Journal of Cultural and Evolutionary Psychology
Volume/Issue:
Volume 3: Issue 1
Why are Good Writers so Rare? An Evolutionary Perspective on Literature
Author:
I. M. Robin Dunbar British Academy Please ask the editor of the journal.

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Pages:
7–21
Online Publication Date:
19 Jul 2005
Publication Date:
01 Mar 2005
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/jcep.3.2005.1.1
Keywords:
theory of mind; theory of mind; behavioural ecology; social bonding; story-tellers
Restricted access

Evolutionary approaches to literature can take one of two directions. One is to ask what functions story-telling serves. The second is to ask what role cognitive mechanisms play in the production of story-telling. I argue that story-telling evolved as part of the group-bonding processes that are concerned primarily with limiting the freedom of movement of freeriders within society. I then examine the extent to which stories reflect the author's intuitive grasp of the evolutionary principles that underpin human behaviour. Finally, I examine the extent to which human social cognitive capacities constrain both audience and composer in the production of stories. I argue that, to be successful, story-tellers have to work at cognitive levels beyond the norm for adult humans, and this may explain why good story-tellers are rare even though the ability to appreciate stories is universal. I suggest that an author's success may be determined both by his/her intuitive understanding of the evolutionary factors that ultimately drive human behaviour and by the extent to which he/she is able to work at the cognitive limits of the target audience.

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Cover Journal of Cultural and Evolutionary Psychology
Journal of Cultural and Evolutionary Psychology
Print ISSN:
1589-7397
Online ISSN:
1589-5254

Journal of Cultural and Evolutionary Psychology
Language English
Size  
Year of
Foundation		 2003
Publication
Programme		 changed title
Volumes
per Year		  
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per Year		  
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 1589-5254 (Print)
ISSN 1589-7397 (Online)

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