4 ms·
I heard an opinion that identification of oneself with a group based on some principle (ethnicity / religion / class, etc) is a mechanism produced by evolution,
by avodonosov 5y ago
I heard an opinion that identification of oneself with a group based on some principle (ethnicity / religion / class, etc) is a mechanism produced by evolution, allowing humans to form lager groups than the number of individuals one can personally know.
In contrast, for example, to apes. Chimpanzees can only form group up to 150 members.
BTW, on wars between chimpanzees: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gombe_Chimpanzee_War https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gombe_Chimpanzee_War
- sorokod 5y agoEvolution based or not, quck and cheap IFF ( identification friend or foe) is an obvious low resolution optimisation. One should be aware that this is an optimization and in fact the entire dichotomy of friend or foe is an optimization in itself.
- jdrc 5y agowish we go back to forming groups of 150, each of them equipped with a nuclear head and some servers.
- wpietri 5y agoI'd say "form larger groups" is burying the lead. Evolution is about differential survival, and humans, as eusocial animals, are at an extreme end of the spectrum. What caused such rapid evolution? My money would be on a whole lot of murder by people who clubbed together based on more tenuous identity markers than you see used in our nearest relatives, the other great apes. Take, for example, how frequent and widespread violent ethnic cleansing is.
- avodonosov 5y agoYes, large groups to compete and fight with others, that what I meant. Although, I do not know whether humans really had groups or unions significantly larger than 150 before the Neolithic age. If not, maybe this property developed in the last 10 000 years. Or maybe this whole idea is not true - I am not really competent to be sure.