Study Guide: Chapter 15 — The Evolution of Culture

Core Idea

Cultures evolve by meme variation-selection. Rational memes survive by being true/useful (they withstand criticism); anti-rational memes survive by disabling criticism. The dominant type determines whether a society is dynamic (progressing) or static (frozen).

Key Terms

Meme · rational vs anti-rational meme · static vs dynamic society · suppression of criticism

Case Summary

Static societies install anti-rational memes via taboo and terror, making dissent unthinkable — stability bought by crushing creativity. Dynamic societies transmit the tradition of criticism itself.

Application Checklist

• [ ] Ask whether your team's dominant ideas survive by truth or by criticism-immunity
• [ ] Spot where the questioner is punished instead of the question answered
• [ ] Check what you transmit: conclusions, or the practice of criticizing them

Self-Test

1. How do rational and anti-rational memes differ in survival strategy?
2. Why are static societies an achievement, not an accident?
3. What does a dynamic society transmit that a static one can't?