Recent Critiques of Dual Inheritance Theory

Abstract

e dual inheritance or gene-culture coevolution theory of human evolution was developed in the 1970s and 80s. Early work built mathematical theories derived from thencurrent work in human development, sociolinguistics, and the di usion of innovations. More recently it has included a considerable amount of new empirical work. e theory has always had critics in evolutionary biology and the social and behavioral sciences. Morin's book critiques the theory from an alternate epidemiological or attraction theory of cultural evolution that doubts that imitation and adaptation play signi cant roles in cultural evolution. Lewens book is a wide-ranging analysis of critiques of gene-culture coevolution theory that nds most of them in error or at least not fatal to the project. His book includes a chapter on critiques based on considerations of human nature, of which Morin's book is one variant, and which Lewens argues are faulty. at is also my conclusion.