Re: [xmca] Unbelievable

From: David Preiss (davidpreiss@uc.cl)
Date: Wed Oct 18 2006 - 19:59:08 PDT


bb,

That's exactly what I've been wondering since I went to the USA for a
ph.d. and landed in the middle of the evolutionary fad. I really felt
like an alien when talking Vygotsky, Bruner and others. Many
classmates never heard of Bruner and Vygotsky indeed. Ah hard
solitude of those days!

The fad seems to be compatible with the political conservative air of
these days in the US, I guess. And, maybe, to some sort of uncritical
attitude to anything coming from scientists, similar to the reception
showed to the jensenian attitude to race diferences in iq, which was
relaunched by hernstein and murray, which at the same time links to
other harvard guy: S. Huntingon. But I really have no answer. The 70s
and 80s were more open to a critical science in the US, so it seems.
What is clear for me is that these are "weird" times, and it shocks
me how this neglect of anything "cultural" in the elite is compatible
with the nationalism of the masses. But maybe I am mixing too many
things.

In Chile, evolutionary psychology is laughed by intellectuals (as it
is Huntington) (which sometimes places me at the opposite side and
pushes me to teach evolution seriously to my students, but not
Huntington, of course).

David

On Oct 18, 2006, at 11:38 PM, bb wrote:

> What I'm wondering about is the nature of cultural processes that
> make this kind of (I'll reserve judgment , but insert whatever
> adjectives you think should fit here , in place of this comment )
> theory news-worthy?
>
> bb
>
>
> -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: David Preiss <davidpreiss@uc.cl>
>> I am not so sure, Martin, this is a fair comparison. For Vygotskty
>> the way culture shapes biology is by means of the internalization of
>> tools and symbols. For this guy, what culture does is triggering
>> changes in our sexual preferences and weakening our immune system.
>> Very different, I guess.
>>
>> On Oct 18, 2006, at 10:00 PM, Martin Packer wrote:
>>
>>> But this is precisely an example of a theory in which socio-
>>> historical
>>> evolution is seen as shaping biological evolution, no? As David
>>> (Kellogg)
>>> said a couple of days ago:
>>>
>>>> I think that Vygotsky's position on the connection between
>>>> learning and
>>>> development, and also the connection between ontogenesis and socio-
>>>> historical
>>>> development, and even the connection between socio-historical
>>>> development and
>>>> biological evolution is that all of these things are indeed
>>>> linked, but
>>>> nevertheless distinct. Linked but distinct.
>>>
>>> Martin
>>>
>>> On 10/18/06 6:02 PM, "David Preiss" <davidpreiss@uc.cl> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I wonder if the guy REALLY thinks this or is just seeking
>>>> publicity.
>>>> I am astonished how many evolutionary theories make it to the press
>>>> these days. What is making these theories so fashionable is
>>>> beyond my
>>>> understanding. Is like a postmodern, late capitalism state of mind
>>>> Any guesses?
>>>> David
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Oct 18, 2006, at 9:55 AM, bb wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> "Humanity may split into two sub-species in 100,000 years' time as
>>>>> predicted by HG Wells, an expert has said.
>>>>>
>>>>> Evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of
>>>>> Economics expects a genetic upper class and a dim-witted
>>>>> underclass
>>>>> to emerge. "
>>>>>
>>>>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6057734.stm
>>>>>
>>>>> ---------------
>>>>>
>>>>> In the year 2525
>>>>> If man is still alive....
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> From: "Mike Cole" <lchcmike@gmail.com>
>>>>> Date: October 14, 2006 9:55:13 PM GMT-04:00
>>>>> To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
>>>>> Subject: Re: [xmca] interweaving
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> xmca mailing list
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> xmca mailing list
>>>>> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>>>>> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>>>
>>>> David Preiss, Ph.D.
>>>> Profesor Auxiliar / Assistant Professor
>>>>
>>>> Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
>>>> Escuela de Psicolog�a
>>>> Av Vicu�a Mackenna 4860
>>>> Macul, Santiago
>>>> Chile
>>>>
>>>> Fono: 3544605
>>>> Fax: 3544844
>>>> e-mail: davidpreiss@uc.cl
>>>> web personal: http://web.mac.com/ddpreiss/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html
>>>> web institucional: http://www.uc.cl/psicologia
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> xmca mailing list
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>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> xmca mailing list
>>> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>>> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>>
>>
>> David Preiss, Ph.D.
>> Profesor Auxiliar / Assistant Professor
>>
>> Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
>> Escuela de Psicolog�a
>> Av Vicu�a Mackenna 4860
>> Macul, Santiago
>> Chile
>>
>> Fono: 3544605
>> Fax: 3544844
>> e-mail: davidpreiss@uc.cl
>> web personal: http://web.mac.com/ddpreiss/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html
>> web institucional: http://www.uc.cl/psicologia
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> xmca mailing list
>> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>
> _______________________________________________
> xmca mailing list
> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>

David Preiss, Ph.D.
Profesor Auxiliar / Assistant Professor

Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
Escuela de Psicología
Av Vicuña Mackenna 4860
Macul, Santiago
Chile

Fono: 3544605
Fax: 3544844
e-mail: davidpreiss@uc.cl
web personal: http://web.mac.com/ddpreiss/
web institucional: http://www.uc.cl/psicologia

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