Interdisciplinary Anthropology Continuing Evolution of Man
This volume is the result of a research project entitled “Evolutionary Continuity – Human Specifics – The Possibility of Objective Knowledge” that was carried out by representatives of six academic disciplines (evolutionary biology, evolutionary anthropol
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Wolfgang Welsch
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Wolf Singer
Editors
Interdisciplinary Anthropology Continuing Evolution of Man
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Andre´ Wunder
Editors Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Welsch Universita¨t Jena Institut fu¨r Philosophie Zwa¨tzengasse 9 07743 Jena Germany [email protected]
Prof. Dr. Wolf Singer MPI fu¨r Hirnforschung Abt. Neurophysiologie Deutschordenstr. 46 60528 Frankfurt/Main Germany [email protected]
Andre´ Wunder, M.A. Universita¨t Zu¨rich Philosophisches Seminar Zu¨richbergstrasse 43 CH-8044 Zu¨rich [email protected]
ISBN 978-3-642-11667-4 e-ISBN 978-3-642-11668-1 DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-11668-1 Springer Heidelberg Dordrecht London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2011924896 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover photo: Michael K. Nichols/getty images Cover design: deblik, Berlin Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Preface
This volume is the result of a research project entitled “Evolutionary Continuity – Human Specifics – The Possibility of Objective Knowledge” that was carried out by representatives of six academic disciplines (evolutionary biology, evolutionary anthropology, brain research, cognitive neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and philosophy) over a period of three-and-a-half years starting July 1, 2006, and ending December 31, 2009. The starting point for the project was the newly emerging riddle of human uniqueness. Formerly, people believed it possible to determine which features distinguish humans from other animals. Rationality, i.e., the possession of mind, reason, language, logical thinking, etc., was thought to be the unique characteristic of human beings. This is precisely what the old definition of the human as animal rationale suggested: only human beings possess rationality and this sets them apart from all other creatures. But the results of scientific research fundamentally questioned this view in recent decades. With regard to the dimensions of rationality (possession of concepts, arithmetic, reasoning, etc.), it was found that they not only exist in us humans, but that at least early forms can be found in our close and distant relatives in the anima
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