The Archaeology of the Extended Mind
Kim Sterelny
Andy Clark and His Critics June 3, 2019 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780190662813.003.0012 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that great apes, including the likely last common ancestor of humans and pan, rely on intrinsic capacities and treat social learning as optional, while humans depend on social learning, which amplifies cognition through social environments, material technology, and the transmission of cognitive skills. The chapter charts the deep history of these changes and their archaeological signature. |
Abstract
Abstract: Our great ape cousins, and very likely the last common ancestor of the human and pan lineage, depend very largely on their own intrinsic capacities not just for material resources but also for their informational resources. Chimps and bonobos are capable of social learning, and very likely, in their foraging and their communicative practices, they do learn from their parents and peers. But everything they learn socially they could probably learn by themselves, by individual exploration learning. Their lives do not depend on social learning. And while they may learn about their physical and social environment from others, they do not learn how to learn. Humans are very different: for us, social learning is essential rather than optional. As a consequence, our cognitive capacities are amplified by our social environment, by our material technology, and by our capacities to learn cognitive skills, not just physical skills, from our social peers. This chapter charts the deep history of these changes and their archaeological signature.