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The Evolution of Cultural Entities

Online ISBN:
9780191771989
Print ISBN:
9780197262627
Publisher:
British Academy
Book

The Evolution of Cultural Entities

Michael Wheeler (ed.),
Michael Wheeler
(ed.)

Lecturer in Philosophy

Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Dundee
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John Ziman (ed.),
John Ziman
(ed.)

Emeritus Professor of Physics

Emeritus Professor of Physics, University of Bristol
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Margaret A. Boden (ed.)
Margaret A. Boden
(ed.)

Professor of Philosophy and Psychology

Professor of Philosophy and Psychology, University of Sussex
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Published online:
22 January 2015
Published in print:
3 October 2002
Online ISBN:
9780191771989
Print ISBN:
9780197262627
Publisher:
British Academy

Abstract

Ever since Charles Darwin, scholars have noted that cultural entities such as languages, laws, firms, and theories seem to ‘evolve’ through sequences of variation, selection and replication, in many ways just like living organisms. This book considers whether this comparison is ‘just a metaphor’, or whether modern evolutionary theory can help us to understand the dynamics of different cultural domains. The ‘evolutionary paradigm of rationality’ has a significant role to play throughout the human sciences, but raises complex issues in every cultural context where it is applied. By fostering discussion between scholars from a wide range of research traditions, this book aims to influence the evolution of all of them.

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