2. Dialogue and human cultural evolution

Abstract

The major thesis of this chapter is that dialogue has been a critical catalyst in human cultural evolution. As used here, dialogue means disciplined, face-to-face (or virtual), intentional conversation among the members of a group or a community. I distinguish between two kinds of dialogue: generative dialogue - the interactional means to establish common ground, or a shared worldview; and strategic dialogue - the interactional means to solve a common problem, create a collective plan, redesign an existing social system, or design a new cultural order. The chapter is organized into three sections: First, I describe the function of dialogue in human cultural evolution; from the initial emergence of Cro-Magnon pre-agrarian society to today's post-industrial civilization. Next, I present a current view of dialogue and highlight its characteristics. Then, I focus on the role of dialogue in conscious, self-guided human evolution. In closing, I outline a project that highlights the central role of dialogue in conscious evolution.

Citation

Banathy, B.H. (2002), "2. Dialogue and human cultural evolution", Roberts, N.C. (Ed.) The Transformative Power of Dialogue (Research in Public Policy Analysis and Management, Vol. 12), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 27-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0732-1317(02)12004-5