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Expanding the causal menu: An interventionist perspective on explaining human behavioural evolution.

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This study applies the interventionist theory of causation to understand major shifts in human behavioral evolution, like the Acheulean technological industry. It proposes distinct causal notions to explain complex behavioral transitions in human origins.

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Area of Science:

  • Human Evolution
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Archaeology

Background:

  • Understanding major shifts in human behavioral capacities, such as technological innovations (e.g., Acheulean), is crucial in human evolution studies.
  • Empirical and philosophical challenges, including causation and explanation, complicate the study of these deep-time events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To apply the interventionist theory of causation to analyze major transitions in human behavioral complexity.
  • To explore how distinct causal notions can illuminate evolutionary behavioral shifts.
  • To use the origins of behavioral modernity as a case study.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing the interventionist theory of causation from philosophy of science.
  • Identifying and applying distinct types of causes within this framework.
  • Analyzing the origins of behavioral modernity as an extended case study.

Main Results:

  • The interventionist theory of causation offers a framework for understanding complex causal structures in human evolution.
  • Distinct causal notions can be identified and applied to explain transitions in behavioral complexity.
  • The framework provides a novel perspective on explaining the emergence of behavioral modernity.

Conclusions:

  • The interventionist theory of causation provides valuable tools for explaining major shifts in human behavioral evolution.
  • The proposed causal framework can be further elaborated and extended to other areas of human evolutionary study.
  • This approach offers a philosophical lens to complement empirical research in human origins.