Henrich, Heyes, and Tomasello on the Cognitive Foundations of Cultural Evolution

Abstract

Abstract This chapter gives a brief overview of three accounts of the socio-cognitive abilities that facilitated the emergence and transmission of cumulative culture in the recent hominin lineage. These accounts have been developed and defended by Joseph Henrich (e.g. 2015), Cecilia Heyes (e.g. 2018), and Michael Tomasello (e.g. 1999, 2008, 2014) in collaboration with others. The chapter pays particular attention to the different abilities that these authors think are foundational to human cultural evolution – abilities that include imitation, theory of mind, norm cognition, shared intentionality, and metacognition; and to questions about whether these abilities first arose as products of genetic or cultural evolution. By clarifying the similarities and differences between these accounts, the authors identify points of disagreement that could be tested empirically, and areas where further conceptual clarification is required. Thus it is hoped this chapter might serve as prelude to a more sustained critical engagement with the details of the discussed views.