Socially-transmitted information allows humans to survive in diverse social and ecological systems, a pattern that is as old as — and perhaps even predates — our species. This suggests that natural selection can be expected to have shaped the human mind to enhance the ability to acquire and exploit such information. After reviewing existing approaches to the question, this chapter argues for a dissection of the cognitive and motivational architectures underlying this ability. Key questions addressed include how models for imitative learning are selected; the ultimate benefits of conformism, normative moralization, and moral outrage; and the nature and function of internalization.
Keywords: culture, admiration, social systems, ecological systems, natural selection, cognitive architecture, conformism, normative moralization, internalization