Buskell, Andrew (2017) Cultural Attractor Theory and Explanation. Philosophy, Theory, and Practice in Biology, 9 (13). ISSN 2475-3025

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Abstract

Cultural attractor theory (CAT) is a highly visible and audacious approach to studying human cultural evolution. However, the explanatory aims and some central explanatory concepts of CAT remain unclear. Here I remedy these problems. I provide a reconstruction of CAT that recasts it as a theory of forces. I then demonstrate how this reinterpretation of CAT has the resources to generate both cultural distribution and evolvability explanations. I conclude by examining the potential benefits and drawbacks of this reconstruction.

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Item Type:	Published Article or Volume
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Buskell, Andrew ab2086@cam.ac.uk
Keywords:	cultural attractor theory, cultural evolution, explanation
Depositing User:	Nora Boyd
Date Deposited:	06 Apr 2018 16:17
Last Modified:	06 Apr 2018 16:17
Item ID:	14544
Journal or Publication Title:	Philosophy, Theory, and Practice in Biology
DOI or Unique Handle:	10.3998/ptb.6959004.0009.013
Date:	2017
Volume:	9
Number:	13
ISSN:	2475-3025
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/14544

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