Tribalism: An Existential Threat to Humanity

By Ron Newby

Tribalism examines human behavior from the perspective of paleoanthropology, evolution, genetics and the neurosciences, as well as the philosophical implications. Tribalism is the collection of genetically inherited behavioral traits which were of survival value to our ancient ancestors yet these traits not only remain vibrant in modern humans but influence human behavior. These genetic traits, fear, aggression, greed, prejudice, compassion and morality influence our decisions concerning interpersonal relations, governance and global warming. Our ancient genetic survival traits may be the causal agent leading humanity towards dire consequences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Jan 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9781684715169

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NEWBY

Copyright © 2020 Ron Newby.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-6847-1515-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6847-1516-9 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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Lulu Publishing Services rev. date:  01/10/2020

For Beverly

1

PROLOGUE

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By nature man desires to know, and

the object of his desire is truth.

Aristotle (384–322 BCE)

I n popular culture , tribal thinking or group thinking refers to the manner of thinking, behaving or responding in accordance to one’s social or political group’s dogma. It is the echoing of tribal pronouncements and sentiments by loyalists without analytical or rational consideration. Tribalism as used in the context of this book is a compendium of modern human behaviors that are influenced by genetic survival traits of ancient origin. It is these genetic traits that may cause our demise.

The unspoken truth, substantial by peer-reviewed science, is our species remains a tribal species. Our tribal nature was a signifiant factor ensuring we, Homo sapiens, survived over millions of years in a hostile and challenging environment. Many of our ancient genetic traits have been retained by modern humans and these traits threaten our very existence. This is not a novel concept, it just has not been articulated or widely appreciated. This is not a Chicken Little - the sky is falling pronouncement. It is just science.

That tribalism is an existential threat to humanity is not a hyperbole. This is an assertion that some of our ancient genetic survival traits may be the causal agent leading humanity towards dire consequences. This is likely not what you care to know. This may be uncomfortable or contentions to many. However it would be wise to examine and evaluate this assertion in depth.

Behaving in a tribal manner is a great deal more than following the leader. To be clear tribalism is not associated at all with the application of war paint and dancing. It is not used in a pejorative sense. It is far more interesting and complex.

It is too simplistic and dangerous to believe that nurturing, the sum of outside environmental factors, is the sole influence on our behavior. Less recognized as a significant contributor influencing human behavior is our genetic inheritance. These inherited genetic traits, which were beneficial and necessary for our very ancient ancestors are now a detriment for modern humans.

To make the argument that humans remain tribal animals we will examine the history on this planet, paleoanthropology, neuroscience and the genetics of some of our genetic survival traits: fear, aggression, greed, prejudice, creativity, compassion and our morality. These are traits that strengthened tribal unity. Our proclivity for denial and conformational bias as well as our comprehension of reality, truth, free will and memory influences our ability to make decisions.

From a philosophical perspective we shall explore the mechanisms and consequences of climate change, our governing and political persuasions, overpopulation and under regulation.

Humans are extraordinary. Our technological achievements are tributes to our superior intellect. Compassion and generosity are hallmarks of our species. The sciences and the humanities are manifestations of our greatness. However there are quite a few individuals who are racist, deceitful and worse. As a species we have enslaved, tortured, waged war, staged mass killings and now we are playing havoc with the environment. We have retained behaviors, both noble and ignoble.

Considering we are an intelligent species, we still harbor some illusions. Many humans believe we are more than mere animals; that we are a rational species, unlike other species.

We also believe we have free will, complete freedom of choice, and there are no biological constraints upon our behavior. Lovely thoughts; however, the scientific perspective is humans are tribal animals. This notion is not without controversy. Some may disagree as it is perceived as degrading and an affront to one’s sensibility. Many believe humans are somehow endowed with a ranking above all the other creatures on this planet. They would argue humans are cultured hence we can’t be tribal. Indeed, we humans have progressed well beyond our primate ancestors, well beyond being hunter-gatherers. Nevertheless, science tells us we are tribal animals retaining many ancient genetic survival traits which were of value for our very early ancestors.

We share a biology with all organisms, living and extinct. We are one of over sixteen million species of plants and animals on the Tree of Life, a tree with millions of branches and twigs all inextricably interconnected. Our ancient ancestors moved out of the rainforest onto the savannas of Africa some six million years ago. These early adventurists slowly evolved over thousands of generations into a variety of similar yet distinct species. Our physical traits; strength, courage, our well developed brain as well as our resistance to a myriad of diseases were important factors to our survival. Of all the other similar species only Homo sapiens survived whereas the others disappeared.

There have been over two dozen very closely related ancient relatives of humans, for example Australopithecus afarensis, Homo erectus and Homo neanderthalensis. However only one species, Homo sapiens, survived. Homo sapiens outwitted, outplayed and outlasted dozens of other hominin species.

What happened to all our other ancient ancestors? Were they just unlucky? Or did H. sapiens outcompete and replace all these other hominin species? The most likely hypothesis is, in addition to our physical attributes, there are behavioral genetic traits likely contributing to our success at the ultimate cost to all the other hominin species.

Hundreds of psychology textbooks and popular newsstand publications offer explanations for human behavior. The usual explanation is nurturing is the decisive factor influencing our behaviors, such as the teachings of our parents or the policeman on the corner. Contemporary science has shown our behavior is greatly influenced by both the combination of genes as well as the environment and culture. Whereas the nurture aspect of human behavior is interesting, it will not be a subject of this book. Our focus will be the other major components to our nature: our inherited genetic behavioral traits. All our genes are inherited directly from our parents who inherited their genes from our ancient ancestors. Many of these ancient genes remain vibrant in humans today.

If you, as a fertilized egg, were to have been removed from your kind and genteel mother and transplanted into a cantankerous, greedy, ego-centric woman, what behavioral characteristics would you have?

Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to our Solar System at 4.37 light-years from the Sun. What useful purpose does this information provide? Can humanity survive without what seems to be arcane knowledge? The intrinsic value of any knowledge may not seem immediately apparent. Knowledge is paramount to understanding humanity. Knowledge can be advanced by analytical observation through an agency, an instrument. A beam of white light passing through a glass prism disperses into a spectrum of colors. White light, which seems to be pure and simple, is actually quite different and complex when examined with a prism. The merits of the dispersed light cannot be judged. It just is. Science will be our prism through which we will explore tribalism as a human genetic trait. Tribal behavior is a part of our nature. It is complex and fascinating.

We will challenge the conventional definition of behavior. There will be many questions to ponder. What is certain is our tribal nature is more than just is. There are repercussions.

The thoughts of Aristotle remain relevant; we desire to know and to seek truth. Our ancient genetic behavioral traits have a greater influence on human behavior than is commonly acknowledged.

This book is written for the general reader and not necessarily for an academic audience. The science, sourced from peer-reviewed scientific journals, has been simplified and illustrated while retaining the integrity of the scientific research. Sections on the early earth, previous mass extinctions, our hominin heritage from chimpanzees to modern humans and basic neuroscience are included as a refreshers or a brief introduction.

This book has a bias. Everyone has biases, myself included. I am human, a member of the species called Homo sapiens. I am programmed with my exclusive experiences and acquired knowledge and therefore I have a unique philosophical perspective, a unique prism. Periodically, our path may seem a bit quirky, convoluted or initially irrelevant however I do have my reasons. My inquisitive nature has given me an idiosyncratic perspective of the human condition. This assessment is not necessarily better, not necessarily correct, but hopefully it will create some useful discussions. Humanity is now facing an uncertain future. Our sustainability is in doubt. My great concern is we may be approaching our term limits.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Everyone has some degree of curiosity. Curiosity is likely an innate trait, especially noticeable in young toddlers. I think of myself as one who is always curious and fascinated with science, art, and philosophy. My earliest recollection of being curious was when I was about two or three years old. My mother enjoyed working in our garden, planting vegetables, weeding and picking flowers for inside display. I vividly remember her showing me how to plant radish seeds which quickly germinated, producing the radish that I found too peppery to really enjoy. We also had several grape vines in the back garden. One sunny day in late summer I found a raisin attached to a grape vine. It was then I discovered raisins were, in fact, dried grapes. Often these early life moments seem inconsequential, but for some inexplicable reason they are remembered as life altering. I’m sure most everyone has had similar discovery experiences.

My interest in biology probably began in 1950 with my 8th grade general science class taught by Mr. Williams at John Marshall Jr. High School in Pasadena, California. This class was, without doubt, a pivotal class in my life. I was introduced to a new world. The Periodic Table was displayed with, at the time, about 100 known elements. The periodic table now has 118 confirmed elements. I vividly recall time-lapse films of seedlings germinating. We examined microscopic organisms living in pond scum and fungi growing on petri dishes. The world of cooties transformed into an exciting world of life forms with unique characteristics. When we were assigned to do projects I decided to collect 25 native plants growing in the nearby Sierra Madre Mountains. I glued twigs with flowers and leaves onto a large cardboard sheet and labelled them with both the common name and the scientific name of each specimen.

In High School, Mr. Ball, my botany class teacher, furthered my interest in science. He had a large collection of plant tissues mounted on glass slides. I remember the binocular microscopes were much better than the monocular microscopes from junior high. Mr. Ball occasionally conducted thought-provoking class discussions. One topic I recall concerned the destructive practices of man. We were shown photographs of clear-cut timbering in our country and in Brazil. He also showed a photograph of the farmlands in California’s San Joaquin Valley. He asked us: what was this valley like before man?

I did my undergraduate studies in Botany and graduate studies in Analytical Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara in the late nineteen-fifties and early nineteen-sixties. Dr. Garrett Hardin (1915-2003) was a professor I greatly admired.

Dr. Hardin was an ecologist, humanist and a popular lecturer. He was one of the early alarmists concerning overpopulation: A finite world can support only a finite population; therefore, population growth must eventually equal zero. He was also known for the First Law of Human Ecology, which states we can never do merely one thing without consequences, everything is connected.

Dr. Hardin would occasionally challenge his students to think. Be critically observant. Be rational and intellectually honest. To this end he introduced an interesting concept for discussion. What would a Martian think when observing some human behaviors? The Martian would represent an entity which would be objective and free of human bias or prejudice. Of course, everyone knew Martians were fictional, yet one student asked, What does the Martian look like? Garrett Hardin replied one shouldn’t consider the physical appearance of the Martian. Shape, color or gender are of no importance. He said, think of this Martian as a hypothetical super-intelligent life form, not from Mars, but a very distant place. This Martian can observe the behavior of humans with complete objectivity, and not be influenced by personal feelings, prejudice, bias, religious or political leanings. This Martian would have the facility to determine veracity. Does the Martian have a name? asked another fellow classmate. This entity is one who will give a direct, complete and exact accounting. The entity represents the voice of reason, sound judgment and truth. Therefore, said Dr. Hardin, We shall refer to this being as Parrhesiastes.

Parrhesiastes is a derivation of parrhesia which can be defined as a verbal activity in which the speaker expresses his personal relationship to truth, and risks his life because he recognizes truth-telling as a duty to improve or help other people. Five essential characteristic traits of parrhesiastic speech are frankness, truth, danger, criticism and duty. Parrhesiastes is the one who uses parrhesia, speaks the truth, gives a complete and exact account of what he has in mind so the audience is able to comprehend exactly what the speaker thinks. The origins are traced to the Greco-Roman period in 6th and 5th century BCE. Foucault, Michel. The Meaning and Evolution of the Word Parrhesia in Discourse & Truth: the Problematization of Parrhesia, 1999.

Another relevant question posed to our class by Dr. Hardin: How would this planet appear if Homo sapiens never existed; if the lineage leading to humans ceased prior to the evolution of humans? A planet full of animals and plants but without the human species would appear quite different from the present state of this planet. Obviously there would be no man-made structures, no religions nor politics nor bickering and certainly no weapons of mass destruction. The planet would be pristine. Rivers would run free, lakes would be clear, forested regions would extend over large areas, the coral reefs would be vibrant. The polar regions would have an abundance of ice and the skies would be clear. There would be a natural balance on this planet. This is not the case. The truth is we are here and we are the governors of this planet. An alien to this planet might be puzzled by the wide range of behaviors and wonder how such a species survives.

In 1966, after graduate studies at UCSB, I joined the newly opened Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA., named for Jonas Salk, the creator of the Salk polio vaccine. The Institute which he founded is housed in an iconic research facility designed by Louis Kahn, and situated on a bluff over- looking the Pacific ocean.

My area of research was gene regulation; the switching codes within DNA responsible for turning genes on and off - as appropriate. Initially we studied regulation in bacteria before moving on to mammalian cells.

In those early years The Institute was small with only about 400 employees which included many notable biologists including several Nobel Laureates. The small intimate environment facilitated conversations among scientists. It was conversations with the many brilliant minds that notice was given to several scientific papers concerning atmospheric anomalies. Published were observations humans were the contributor to the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide in synchrony with the Earth’s rising temperature. This was the commencement of serious climate change concern. It was apparent to us that the future of humanity was in jeopardy.

I have had a life long interest in the humanities; the visual arts and philosophy, as well as interest in botany, molecular biology, neurobiology and paleoanthropology. One question I have long held: Why are humans destroying our own habitat?

2

INTRODUCTION

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Man is a singular creature. He has a set of gifts

which makes him unique among the animals:

so that, unlike them, he is not a figure in the

landscape - he is a shaper of the landscape.

Jacob Bronowski (1908 – 1974)

British mathematician, historian of science,

poet and associate director of the Salk Institute.

A re humans a virtuous and amazing species, or alternatively, are we a sadistic sociopathic species? 17 th and 18 th -century philosophers Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau had opposing theories. Hobbes believed people are inherently violent, and Rousseau argued people are fundamentally peaceful. Philosophical questions concerning the nature of humans have been debated for thousands of years without any clear consensus.

Humans are a species with a myriad of enigmatic attributes. Taken as a whole, we are certainly a mongrel, or a chimera. We think we are a unique species with the ability to act and think rationally and freely. Our behaviors are complex, complicated and vexing. No other species has been as disruptive to themselves and to their habitat to the extent of self extinction. There seems to be hubris among many individuals believing any crisis can be solved by human’s ingenuity and determination; for any problem facing humanity, a solution is near at hand. We humans seem to have a fascination with drama, instead of living in a world of perfect harmony, we create havoc and then we brain- storm to find solutions. Left unstated, and most alarming, is