Cultural technologies for peace may have shaped our social cognition
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e28. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002637.ABSTRACTPeace, the article shows, is achieved by culturally evolved institutions that incentivize positive-sum relationships. We propose that this insight has important consequences for the design of human social cognition. Cues that signal the existence of such institutions should play a prominent role in detecting group membership. We show how this accounts for previous findings and suggest avenues for future research.PMID:38224080 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002637 (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Amine Sijilmassi Lou Safra Nicolas Baumard Source Type: research
The role of religion in the evolution of peace
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e15. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002480.ABSTRACTGlowacki's account overlooks the role of religion in the regulation of cooperation, tolerance, and peace values. We interrogate three premises of Glowacki's argument and suggest that approaching religion as an adaptive system reveals how religious commitments and practices likely had a more substantial impact on the evolution of peace and conflict than currently presumed.PMID:38224081 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002480 (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Jordan Kiper Richard Sosis Source Type: research
The psychology of intergroup relations was grounded in intragroup processes
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e21. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002650.ABSTRACTAlthough Glowacki proposed that peace developed from the relatively recent advent of intergroup norms and tolerance for out-group members, we submit that (a) positive intergroup relations developed from a psychology grounded in the regulation of intragroup relations, (b) the "default" intergroup orientation is uncertainty, and (c) positive intergroup relations likely existed early in our evolutionary history.PMID:38224082 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002650 (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: R Matthew Montoya Brad Pinter Source Type: research
On peace and its logic
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e2. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002534.ABSTRACTGlowacki argues that the human capacity for peace emerged 100,000 years ago, and that the logic of peace is such that the traits and technologies that enable peace are the same that are used to wage war. In my commentary I raise some concerns about these points as well as about Glowacki's understanding of peace.PMID:38224085 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002534 (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Michael V Antony Source Type: research
Author's response: The challenge of peace
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e32. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002790.ABSTRACTThe 30 commentators are largely sympathetic to the account I develop for the origins of peace in humans, though many suggest that peace has deeper roots and that humans share characteristics of peace with other species. Multiple commentators propose how to extend my framework or focus on the cognitive and psychological prerequisites for peace. In my reply, I discuss these considerations and further my account of why I think peace as defined here was unlikely prior to behavioral modernity which emerged approximately 100,000 years ago. In general, th...
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Luke Glowacki Source Type: research
Capacities for peace, and war, are old and related to < em > Homo < /em > construction of worlds and communities
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e8. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002558.ABSTRACTThe capacities required for both peace and war predate 100,000 years ago in the genus Homo are deeply entangled in the modes by which humans physically and perceptually construct their worlds and communities, and may not be sufficiently captured by economic models.PMID:38224087 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002558 (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Agust ín Fuentes Nam Kim Marc Kissel Source Type: research
On the evolved psychological mechanisms that make peace and reconciliation between groups possible
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e19. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002479.ABSTRACTIf group norms and decisions foster peace, then understanding how norms and decisions arise becomes important. Here, we suggest that neither norms nor other forms of group-based decision making (such as offering restitution) can be adequately understood without simultaneously considering (i) what individual psychologies are doing and (ii) the dynamics these psychologies produce when interacting with each other.PMID:38224088 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002479 (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Michael E McCullough David Pietraszewski Source Type: research
The importance of social rejection as reputational sanction in fostering peace
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e12. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002716.ABSTRACTI challenge the idea by Glowacki that "strong sanctions" such as fines, physical punishment, or execution are more effective in promoting peace than "weak punishments" like social rejection. Reviewing evidence that social rejection can have significant social and psychological costs for norm violators, I propose that social rejection can serve as a powerful reputational sanction in fostering peace in society.PMID:38224095 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002716 (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Hsuan-Che Brad Huang Source Type: research
Social norms, mentalising, and common knowledge, in making peace and war
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e23. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002522.ABSTRACTThe emergence of social norms would have been dependent on the evolution of the cognitive capacity for mentalising to multiple orders of intentionality. Common knowledge is a related phenomenon that can solve coordination problems. That the same cognitive and social mechanisms should facilitate both peace and war is resonant with Girard's scapegoat hypothesis on the relationship between violence and religion.PMID:38224096 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002522 (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Vincent Riordan Source Type: research
Experimental evidence suggests intergroup relations are, by default, neutral rather than aggressive
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e13. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002728.ABSTRACTThe target article offers a game-theoretical analysis of primitive intergroup aggression (i.e., raiding) and discusses difficulties in achieving peace. We argue the analysis does not capture the actual strategy space, missing out "do-nothing." Experimental evidence robustly shows people prefer doing nothing against out-group members over cooperating with/attacking them. Thus, the target article overestimates the likelihood of intergroup aggression.PMID:38224110 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002728 (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Hirotaka Imada Nobuhiro Mifune Source Type: research
The evolution of peace (and war) is driven by an elementary social interaction mechanism
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e7. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X2300273X.ABSTRACTHere we revise Glowacki's model by proposing a simple and empirically tested mechanism that is applicable to a comprehensive set of social interactions. This parsimonious mechanism accounts for the choice of both cooperative and peaceful alternatives and explains when each choice benefits the interacting parties. It is proposed that this mechanism is key to the evolution of both peace and conflict.PMID:38224112 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X2300273X (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Ilan Fischer Shacked Avrashi Lior Savranevski Source Type: research
How language and agriculture promote culture- and peace-promoting norms
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e31. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002686.ABSTRACTHumans are predisposed to form in-groups and out-groups that are remarkably flexible in their definition due largely to the complex language that has evolved in them. Language has allowed for the creation of shared "background stories" that can unite people who do not know each other. Second, the discovery of agriculture has resulted in the critical need to negotiate boundaries, a process that can lead to peace (but also war).PMID:38224117 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002686 (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Thomas R Zentall Source Type: research
The evolution of (intergroup) peace hinges on how we define groups and peace
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e22. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002649.ABSTRACTGlowacki defines peace as harmonious relationships between groups maintained without the threat of violence, where groups can be anything from families to nation states. However, defining such contentious concepts like "peace" and "groups" is a difficult task, and we discuss the implications of Glowacki's definitions for understanding intergroup relationships and their evolutionary history.PMID:38224125 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002649 (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Anne C Pisor Kristopher M Smith Jeffrey P Deminchuk Source Type: research
Impediments to peace
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e11. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002704.ABSTRACTWhile effective institutional practices are critical for the evolution of peace certain factors deter their effectiveness. In-group and out-group dynamics may make peace difficult between culturally distinct groups. Critical ecological conditions often lead to intractable conflict over resources. And within group conflicts of interest most prominently between generations may inhibit effective peace making.PMID:38224129 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002704 (Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences)
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Raymond Hames Source Type: research
Peace as prerequisite rather than consequence of cooperation
Behav Brain Sci. 2024 Jan 15;47:e25. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X23002698.ABSTRACTWe take issue with Glowacki's assumption that intergroup relations are characterized by positive-sum interactions and suggest to include negative-sum interactions, and between-group independence. As such, peace may be better defined as the absence of negative-sum interactions. Rather than being a consequence of cooperation, peace emerges as a necessary but not sufficient prerequisite for positive (in)direct reciprocity between groups that, in turn, is key to social identities and cultural complexity.PMID:38224180 | DOI:10.1017/S0140525X23002698 (So...
Source: The Behavioral and Brain Sciences - January 15, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Angelo Romano J örg Gross Carsten K W De Dreu Source Type: research
