EVENTS

STOQ 2009 – THE STOQ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
«BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION. Facts and Theories»

Abstracts of the Lectures:

David S. Wilson, Binghamton University, State University of New York, USA

Some Philosophical Considerations on Human Emergence and En-Culturation

The concept of a group as like an organism has a long history in philosophical, theological, intellectual and scientific thought. It was largely rejected during the second half of the 20th century by various forms of individualism, but it is now strongly supported by evolutionary theory. The organisms of today are literally the social groups of past ages. Social insect colonies qualify as superorganisms, complete with a group mind. I will review how the superorganism concept is justified by modern evolutionary theory and how human groups qualify as superorganisms, at least when appropriate conditions are met.