The Evolution of Cultural Entities (Hardcover)

Hardcover. Ever since Darwin, scholars have noted that cultural entities such as languages, laws, firms and theories seem to 'evolve' through sequences of variation, selection and replication, in many ways just like living organisms. These essays consider whether this comparison is 'just a metaphor', or whether modern evolutionary theory can help us to understand the dynamics of different cultural domains. The 'evolutionary paradigm of rationality' has a significant role to play throughout the human sciences, but raises complex issues in every cultural context where it is applied. By fostering discussion between scholars from a wide range of research traditions, this volume aims to influence the evolution of all of them. Since Darwin, scholars have noted that cultural entities such as languages, laws, firms, and theories seem to 'evolve' through sequences of variation, selection, and replication, in many ways just like living organisms. These essays consider whether modern evolutionary theory can help us to understand the dynamics of different cultural domains. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.…