation and imitation. This openness to experience is a characteristic of juveniles that is often lost upon reaching maturity. Once an animal has adapted to its environment, it may no longer need to learn, and this ability can diminish. Not all animals possess this capacity to the same degree. Some animals are born fully programmed by their genes, with complex and efficient behaviors to meet the needs of their environment. For this reason, it is said that these animals live in a “closed world.”