Pre-Modern Humanity Remained in a Childlike State

Introduction

Piagetian cross-cultural psychology has shown that pre-modern peoples do not develop the adolescent stage of formal operations and remain bound to earlier stages. This result is supported by the psychometric intelligence research and the famous survey of Alexandr Lurija in Uzbekistan from 1932/1933, which isolated education as the main factor causing cognitive development. In short, humankind has advanced from pre-operational to concrete operational to formal operational stages.

The Flynn Effect: A Modern Phenomenon

The psychometric intelligence research has shown that the average IQ scores have increased significantly over time, a phenomenon known as the "Flynn effect." This rise in intelligence is largely attributed to factors such as improved schooling, better education, and changes in preschool conditions and nutrition.

Piagetian Cross-Cultural Psychology: Pre-Modern Limitations

Piagetian cross-cultural psychology has revealed a critical distinction between modern and pre-modern peoples. Pre-modern societies lack the adolescent stage of formal operations, and their cognitive development is restricted to the pre-operational and concrete operational stages. Empirical surveys have consistently shown this pattern across various ethnicities and social milieus worldwide.

The Childlike Psyche of Pre-Modern Man

Developmental psychology offers a comprehensive framework to understand the cognitive limitations of pre-modern peoples. It provides evidence that pre-modern individuals share not only some cognitive characteristics with children but all of them. They exhibit childlike modes of thought, reasoning, causality, time perception, and self-awareness.

Structure-Genetic Sociology: A New Historical Anthropology

The findings of Piaget's cross-cultural psychology and developmental psychology have led to a new field called "structure-genetic sociology." This approach considers the childlike psyche of pre-modern individuals as the key to understanding not only historical trends but also the evolution of religion, magic, philosophy, science, law, and morals.

Understanding Pre-Modern Societies and Human History

The discovery of pre-modern humanity's childlike nature sheds new light on human history. Ethnological findings regarding pre-modern customs and beliefs can be interpreted through the lens of developmental psychology, revealing that animism, belief in the judicial capabilities of animals, and the reliance on oracles and ordeals stem from the childlike psyche.

Structure-Genetic Sociology as Grand Theory of Modern Society

Modern society, characterized by science, Enlightenment, democracy, and humanism, has its roots in the rise of formal operations. Structure-genetic sociology argues that pre-modern populations lacked the cognitive maturity to understand and create these advancements. This theory challenges traditional explanations and traces the development of modern society to the emergence of a more advanced anthropological stage.

Conclusion

The discovery of the childlike psyche of pre-modern humanity is a groundbreaking revelation in humanities and social sciences. It provides a new framework to understand history, culture, and human development. Structure-genetic sociology, drawing on developmental psychology, offers a comprehensive theory to explain the evolution of modern society and the progress of human civilization.

Блок 1: Когнитивные ограничения премодерновых народов

  • Не достигают стадии формальных операций, характерной для подростков в современных обществах.
  • Ограничены преоперациональной и конкретно-операциональной стадиями когнитивного развития.
  • Демонстрируют ограниченный спектр рассуждений, воображения и абстрактного мышления.

Блок 2: Премодерновый человек как ребенок

  • Обладают детской психикой и личностью, включая схожие модели поведения, познания и восприятия мира.
  • Разделяют с детьми все когнитивные характеристики, включая анимизм, магическое мышление и веру в оракулов.
  • Не имеют концепции будущего или прошлого, как ее понимают современные люди.

Блок 3: Структурально-генетическая социология

  • Новая область, объединяющая открытия психологии развития и кросс-культурной психологии.
  • Рассматривает премодерновую психику как ключ к пониманию истории, культуры и общественных изменений.
  • Обладает мощной объяснительной силой для изучения таких явлений, как религия, магия, философия и экономика.

Блок 4: Современное общество и формальные операции

  • Современное общество возникло благодаря появлению формальных операций у населения.
  • Премодерновым обществам не хватало когнитивной зрелости, чтобы понять и создать такие достижения, как наука и демократия.
  • Структурально-генетическая социология предлагает новую теорию, связывающую развитие современного общества с эволюцией антропологической зрелости.