Nature, Culture, and Human Evolution: A Deep Dive

Nature and Culture

The actions we, as human beings, take are part of two aspects of nature: one that is inherent and another that is cultural. Cultural components are the result of learning.

Nature

Nature is innate; it is what we are born with because it is genetically preprogrammed or develops in the embryo.

Culture

Culture is acquired through social learning from the moment we are born.

Evolution

Evolution is the process whereby individuals of the same species undergo qualitative changes, leading the species to slowly change from more primitive life forms into more organized ones. The result has been the multiplicity of species.

Theory of Evolution

Natural selection is not a conscious process, but rather nature acts blindly. Variations arise randomly. Being the fittest is not something that a living thing can propose, as in the theory of Lamarck, but quite the contrary. Animals that are more apt will survive. For example, in the case of giraffes, their necks would not have grown by adaptation, but rather those born with longer necks survived and managed food better. For Darwin, there is no end in nature, nor a set order or direction.

Human Evolution: Hominization

Hominization is the biological, evolutionary process that has characterized the evolution of hominids, leading to the present human species.

Humanization

Humanization is the process of psychosocial change that gave rise to the cultural elements that characterize human beings and distinguish them from the rest of the species.

Hominization Process

• The key change was bipedalism, which brought about important anatomical adaptations. The need for survival favored the erect position.
• When the erect position became permanent, the hands were released. They were no longer necessary to move around and could perform other functions, such as manufacturing and handling tools.
• The increased size of the skull is parallel with its increased capacity. Space-time perceptions developed, senses sharpened, and finally, areas related to manual perception and language developed. This process ran parallel to the development of theoretical capacity. Our ancestors were not only able to do certain things but also to think about them.

Socio-cultural Evolution

Cultural and biological evolution occurred together. Biological evolution has run in parallel with cultural evolution, and both are related. However, in the later stages of human evolution, culture has overtaken the biological, to the point that cultural changes could cause changes in the body. While biological evolution is very slow, cultural changes are very fast.