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Chapter 7 evaluates the force of a first argument in favor of the Innateness Hypothesis: the argument from universals. We will distinguish various types of universals, and examples will be provided. We will first look back at the organization of the mental grammar and ask which parts of that system could be innate. It is then made clear that we need to critically examine when alleged universals can be safely used to support the Innateness Hypothesis. We learn that the argument from universals has to be applied with care and without falling into logical fallacies. We need to realize that alleged universal properties of languages may, firstly, be applicable more generally to cognitive systems that include language (in which case they are not language-domain specific) and, secondly, be caused by factors that have nothing to do with the proposed innate Universal Grammar that nativists postulate. To use a universal in support of the Innateness Hypothesis, it needs to be specific to language and not be explainable in terms of other factors. We also see how Chomsky’s ideas about what might be innate for language have changed over time.
Many methods are used to assess intelligence and its evolution. These include behavioral measures, which may involve naturalistic observation or analyzing responses in laboratory experiments; artifactual measures, which involve analysis of tools, art, and so forth; and anatomical/neurological measures. This chapter discusses intelligence in our closest relatives that include the great Apes such as chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans. It also addresses the question of why human intelligence evolved, and whether it is still evolving. Sexual selection, group selection, and the Baldwin effect have also been implicated as playing a role in shaping intelligence. Another possibility derives from the theory that culture constitutes a second form of evolution. By understanding the evolutionary origins of human intelligence, we gain perspective on pressing issues of today and are in a better position to use our intelligence to direct the future course of our species and our planet.
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