Cultural evolution is merely a bi-product of environmental circumstance whether contemporary or prehistorically. To suggest that ancient ancestral people were lacking syllogistic capability is inaccurate. Cultural evolution in prehistoric era was based on the same principles as today, that being communal assimilation and adaptation to new environments. People seek growth with similar beings and therefore cultural evolution can be differentiated by varying cultures. We process more information today because our environment has expanded thereby affording us more information to process. While on the surface it seems much progression has taken place I don't see all of it as being based on individual conscious choice but rather initiated by social dictates by select groups. Pointing out freedoms of women, children and minorities is not enough to establish an evolution when there are other groups that are non conforming and in violation of the supposed evolution. This is evidenced, as Lee points out, by the numerous contradictions in social behavior especially on a global level. We are no more socially integrated today that we were as cave men; they had clubs and we have bombs. We are still territorial and oppressive to outside groups. We use terms like "it is illegal" to enforce bias and discriminate, we create laws that allow for the use of "deadly force" upon a suspected threat and more jargon to initiate war. This purported cultural evolution is rife with flaw and fallacy. I call it the "Disney Effect" which essentially creates a facade to conceal the horror behind the pretty picture. Disney has for many years presented animations of cute little animals playing in the forest and created this image of loving and caring about nature while the reality is this: Bulldozers come in and raze the land while killing and displacing thousands of animals so that Disney can build their theme park. This is primarily what we have today; a facade giving the impression we have progressed socially when the fact is the world is full of horror, horrendous acts of violence, genocide and egregious violations of human rights. Aside from the subjective view and the microcosms of change apparent here and there we haven't changed much at all; we just have new tools.
On Aug 3, 7:46 am, Molly <[email protected]> wrote: > All aspects of human civilization—language, art, aesthetics, > technology, architecture, organizations, governments—depend upon > essential human relationships for their evolution and expression. > > * Question: What is actually evolving? > > * Answer: The quality and quantity of relationships between people, > assuming the form of shared meanings, agreements, relationships and > groups of relationships. The cultural domain is inter-subjective, > because it exists between subjects, yet is often not objectively > identifiable. But the fact that these shared spaces of meaning are not > objectively identifiable does not hinder us from experiencing them as > being real. As such, the subjective world includes not only individual > consciousness but the inter-subjective domain of relationships as > well, making the interior universe much more substantial. These > relationships are real, yet they exist in the internal universe. The > evolution of this internal universe accounts for the fact that women, > children, and minorities now experience and possess more freedoms than > in any time in written history. > > What do YOU think? > > For more: http://www.i-awake.net/2010/08/spiral-dynamics-introduction.html
