Why is the West Special? | Joe Henrich & Richard Hanania

Joe Henrich is the Ruth Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology and Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. He is the author of Why Humans Cooperate, The Secret of Our Success, and The WEIRDest People in the World. He joins the podcast to talk about his work. Topics include:

The implications of Henrich’s theories for the debate over AI alignment

The nature of intelligence

Whether genetic differences between populations explain societal outcomes

If the Ancient Greeks and Romans were already WEIRD

How to understand the group selection debate

Why Islamic familial practices may have stunted economic development and growth

The political and ideological reaction to his last book

Listen in podcast form or watch on YouTube. A transcript of the podcast can be found at the Richard Hanania newsletter.

Links:

Joe Henrich, “The WEIRDest People in the World.”

Joe Henrich, “The Secrets of Our Success.”

Richard Hanania, “How Monogamy and Incest Taboos Made the West.”

David Epstein, “The Sports Gene.”

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, “Don’t Trust Your Gut.”

Elizabeth Shim, “North Korea finishes fourth at International Mathematical Olympiad.”

Minnesota Transracial Adoption Study.

Bryan Caplan, “The Wonder of International Adoption: Adult IQ in Sweden.”

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