Education as Niche Construction: Toward an Evolutionary Science of Education

Abstract

In humans, education is characterized by active teaching in a wide range of knowledge domains. The subjects taught include how to think and behave, norms and morals, and knowledge and skills, all of which directly increase the fitness of the pupils. Although many comparative and developmental studies have examined active teaching in humans, few have considered its ultimate factors, especially its adaptive significance. The evolution of education can be considered in the context of the evolution of altruistic behavior because tutors transmit adaptive information to pupils at a cost. The evolution of altruism can be explained by the positive assortment of genes related to altruism. However, a genetic basis for reciprocity is not a necessary condition for the evolution of reciprocal altruism. Reciprocal altruism is possible without positive assortment if mutually beneficial social relationships can be created culturally through education. Active teaching of reciprocal norms could be interpreted as niche construction for a social environment. The adaptive perspective presented here could lead to an evolutionary science of education in the future.