文化能力的进化——兼谈基因、语言和文化的关系

历史上有两个发展过程深刻影响了人的发展：一是造成有机体进化的生物学过程，二是引起文化进化的学习过程。生物进化奠定了文化产生的生理基础，而学习过程最终导致了文化的出现。但这两个过程显然是有区别的。人生理上和行动上的特征受自然选择的影响而成形，被编码储存于基因中。学习是一个行为变化的过程，它允许有机体适应并利用新的机会或偶发事件，是文化产生的直接原因。与人的生理特征相反，文化是储存在大脑中而非基因中的信息。文化不是为人类所独有的能力，高级灵长类动物也能够使用工具，掌握某种信号语言，而且具有很多的社会性和利他性行为。但这些动物不能像人一样有意识地教育后代，不能通过语言文字将上一代积累的知识传递给下一代，只能通过尝试一错误学习法不断重复上代的行为，所以其文化仍旧处于初级阶段。

The Evolution of the Capacity for Culture——Some Discussions about the Relationship of Genes, Language and Culture

In history human development was deeply affected by two processes: (1) the biological process responsible for organic evolution and (2) the learning based process that accounts for cultural evolution. The former sets the physiological basis for culture, while the latter offers the most direct reason for the appearance of culture. But they are two distinct processes. Human anatomical and behavioral traits are shaped by natural selection and encoded in genes. Learning enables organisms to adjust to and take advantage of novel contingencies and opportunities independently of genetic changes and thus is the basis of cultural traditions. Culture is encoded in the brain, not in the genes. Human beings are not the only creature that possesses cultural capacity. Some primates know how to make and use tools; they also know how to communicate in sign language. Primates show a lot of social and altruistic behavior. We note, however, the culture of these animals remain rudimentary, because they cannot pass their knowledge and skills onto their younger generation via deliberate teaching or through written language; what they usually do is repeat the behavior of the older generation by following the error trial model.