Creativity In Human Evolution And Prehistory

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Creativity in Human Evolution and Prehistory

Author : Steven Mithen
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2005-08-10
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781134720125

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Creativity in Human Evolution and Prehistory by Steven Mithen Pdf

We live in a world surrounded by remarkable cultural achievements of human kind. Almost every day we hear of new innovations in technology, in medicine and in the arts which remind us that humans are capable of remarkable creativity. But what is human creativity? The modern world provides a tiny fraction of cultural diversity and the evidence for human creativity, far more can be seen by looking back into prehistory. The book examines how our understanding of human creativity can be extended by exploring this phenomenon during human evolution and prehistory. The book offers unique perspectives on the nature of human creativity from archaeologists who are concerned with long term patterns of cultural change and have access to quite different types of human behaviour than that which exists today. It asks whether humans are the only creative species, or whether our extinct relatives such as Homo habilis and the Neanderthals also displayed creative thinking. It explores what we can learn about the nature of human creativity from cultural developments during prehistory, such as changes in the manner in which the dead were buried, monuments constructed, and the natural world exploited. In doing so, new light is thrown on these cultural developments and the behaviour of our prehistoric ancestors. By examining the nature of creativity during human evolution and prehistory these archaeologists, supported by contributions from psychology, computer science and social anthropology, show that human creativity is a far more diverse and complex phenomena than simply flashes of genius by isolated individuals. Indeed they show that unless perspectives from prehistory are taken into account, our understanding of human creativity will be limited and incomplete.

Creativity in Human Evolution and Prehistory

Author : Steven Mithen
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 239 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2005-08-10
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781134720132

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Creativity in Human Evolution and Prehistory by Steven Mithen Pdf

The book examines how our understanding of human creativity can be extended by exploring this phenomenon during human evolution and prehistory.

Semiotic Evolution and the Dynamics of Culture

Author : Marcel Bax
Publisher : Peter Lang
Page : 344 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Culture
ISBN : 3039103946

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Semiotic Evolution and the Dynamics of Culture by Marcel Bax Pdf

This book is about patterns of development in the history of culture. Bringing together three areas of research: semiotics, cultural history, and evolutionary psychology, it attempts to bridge the gap that still separates the study of culture from the cognitive sciences. The multidisciplinary approach chosen by the contributors derives its impetus from the deep conviction that in order to understand the logic of cultural development, one must take the building blocks of culture, that is, signs and language, as a starting point for research. Central issues related to patterns of cultural evolution are dealt with in contributions on the development of mind and culture, the history of the media, the diversity of sign systems, culture and code, and the dynamics of semiosis. Theoretically oriented contributions alternate with in-depth case studies on such diverging topics as the evolution of language and art in prehistory, ritual as the fountainhead of indirect communication, developments in renaissance painting, the evolution of classification systems in chemistry, changing attitudes toward animal consciousness, and developments in computer technology.

The Genesis of Creativity and the Origin of the Human Mind

Author : Ariela Fradkin Anati
Publisher : Karolinum Press, Charles University
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2015
Category : Art and anthropology
ISBN : 8024626772

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The Genesis of Creativity and the Origin of the Human Mind by Ariela Fradkin Anati Pdf

"Genesis of Creativity and the Origin of the Human Mind" is a collective monograph which comprises scientific studies written by foremost world experts specialising on evolution of the man, culture and art. Seen from the interdisciplinary perspective, the monograph aspires to describe, analyse and interpret the nascence of artistic creativity and the constitution of the anatomically modern man s mind. It also focuses on the origins of art in the Upper Paleolithic as well as on manifestations of artistic creativity in pre-literary societies and tribal cultures that have preserved until present, e.g. in Southern Africa. The fact that the monograph is a result of works by experts with different specialisations enables us to compare their different approaches to the topic and accentuate the wide array of possible approaches and interpretations of artistic manifestations in a particular historic and cultural context."

The Creative Spark

Author : Agustín Fuentes
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2017-03-21
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781101983959

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The Creative Spark by Agustín Fuentes Pdf

A bold new synthesis of paleontology, archaeology, genetics, and anthropology that overturns misconceptions about race, war and peace, and human nature itself, answering an age-old question: What made humans so exceptional among all the species on Earth? Creativity. It is the secret of what makes humans special, hiding in plain sight. Agustín Fuentes argues that your child's finger painting comes essentially from the same place as creativity in hunting and gathering millions of years ago, and throughout history in making war and peace, in intimate relationships, in shaping the planet, in our communities, and in all of art, religion, and even science. It requires imagination and collaboration. Every poet has her muse; every engineer, an architect; every politician, a constituency. The manner of the collaborations varies widely, but successful collaboration is inseparable from imagination, and it brought us everything from knives and hot meals to iPhones and interstellar spacecraft. Weaving fascinating stories of our ancient ancestors' creativity, Fuentes finds the patterns that match modern behavior in humans and animals. This key quality has propelled the evolutionary development of our bodies, minds, and cultures, both for good and for bad. It's not the drive to reproduce; nor competition for mates, or resources, or power; nor our propensity for caring for one another that have separated us out from all other creatures. As Fuentes concludes, to make something lasting and useful today you need to understand the nature of your collaboration with others, what imagination can and can't accomplish, and, finally, just how completely our creativity is responsible for the world we live in. Agustín Fuentes's resounding multimillion-year perspective will inspire readers—and spark all kinds of creativity.

Origins of Human Innovation and Creativity

Author : Scott Elias
Publisher : Elsevier
Page : 140 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2012-12-31
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780444538222

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Origins of Human Innovation and Creativity by Scott Elias Pdf

Innovation and creativity are two of the key characteristics that distinguish cultural transmission from biological transmission. This book explores a number of questions concerning the nature and timing of the origins of human creativity. What were the driving factors in the development of new technologies? What caused the stasis in stone tool technological innovation in the Early Pleistocene? Were there specific regions and episodes of enhanced technological development, or did it occur at a steady pace where ancestral humans lived? The authors are archaeologists who address these questions, armed with data from ancient artefacts such as shell beads used as jewelry, primitive musical instruments, and sophisticated techniques required to fashion certain kinds of stone into tools. Providing ‘state of art’ discussions that step back from the usual archaeological publications that focus mainly on individual site discoveries, this book presents the full picture on how and why creativity in Middle to Late Pleistocene archeology/anthropology evolved. Gives a full, original and multidisciplinary perspective on how and why creativity evolved in the Middle to Late Pleistocene Enhances our understanding of the big leaps forward in creativity at certain times Assesses the intellectual creativity of Homo erectus, H. neanderthalensis, and H. sapiens via their artefacts

Evolutionary and Neurocognitive Approaches to Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts

Author : Colin Martindale,Paul Locher,Vladimir M Petrov,Arnold Berleant
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 238 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2019-06-04
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781351844543

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Evolutionary and Neurocognitive Approaches to Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts by Colin Martindale,Paul Locher,Vladimir M Petrov,Arnold Berleant Pdf

In this book, well-known scholars describe new and exciting approaches to aesthetics, creativity and psychology of the arts, approaching these topics from a point of view that is biological or related to biology and answering new questions with new methods and theories. All known societies produce and enjoy arts such as literature, music and visual decoration or depiction. Judging from prehistoric archaeological evidence, this arose very early in human development. Furthermore, Darwin was explicit in attributing aesthetic sensitivity to lower animals. These considerations lead us to wonder whether the arts might not be evolutionarily based. Although such an evolutionary basis is not obvious on the face of it, the idea has recently elicited considerable attention. The book begins with a consideration of ten theories on the evolutionary function of specific arts such as music and literature. The theory of evolution was first drawn up in biology, but evolution is not confined to biology: genuinely evolutionary theories of sociocultural change can be formulated. That they need to be formulated is shown in several chapters that discuss regular trends in literature and scientific writings. Psychologists have recently rediscovered the obvious fact that thought and perception occur in the brain, so cognitive science moves ever closer to neuroscience. Several chapters give overviews of neurocognitive and neural network approaches to creativity and aesthetic appreciation. The book concludes with two exciting describing brain-scan research on what happens in the brain during creativity and presenting a close examination of the relationship between genetically transmitted mental disorder and creativity.

From Big Bang to Big Mystery

Author : Brendan M. Purcell
Publisher : New City Press
Page : 366 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2012
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781565484337

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From Big Bang to Big Mystery by Brendan M. Purcell Pdf

Everyone knows about the 'mystery' of the Big Bang - what started it? This book is about the other 'creation mystery' - where did human beings, in particular, come from? It traces the material part of our origins from the Big Bang through evolution, including the almost 7 million year hominid sequence up to the first humans in Africa over 150,000 years ago. That data doesn't seem to explain what paleontologists and archaeologists call 'the Big Bang of Human Consciousness.' In his fascinating, accessible and thorough study, renowned priest and academic Brendan Purcell shows the complementarity that scientists, theologians, and philosophers bring to a deeper understanding of the mystery of human existence and human consciousness.

The Origins of Creativity

Author : Edward O. Wilson
Publisher : Liveright Publishing
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2017-10-03
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781631493195

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The Origins of Creativity by Edward O. Wilson Pdf

“Brimming with ideas. . . . The Origins of Creativity approach[es] creativity scientifically but sensitively, feeling its roots without pulling them out.”—Economist In a stirring exploration of human nature recalling his foundational work Consilience, Edward O. Wilson offers a “luminous” (Kirkus Reviews) reflection on the humanities and their integral relationship to science. Both endeavors, Wilson argues, have their roots in human creativity—the defining trait of our species. By studying fields as diverse as paleontology, evolution, and neurobiology, Wilson demonstrates that creative expression began not 10,000 years ago, as we have long assumed, but more than 100,000 years ago in the Paleolithic Age. A provocative investigation into what it means to be human, The Origins of Creativity reveals how the humanities have played an unexamined role in defining our species. With the eloquence, optimism, and pioneering inquiry we have come to expect from our leading biologist, Wilson proposes a transformational “Third Enlightenment” in which the blending of science and humanities will enable a deeper understanding of our human condition, and how it ultimately originated.

The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible

Author : Vlad Petre Glăveanu
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 1812 pages
File Size : 55,8 Mb
Release : 2023-01-25
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9783030909130

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The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible by Vlad Petre Glăveanu Pdf

The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible represents a comprehensive resource for researchers and practitioners interested in an emerging multidisciplinary area within psychology and the social sciences: the study of how we engage with and cultivate the possible within self, society and culture. Far from being opposed either to the actual or the real, the possible engages with concrete facts and experiences, with the result of transforming them. This encyclopedia examines the notion of the possible and the concepts associated with it from standpoints within psychology, philosophy, sociology, neuroscience and logic, as well as multidisciplinary fields of research including anticipation studies, future studies, complexity theory and creativity research. Presenting multiple perspectives on the possible, the authors consider the distinct social, cultural and psychological processes - e.g., imagination, counterfactual thinking, wonder, play, inspiration, and many others - that define our engagement with new possibilities in domains as diverse as the arts, design and business.

Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology

Author : Francisco J. Ayala,Robert Arp
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 440 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 2009-12-07
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781405159982

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Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Biology by Francisco J. Ayala,Robert Arp Pdf

This collection of specially commissioned essays puts top scholars head to head to debate the central issues in the lively and fast growing field of philosophy of biology Brings together original essays on ten of the most hotly debated questions in philosophy of biology Lively head-to-head debate format sharply defines the issues and paves the way for further discussion Includes coverage of the new and vital area of evolutionary developmental biology, as well as the concept of a unified species, the role of genes in selection, the differences between micro- and macro-evolution, and much more Each section features an introduction to the topic as well as suggestions for further reading Offers an accessible overview of this fast-growing and dynamic field, whilst also capturing the imagination of professional philosophers and biologists

Philosophy of Biology

Author : Alex Rosenberg,Robert Arp
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 465 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2009-04-27
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781405183178

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Philosophy of Biology by Alex Rosenberg,Robert Arp Pdf

By combining excerpts from key historical writings with editors’ introductions and further reading material, Philosophy of Biology: An Anthology offers a comprehensive, accessible, and up-to-date collection of the field’s most significant works. Addresses central questions such as ‘What is life?’ and ‘How did it begin?’, and the most current research and arguments on evolution and developmental biology Editorial notes throughout the text define, clarify, and qualify ideas, concepts and arguments Includes material on evolutionary psychology and evolutionary developmental biology not found in other standard philosophy of biology anthologies Further reading material assists novices in delving deeper into research in philosophy of biology

Handbook of Evolutionary Research in Archaeology

Author : Anna Marie Prentiss
Publisher : Springer
Page : 443 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2019-06-03
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9783030111175

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Handbook of Evolutionary Research in Archaeology by Anna Marie Prentiss Pdf

Evolutionary Research in Archaeology seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of contemporary evolutionary research in archaeology. The book will provide a single source for introduction and overview of basic and advanced evolutionary concepts and research programs in archaeology. Content will be organized around four areas of critical research including microevolutionary and macroevolutionary process, human ecology studies (evolutionary ecology, demography, and niche construction), and evolutionary cognitive archaeology. Authors of individual chapters will address theoretical foundations, history of research, contemporary contributions and debates, and implications for the future for their respective topics. As appropriate, authors present or discuss short empirical case studies to illustrate key arguments. ​

Biological Anthropology and Prehistory

Author : Patricia C. Rice,Norah Moloney
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 1139 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2016-12-05
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781317349815

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Biological Anthropology and Prehistory by Patricia C. Rice,Norah Moloney Pdf

Written specifically for courses that cover biological anthropology and archaeology, this superbly illustrated new text offers the most balanced and up-to-date introduction to our human past. Devoting equal time to biological anthropology and prehistory, this text exposes students to the many sides of major controversial issues, involving students in the scientific thought process by allowing them to draw their own conclusions. Amidst discussions of bones and artifacts, the text maintains a focus on people, demonstrating to students how biological anthropology and archaeology apply to their lives today. Featuring the latest research and findings pulled from the original sources, this new text is far and away the most up-to-date text available. In addition, the superior art program features hundreds of photographs and figures, and the multimedia presentation options include documentary film clips and lecture launcher videos. Pat Rice, a recipient of AAA’s Outstanding Teacher Award and past-president of the General Anthropology Division of AAA, and Norah Moloney, an experienced professor and active archaeologist, present the material in a clear, refreshing, and straightforward writing style.

Human Evolution Beyond Biology and Culture

Author : Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 575 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2018-10-18
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781108470971

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Human Evolution Beyond Biology and Culture by Jeroen C. J. M. van den Bergh Pdf

A complete account of evolutionary thought in the social, environmental and policy sciences, creating bridges with biology.