Making Cognition: Towards an Evolutionary Philosophy of Human Cognition

Abstract

<p>In my thesis I argue against the four primary commitments of Evolutionary Psychology 1) Adaptationism, 2) Nativism, 3) Modularity, and 4) Computationalism.</p> <p>In the second half of my thesis, I present an alternative view. I argue that many aspects of human cognition that Evolutionary Psychology take to be adaptations, are in fact spandrels, or by products of adaptation. Facts about human developmental neurobiology put further strain on the first three theses. I reconceptualize human cognition as a decoupled use of artifacts. I claim that this makes better sense of the phylogenie difference between humans and chimpanzees.</p>