Us and the Others: The Familial Roots of Ethnonationalism

Indoctrinability might be linked to an evolved psychological predisposition for prepared or constrained learning of what is important for group-living, self-interested individuals: learning about group-cohesion and maintenance of group-boundaries.

“As an individual disposition, indoctrinability might be linked to an evolved psychological predisposition for prepared or constrained learning (Plotkin, 1998) of what is important for a species of group-living, but self-interested, individuals: learning about group-cohesion and the maintenance of group-boundaries (Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1982, 1998).”

Gene-culture coevolution and 'cultural brains' may have fostered individual indoctrinability.

“By the same token, gene-culture coevolution and 'cultural brains' may have fostered individual indoctrinability (Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1998)-that is, individual susceptibility to social influence and the proclivity for bonding with the group.”

Humans might have genetically evolved predispositions for indoctrinability and constrained learning of what is adaptive for self-interested individuals living in groups.

“Yet humans might have genetically evolved predispositions for indoctrinability and constrained learning of what is adaptive for self-interested individuals living in groups.”

In most mammalian species, mothers intensively interact with their newborn children after birth, e.g. by licking or vocalization, which correlates with the emission of oxytocin.

“Likewise, in most mammalian species, mothers intensively interact with their newborn children after birth, e.g. by licking or vocalization (Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1998: 36), which correlates with the emission of the neurotransmitter oxytocin (Sapolsky, 2018: 109).”

Oxytocin seems to be important in mother-child bonds, and could have been a preadaptation that became extended to regulate the distinction between in- and out-group.

“Oxytocin seems to be important in mother-child bonds, and could have been a preadaptation (Turner, 2021: 44) that became extended to regulate the distinction between in-and out-group (Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1998: 38).”