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The Origins of Symbolic Culture

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Homo Novus – A Human Without Illusions

Part of the book series: The Frontiers Collection ((FRONTCOLL))

Abstract

Symbolic culture is a realm of patently false signals. From a Darwinian standpoint, it is not easy to explain how strategies of reliance on such signals could have become evolutionarily stable. The archaeological record shows evolving modern humans investing heavily in cosmetics, with a particular emphasis on ochre pigments matching the color of blood. This chapter discusses the Female Cosmetic Coalitions model of the origins of symbolic culture in the context of hypotheses sometimes considered to be alternative explanations. It is shown that these various hypotheses are not genuine alternatives. Many are not Darwinian, while others either fail to address the question of symbolism or address it but make no reference to details of the archaeological record. It is concluded that the Female Cosmetic Coalitions model offers the most testable and parsimonious way of integrating these different perspectives.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Chris Knight

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  1. Chris Knight
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Correspondence to Chris Knight .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Zentrum für Philosophie und, Grundlagen der Wissenschaft, Universität Gießen, Otto-Behaghel-Str. 10, Gießen, 35394, Germany

    Ulrich J. Frey

  2. Zentrum für Philosophie und, Grundlagen der Wissenschaft, Universität Gießen, Otto-Behaghel-Str. 10, Gießen, 35394, Germany

    Charlotte Störmer

  3. Zentrum für Philosophie und, Grundlagen der Wissenschaft, Universität Gießen, Otto-Behaghel-Str. 10, Gießen, 35394, Germany

    Kai P. Willführ

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Knight, C. (2010). The Origins of Symbolic Culture. In: Frey, U., Störmer, C., Willführ, K. (eds) Homo Novus – A Human Without Illusions. The Frontiers Collection. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12142-5_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12142-5_14

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-12141-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-12142-5

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