Herodotus, Darwin, and Normalcy

• In Event: 392 - Section on Sociology of Culture Paper Session. Normalcy

Abstract

The two most basic conceptions of normality and abnormality follow from the work of the ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, and the British naturalist, Charles Darwin. Herodotus might have been the world’s first multiculturalist, emphasizing and appreciating the rich diversity of human customs. In contrast, Darwin strove to uncover the shared foundations that underlie a wide variety of customary expressions. Herodotus’ view also implies that human behavior is not inborn but instead learned through cultural norms that shape how people ought to act, feel, and behave. Conversely, Darwin focused on innate dispositions that are inscribed by evolution. Finally, Herodotus focused on how customs, despite perceptions of their inherent desirability, were not permanent but capable of transformation. Darwin, however, emphasized how a relatively fixed underlying psychology designed to optimally respond to ancient circumstances is often ill-suited for modern conditions. Two versions of normality and abnormality – one concentrating on their learned, diverse, and changeable qualities and the other on their innate, uniform, and stable natures – provide the two major frameworks for studying what is normal and what is not.

Author

• Allan V. Horwitz, State University of New Jersey-Rutgers