Evolutionary Anthropology

Our newest field of research is a scope expansion of our Compassionate Genomics projects with an Evolutionary Anthropology angle on on pro-social system design, that led us to the question:  

How can a prosocial cultural & social system be developed and established, that reduces and prevents suffering for all sentient beings?

The project investigates effective strategies to make those systems:

• • Economically viable to be attractive to implement largely independent of political partisanship
  • Resilient against corruption and conflict, and advantageous over exploitative, exclusionary, or hostile systems (e.g. through optimising institutional decision-making, safeguarding democracy)
  • Evolutionarily self-reinforcing

Related questions:

• What combination of traits are needed for that society to function?
• How can these traits be cultivated and maintained to the necessary degree? (e.g. through education, public health, economic and regulatory incentives, and compassionate genomics)

Given the long-term orientation of both projects, AGI development contexts will need to be considered throughout.

Relevant Resources & Further Information

• Jim Buhler’s series What values will control the Future?
  https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/s/wmqLbtMMraAv5Gyqn
• Popular social science: Tim Urban, What's Our Problem? A Self-Help Book for Societies, 2023 waitbutwhy.com/2023/02/wop-contents.html

And more to follow. 

Want to join in on our research? Apply here.