Philosophy For Our Times Ancient traits in a modern world | Sunetra Gupta, Anders Sandberg, Subrena Smith
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Nov 14, 2023 Evolutionary biologist Sunetra Gupta, neuroscientist Anders Sandberg, and psychologist Subrena Smith discuss the compatibility of our neurobiology with the modern world. They explore topics like the impact of storytelling and virtue signaling, the inadequacy of neurobiology in dealing with 21st-century challenges, the relevance of evolution in humans, and the tension between biology and human values. The panel debates whether our ancient traits are now risking our species and if we can change our behavior before it's too late.
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Storytelling and Virtue Signaling
- Humans are neurobiologically wired to love storytelling and to signal virtue within social groups.
- These evolved traits can foster social coherence but also produce pitfalls like narrative fallacy and performative virtue signaling.
Uncertainty About Ancestral Neurobiology
- We lack concrete facts about our ancient ancestors' neurobiology and psychology.
- The claim that our neurobiology is ill-equipped for the modern world relies heavily on unproven assumptions about evolutionary continuity.
Modern Stress and Evolution Mismatch
- Anders Sandberg shares how his blood pressure rises when facing modern social situations, a mismatch from evolutionary adaptation.
- Traits like cruelty, often linked to norm enforcement, may have evolved but can be maladaptive in today's world.