The modularity debate in evolutionary psychology

Abstract

The adherence of evolutionary psychology (EP) to the massive modularity thesis has generated considerable controversy. Barrett and Kurzban argue that much of the debate is misplaced because critics have incorrectly characterized the sense of modularity involved in EP. They offer an account centered on “functional specialization,” an emphasis on formal properties of representations, and an eschewing of references to content domains. We argue that their concept of modularity is at odds with the claims made by EP advocates. Indeed, their definition of modularity is so broad that it includes mechanisms traditionally rejected by EP. Furthermore, their concept of modularity has limited usefulness in explaining the existence of mechanisms designed to deal with novel challenges and with the development of novel solutions to longstanding adaptive problems. A model based on Potts’ concept of “variability selection” is offered as an explanation of such mechanisms.