Evolutionary and neurological accounts cannot fully explain cultural patterns

Evidence

Not every human choice is a direct result of status seeking, but when attempting to explain cultural change on a macro level, status value should be considered as the primary factor. Taste is never only about the thing itself—e.g., the flavor of a wine or the mechanical superiority of a car. Civilization is fundamentally symbolic, and every choice communicates social position. This suggests that evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and mathematical modeling, taken in isolation, aren’t sufficient for diagnosing cultural patterns. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 807

Categorization

• XREF: Echoes the book’s ch2 critique of the random-viral-contagion theory of cultural change. — connects to: Economic-only explanations of culture cannot capture conjunctural specificity — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 206; Cultural adaptation physically rewires the brain and perception — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 2238; Cultural evolution fills in god content within evolved mentalizing constraints (+6 more)
• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source

Broader Connections

• The mind is constituted by culture, not bare biology #corroborates (0.80) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 431
• Cultural adaptation physically rewires the brain and perception #qualifies (0.75) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 2238
• Cultural evolution fills in god content within evolved mentalizing constraints #qualifies (0.75)
• Economic-only explanations of culture cannot capture conjunctural specificity #complicates (0.72) — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 206
• Cultural evolution can lock groups into maladaptive equilibria, not just prosocial ones #corroborates (0.72)