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A commitment account of norm externalisation
1Department of Philosophy, University of Bristol, BS6 6JL Bristol, UK.
Biology & Philosophy
|August 18, 2025
Summary
Externalized norms, experienced as externally imposed, evolved to foster cooperation. This study argues that commitment mechanisms are key to how externalized norms achieve correlated interaction among cooperators.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Social Norms
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Externalized norms are characterized by being perceived as externally imposed demands.
- Externalized norms are hypothesized to facilitate correlated interaction among cooperators.
- The precise mechanism by which externalization achieves correlated interaction remains unspecified.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanism through which externalized norms secure correlated interaction.
- To propose an account for the evolutionary emergence of externalized norms.
- To highlight the role of commitment in fostering cooperation throughout human evolution.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of social norms and cooperation.
- Theoretical framework integrating commitment and externalization.
- Evolutionary perspective on norm emergence.
Main Results:
- Externalization secures correlated interaction through commitment.
- Commitment provides a mechanism for the evolution of externalized norms.
- This framework explains how cooperation is sustained in social groups.
Conclusions:
- Commitment is the crucial element enabling externalized norms to facilitate correlated interaction.
- Understanding the role of commitment offers new insights into the evolution of social cooperation.
- The proposed account enriches evolutionary theories of social behavior.
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