This book traces the evolutionary trajectory of language and teaching from the earliest periods of human evolution to the present day. The author argues that teaching is unique to humans and our ancestors, and that the evolution of teaching, language, and culture are the inextricably linked results of gene-culture coevolutionary processes. Drawing on related fields including archaeology, palaeontology, cultural anthropology, evolutionary psychology and linguistics, he makes the case that the need for joint attention and shared goals in complex adaptive strategies is the underlying driver for the evolution of language-like communication. This book will be of interest to students and scholars of these disciplines, as well as lay readers with an interest in human origins.
Chapter 1: Teaching in Humans and Other Animals.- Chapter 2: Not a Third Chimpanzee.- Chapter 3: Meet Your Ancestors.- Chapter 4: An Evolutionary Explosion.- Chapter 5: The Coevolution of Language, Brains, and Technology.- Chapter 6: Pointing: The Royal Road to Language?.- Chapter 7: Teaching and Learning as Language in Action.- Chapter 8: Civil Discourse: Thinking with Other Humans.- Chapter 9: The Emergence of Civil Discourse.- Chapter 10: Into the Uncertain Future.
Donald M. Morrison, a lifelong educator, is a Research Assistant Professor at the Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, USA.
