Looking at Gad Saad’s Book (2020) “The Parasitic Mind” (Part 14 of 17)
0096 In the last blog, the reader may have noticed a subtle shift in the representation of the potential of the content-level in the quest for a right doctrine3a for inquiry into consumer behaviors2a.
Recall, evolutionary psychology is the situation level for Dr. Saad. Social construction is the situation level for postmodern academics conducting research on consumer behaviors (but really, it serves as the content level of postmodern inquiry into the human will to consume1a.)
0097 Here is a comparison of the content levels for the two situations.
Ah, the potentials are obviously different.
0098 Evolutionary psychology3b strives to account for observations of modern consumer behaviors2a in terms of scientific models2b, presuming that human behaviors are influenced by adaptations to the Lebenswelt that we evolved in1a.
0099 Social construction3b strives to account for… well… not account for… but to establish that needs in our current Lebenswelt1a, underlying consumer behaviors2a, are fulfilled by the exercise of human will1b. All other accounts are irrelevant. Each purchase is a personal choice2b.
0100 Hmmm. Say again. What is the difference?
Evolutionary psychology3b interprets evidence in cognitive psychology1b in terms of adaptations in the Lebenswelt that we evolved in1a.
Social construction3a interprets all human behaviors, in our current Lebenswelt2a, as exercises of human will1b.
0101 What does this imply?
Our current Lebenswelt is not the Lebenswelt that we evolved in.
0102 This is one insight that may prove of value to scientists and modern philosophers.
The Lebenswelt that we evolved in cannot be declared irrelevant, even while admitting the primacy of human will in our current Lebenswelt, the key potential of social constructionism, with its commitment to radical individualism.
0103 How so?
0104 Consider Comments on Clive Gamble, John Gowlett and Robin Dunbar’s Book (2014) Thinking Big, an e-book by Razie Mah, available at smashwords and other e-book venues.
For the Lebenswelt that we evolved in, Dunbar’s headline claim is that the neocortex size is roughly proportional to group size. The neocortex size for anatomically modern humans corresponds to a group size of 150. Yet, the book by Gamble, Gowlett and Dunbar say more than the headline. Hominins live in social circles within that community size of 150. Indeed, an evolutionary psychologist would expect that cultural adaptations within each social circle would increase the reproductive success of participating individuals. Since social circles are like nested Russian dolls, evolutionary psychologists further anticipate adaptations that increase the harmony among social circles.
0105 For our current Lebenswelt, civilization may be initially described as historic differentiations leading to the following category-based nested form: The normal context of societyC brings the actuality of organizationsB into relation with the potential of individuals in communityA.