The Savanna Principle

The Savanna Principle

 

The Savanna Principle posits a biological principle that human brain development remains adapted to early ancestral environments, making it challenging for individuals to adapt to post-evolutionary environments. Sociologist Kanazawa Satoshi discussed such cases in his evolutionary psychology treatise. Humans continue to enjoy high-calorie foods such as fatty and sugary foods due to their necessity for survival, a preference persisting into modern times. Readers may consider that once the brain perceives these foods as unnecessary in contemporary contexts, the insistence on them may diminish. The Savanna Principle stands as a cornerstone of evolutionary psychology.

 

 

Common Ground and Controversies with Social and Cultural Contexts

 

Common Ground

Social-cultural phenomena include the concept of cultural lag, where the development of mental culture (ways of utilizing material culture) adapts slower compared to the advancement of material culture itself. This phenomenon manifests in issues like neglecting netiquette or becoming addicted to smartphones, among others. This resonates with the implications of the Savanna Principle for human conditions.

 

Controversies

Traditional sociologists emphasize that society and environment strongly influence human behavior. While many hold that societal changes must precede behavioral changes, adherents of traditional sociological principles tend to view society itself as a causal factor for behavior. This contrasts with the evolutionary psychological view that the Savanna Principle drives human behavior as a result of innate desires, with society merely sustaining and reinforcing these behaviors.

 

According to the Savanna Principle, girls admiring celebrities who dress glamorously cannot solely be attributed to societal influences promoting these stars. Assuming everything aligns with societal norms, even the emergence of human appetites could be attributed to food advertising. However, appetites exist independently as a physiological human desire from the outset. Within the framework of the Savanna Principle, women desiring to look attractive or men grooming their hairstyles stem from biological instincts.