The Justification Hypothesis A New Theory of Self

The Justification Hypothesis: A New Theory of Self Consciousness and the Evolution of Culture The JH is the idea that humans have an elaborate self-consciousness system because the evolution of language created the problem of justification. In brief, because of language, humans became the only animal that had to explain why it did what it did.

Although many theories have been offered, the joint riddle of human consciousness and the rapid evolution of human culture has not been solved.

The Justification Hypothesis is a Novel Theory that Employs Reverse Engineering to Explain the Design of the Human Self. Consciousness System

Evolutionary Reverse Engineering Matches Adaptive Problems with Organic Design Features Example: The shape of the ear coordinates the flow of sound waves into the ear canal

The Justification Hypothesis Connects the Adaptive Problem of Justification with the Design Features of the Human SCS! The function of the SCS is so that we can justify our actions. The Adaptive Problem of Justification The Human Self. Consciousness System as a Justification System

The Justification Hypothesis Consists of Three Basic Postulates 1) The evolution of language must have created the biologically adaptive problem of justification 2) The Human Self-Consciousness System is a Justification System 3) The JH provides a frame for understanding the rapid evolution of human culture

Postulate 1: Human Language Resulted in the Emergence of the Adaptive Problem of Justification

The JH Starts with the evolution of language as a given, and does not specify how the emergence of language occurred (or occurs)

Initially, Language Likely Just Involved Commands and Descriptive Information There antelope. We hunt them. This required the capacity to process symbolic language, which according to the JH was important, but not the “final step” that led to the “big bang”.

However, as language increased in complexity, it must have eventually created the problem of justification. The problem of justification is the problem of how individuals explain their actions and intentions to others in a manner that affords social influence.

Questions must have forced justifications. Imagine “Blue” is attracted to “Red’s” mate, and is spending time with her. Red wants to know why… Why are you hanging around her? How he explains his behavior is a very tricky problem.

Seeing Justifications Everywhere! Unlike all other animals, humans everywhere ask for and give explanations for their actions (Brown, 1991). Arguments, debates, moral dictates, rationalizations, and excuses all involve the process of explaining why one’s claims, thoughts or actions are warranted. These phenomena are both uniquely human and ubiquitous in human affairs. In virtually every form of social exchange, from warfare to politics to family struggles to science, humans are constantly justifying their behavioral investments to themselves and others.

Postulate 2: The Human Self-Consciousness System As a Justification System

Postulate 2: Evidence for SCS as a Justification System • The Development of the Justification Hypothesis • Freud’s fundamental observation, Justification Filters, and the clinical perspective • Research from social and developmental psychology, cognitive science, personality, and neuroscience

The JH Posits that the Human Self-Consciousness System is Nature’s Solution to the Selection Pressure Created by the Adaptive Problem of Justification Instead of simply translating his thoughts “I hope to separate the two of you and take her as my mate”, he must develop an explanation that accords with social influence She is teaching me to plant seeds Moreover, the listener must now determine the justifiability of the response

The Development of the JH When conducting a psychological evaluation on a patient, it dawned on me that the network of her self -deprecating thoughts functioned to justify submission and deference.

The Development of the JH It then dawned on me that the reasons I selected to explain my behavior functioned to justify actions in a particular way. I came to see humans as justifying agents, each attempting to promote their own individual justification narrative.

Evidence for JH: Freud’s Fundamental Observation Freud’s fundamental observation was that consciousness served as a “Justification Filter”, inhibiting unjustifiable impulses and providing socially acceptable rationales for behaviors that are expressed.

In 2003, I argued that the JH was consistent with… • Social Psych findings on cognitive dissonance and the self-serving bias • Neuropsych findings on the interpreter function of the left hemisphere • Cognitive Developmental findings on deontic reasoning

In 2005, Leigh Shaffer extended these analyses arguing that the JH was consistent with research on the sociology of everyday life, including… • The pragmatics of speech acts • The presentation of self in interaction rituals • The accounts given by actors in justification of their actions, and • The role of social norms and conformity

Consistent with Cognitive Science, the JH Suggests Humans Are of Two Minds Experiential (System 1) • Nonverbal • Holistic • Affective: Pleasure-Pain • Associations • Image based • Rapid processing • More resistant to change • Oriented toward action • Parallel Processing Rational/Justifying (System 2) • Verbal • Logical/Analytic • Conscious appraisal of events • Symbolic • Slower processing • Easier to change • Requires justification via logic and evidence • Sequential

System 2/ Justification System Filtering System 1/ Experiential System OVERT BEHAVIOR

The Justification Hypothesis Suggests Two Domains of Justification • Explaining ourselves to ourselves – Within the context of self-awareness (private) – The “Freudian Filter” • Explaining ourselves to others – Within the social context (public) – The “Rogerian Filter”

The Film Liar, Liar Provides an Entertaining Comic Depiction of the Public-Private Split

Three Selves and Two Filters Private Justifying Self Public Justifying Self Rogerian Filter Experiential Self Freudian Filter

Large Scale Justification Systems Private Self Public Self Private Self Exper Self Overt Behavioral Investments

In Sum, the JH Cuts Across a Wide Variety of Domains, from Evolutionary Biology, to Cognitive and Neuroscience, to Personality, Social and Clinical Psychology. In short, I think it provides an “Explosion of Insight”!

Postulate 3: The JH Provides a Frame for Understanding the Evolution of Human Culture

First, the JH offers a new way to define human culture. Culture with a capital “C” (i. e. , from the lens of the JH) refers to large scale justification systems that coordinate populations of people.

Second, Justification Systems will compete and evolve. Belief-value networks that effectively coordinate groups with be maintained or strengthened, incoherent, inaccurate, ineffective justification systems will die out.

Moreover, the JH posits that Large Scale Justification Systems would emerge that coordinated populations of people. Religions are likely the first Large Scale Justification Systems. Art and Artifacts Justify Investment and Commitment to the Religious Justification Narrative.

Several works have describe the change in the archeological record as the Human Mind’s Big Bang