How might social learning shape our ability to imitate, use language and understand other minds?

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This essay discusses Cecilia Heyes’ book Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking, which the abstract describes as groundbreaking. It is a critical discussion of a book and its theoretical explanations, rather than an empirical study.

Heyes starts from the claim that current theories of cultural evolution do not adequately make room for the mind. She develops a cognitive psychology of cultural evolution in which “cognitive gadgets”—mental technologies such as imitation, mindreading and language—are “tuned” and “assembled” through social interaction and cultural learning.

The essay first recapitulates Heyes’ explanations for the cultural and psychological origins of these gadgets, then turns to criticism.

The essay’s authors find her use of evolutionary theory confusing on several important points. They argue that she misrepresents alternative theories of cultural evolution, especially those of the Tomasello group and of Boyd, Richerson and Henrich. They also argue that the book neglects joint attention and other forms of intersubjectivity in explaining how cognitive gadgets originate. Finally, they contrast Heyes’ accusation that other theories are “mindblind” with their own characterization of her theory as, ironically, “other-blind” and “autistic in character.” These are the essay authors’ critical descriptions of the theory.