Group-structured cultural selection can explain both war and peace

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary anthropology
• Cultural evolution
• Peace studies

Background:

• Norms play a crucial role in facilitating both conflict and cooperation between human groups.
• Existing research often overlooks the specific cultural evolutionary mechanisms that sustain these norms.
• Understanding the dynamics of intergroup relations requires examining the processes that maintain social norms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of group-structured cultural selection in shaping intergroup interactions.
• To provide a mechanistic explanation for the maintenance of norms related to peace and conflict.
• To re-evaluate the prevalence of peaceful intergroup relations through an evolutionary lens.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of cultural evolutionary theory, focusing on group-structured selection.
• Theoretical modeling of norm maintenance within and between groups.
• Comparative analysis of existing accounts of intergroup relations.

Main Results:

• Group-structured cultural selection significantly shapes the scale and nature of peaceful intergroup interactions.
• The proposed mechanistic perspective identifies numerous conditions favoring peaceful intergroup relations.
• This framework offers a more nuanced understanding of the factors promoting cooperation over conflict.

Conclusions:

• Cultural evolutionary mechanisms, particularly group-structured selection, are key to understanding intergroup peace.
• A mechanistic view expands the recognized scope of peaceful intergroup interactions.
• Further research into cultural evolution can illuminate pathways to sustained intergroup harmony.