Nature and society. Reply to Luis Castro

Abstract

This text answers to Luis Castro’s objections to “Los rituales de interacción en el origen evolutivo de la cultura” (RES, 20). After considering several relevant works in evolutionary biology (not referred to in my former article) I conclude that the explanatory weight of life sciences psychology, and social sciences differs among cases, although the closer an ontological level is to that of the phenomenon to be explained more likely is that is more explanatory than others further away. Against Castro’s full-blown rejection of interaction rituals as social ‘explanans’ the text offers clearer description of their key components, with especial emphasis on emotional energy and social emotions. Finally, the text asserts that cultures can be self-causing in so far as they are exclusively self-referent –although this very fact, as much as other alternative possibilities, are social realities that can be and should be as far as possible explained mainly by social causes.