Living Anthropologically
The moral optimism of anthropology can change the world
Part 1: Human Nature, Race, Evolution
Explores biological anthropology, emphasizing biology and evolution as dynamic processes in an anthropological trajectory guided by moral optimism.
1.1 Human Nature and Anthropology
Anthropology’s search for human nature emphasized shared capacities in particular cultures. But humans are always in process–there is no human nature.
1.2 Evolution and natural selection, anthropologically
Darwin wrote of “descent with modification.” Evolution and natural selection can be problematic and inaccurate terms to describe natural processes.
1.3 Racism and biological anthropology
Every aspect of biological anthropology, from classifying hominin species to debates about Neandertals and Denisovans, potentially enters into racism today.
1.4 Human skulls: Boas head shape studies revalidated
Human head shape is considerably plastic–there is no natural or genetically-determined head shape. The Boas head shape studies have been revalidated.
1.5 Race revival
Anthropology provided new ways to think about race. Boas should have won–race was debunked. But the last decade staged a race revival. How did this happen?
1.6 “Race Reconciled” re-debunks race
“Race Reconciled: How Biological Anthropologists View Human Variation” features an important set of articles re-debunking race.
Anthropology reveals how race becomes biology, intertwining social categories and biology. This is dynamic and developing biology, not genetic determinism.
1.8 So many primates for primatology
Primates vary by species, group, and individually. Primatology reveals there is no single primate behavior pattern at the base of human evolution.
1.9 Bipedalism is also called walking
Habitual bipedalism–not big brains–differentiated hominid ancestors from apes. But walking is a learned behavior, not easily explained by selection.
1.10 Stone tools for 2.5 million years
Stone tools date to 2.5million years ago, yet direct ape-human comparisons persist. As Jonathan Marks comments: “We evolved, get over it.”
1.11 Denisovans and Neandertals as human races
Were Denisovans and Neandertals ancestors of modern humans? A different species? Or sub-species, like races? Anthropology shows porous species boundaries.
1.12 More mothers than Mitochondrial Eve
Embracing Mitochondrial Eve was problematic for anthropology. Recent admixture studies show anthropology should recapture multiregionalism.
1.13 Human biologies
Human biologies offer broad platforms of possibility. Anthropology does not see human nature as determining structures, genes, and instincts.
Moral Optimism
At the end of the day, in this age where futures are murky and utopias mere reminders of a lost innocence, we need to fall back on the moral optimism that has been anthropology’s greatest—yet underscored—appeal. But we need to separate that optimism from the naïveté that has been liberalism’s most convenient shield. We need to assume it as a choice—whether we call it moral, philosophical, or aesthetic in the best sense. We need to hang on to it not because we are historically, socially, or politically naïve—indeed, as social scientists we cannot afford such naïveté—but because this is the side of humanity that we choose to prefer, and because this choice is what moved us to anthropology in the first place. We need to assume this optimism because the alternatives are lousy, and because anthropology as a discipline is the best venue through which the West can show an undying faith in the richness and variability of humankind.
-- Michel-Rolph Trouillot, Global Transformations(2003:139)
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