6 min read · Sep 10, 2026 · From SubstackWhat an individual values is what he will prioritize.
Key evidence for the collective is individuals’ cooperation in transmitting information. He does not directly explain how values survive, but his framework is key to understanding how cooperative efforts transmit values. He claims a sort of collective brain within groups, and we should keep in mind one of the three main sources he cites. Consider an Inuit tribe that lost technology such as Kayaks and Bows after the elders who understood it died in an epidemic. This example emphasizes the importance of knowledge transmission and how, if a group is too small, it risks losing technology when the few people who understand it die without passing it on. A single Inuit tribe could not maintain collective knowledge because of its isolation and lack of members to pass it on. When, years later, they regained contact with another Inuit tribe, they almost immediately regained the knowledge and tools previously held. He noticed this trend across tribes. As a group becomes isolated or shrinks, he noticed the size of the group’s toolkit also shrinks. The collective brain then needs more people to transmit information effectively. Large groups exponentially accelerate knowledge transmission and tool development far beyond what individuals could accomplish.