Re: Humans "unique" social


"Anthony Cerrato" <tcerrato@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:dcu6kn$262e$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> While watching an interesting program on zebras today on the
> Nat. Geo. channel, I started wunderin'...
> It was esentially stated that, like many animals, zebras
> have a herding instinct which has evolved to aid in defense
> (in the case of zebras, mainly of their young) against
> predators. Thinking of humans, I recall it often being said
> that humans have a uniquely strong tendency towards
> sociality (they form groups/tribes , cooperate in many
> endeavors, combine resources, etc. etc.)
>
> Note:
>
> Is human sociality really unique, or is it simply an
> extension of the herding instinct of many animals which was
> originally developed for protection and honed by evolution.

It would be difficult to make the case that human sociality is
qualitatively different from that of other mammals if you restrict
your attention to human hunter-gatherer societies. But language
does add some extra complexity to human social skills that
must at least permit us to describe human societies as a
"pinnacle" (IIRC E.O. Wilson used that word) of mammal sociality.

But if you look also at agricultural and industrial societies,
you have to admit that human societies are unprecedented in
biology. Even the social insects cannot match us for the diversity
of the ways that we draw efficiency from "division of labor".
It is the product of language, and especially written language -
clearly a uniquely human trait.

> In watching the zebras cooperate for their common goal, it
> struck me as very similar to groups of humans who combine to
> form adversarial alliances or coalitions (e.g., teams,
> departments, friends group, etc.) in everyday life. Often
> such competetive groups are formed ad hoc and may be very
> subtle. They often provide protection against other groups
> or people through mass influence or democratic voting. Where
> is the sometimes claimed, putative unique and
> exceptional human nobility vis a vis other animals in this?

"Nobility"? Uh, no. I probably wouldn't use that word. I'm
satisfied with "pinnacle". Maybe we will achieve "nobility"
in de Chardin's prophesy, but not in any of mine.


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