Abstract

QUINTANILLA, PABLO. The Evolution of Mind and Moral Behavior. Acta biol.Colomb. [online]. 2009, vol.14, suppl.1, pp.425-440. ISSN 0120-548X.

This contribution addresses some correlations between cognitive and affective human capacities - specifically metarepresentation, simulation and sympathy- and the evolution of moral behavior. The main claim is that in humans, hominids and some superior primates, moral altruism, metarepresentation and simulation -which are build on sympathetic abilities- are functions that reinforce each other. This might suggest that they are functions that coevolved. Empirical evidence suggests that we can find in non hominid primates basic forms of altruistic behavior and metarepresentation, but there is no evidence of moral altruistic behavior in species or human individuals that lack this capacity. In children’s development, moral behavior is directly proportional to the development of metarepresentation and simulation. The paper also suggests an evolutionary sequence that culminates in moral altruism and discusses the traits that would be central to human moral behavior.

Keywords : altruism; evolution; mind; morality; metarepresentation.

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