What’s the importance of knowledge sharing? How does trade lead to cultural evolution?
Matt Ridley says that humans’ distinguishing characteristic is our penchant for exchanging and accumulating knowledge. We don’t merely hoard knowledge; we share, combine, and build upon it.
Let’s take a closer look at how powerful the practice of sharing knowledge can be.
The Power of Human Knowledge Sharing
Ridley writes that what makes us distinct as a species is our shared intelligence—a body of wisdom that grows and evolves as we pass it along. We’ll explore the importance of knowledge sharing in-depth, explaining:
- How cultural evolution enables our ideas to build on one another
- How trade has been the primary mechanism for this cross-pollination of ideas by enabling individuals and groups to develop specialized skills
| Is Human Knowledge Sharing Unique? While recent research supports Ridley’s argument about humans’ distinctive ability to exchange and accumulate knowledge, there’s growing evidence that other animals show a surprising ability to attain and pass on knowledge. According to research into the cooperative behavior of bees and chimps, these animals show remarkable skills in collective problem-solving and knowledge transmission within their communities. Bees, through their complex dance language, can communicate intricate details about the location of food sources, while chimps use tools and exhibit behaviors that other chimps learn through observation and mimicry. However, these knowledge exchanges ultimately pale in comparison to the human practice of sharing, combining, and building upon information on a vast scale. Unlike bees and chimps, whose knowledge and skills are relatively static and tied closely to survival, human knowledge is dynamic, driving progress in arts, sciences, technologies, and social structures—underscoring Ridley’s point that humans take this to an unprecedented level. |
1. Cultural Evolution Enables Our Ideas to Build on One Another
Ridley defines cultural evolution as the process of ideas interacting, cross-pollinating, and, most importantly, improving. Cultural evolution occurs when people in a society exchange and modify their ideas, beliefs, and technologies with those of people from other societies. Over time, ideas evolve, blend, contrast, and build upon each other. And, writes Ridley, this interplay of ideas generates solutions that are stronger and more advanced than their original forms—delivering an abundance of material resources, cultural achievements, and new levels of human health and happiness.
For example, around 3000 BCE, the Sumerians in Mesopotamia developed irrigation techniques that enabled them to cultivate crops year-round in the fertile but arid region. As trade routes expanded, they exchanged wheat and barley for crops like dates and sesame from neighboring regions. They also exchanged knowledge about water management and crop rotation. This knowledge improved agricultural practices and increased food production, which directly improved the health and longevity of the population.
| Criticisms of the Concept of Cultural Evolution While Ridley points to cultural evolution as the foundation of shared human knowledge and progress, scholars have offered several criticisms of it as a concept. Some note that cultural evolution theories have a deterministic undertone implying that cultures evolve in a linear, progressive manner. Critics argue that this perspective oversimplifies the nature of cultural change, noting that it’s an inherently complex and unpredictable process.Other scholars note that the term “cultural evolution” itself is problematic because of its association with colonialist and ethnocentric biases that placed Western societies at the pinnacle of cultural development—toward which other cultures needed to “evolve.” Additionally, some experts point out that cultural evolution theories don’t adequately account for the role of human agency. They note that such theories emphasize structural factors—overarching forces or patterns like economic systems and political institutions—while downplaying the role of charismatic individuals, grassroots initiatives, and artistic and intellectual leaders in shaping culture. |
2. Trade Facilitates Cultural Evolution
Ridley writes that trade and exchange are the key facilitators of cultural evolution. Through trade, humans opened the door for ideas to spread, mix, and evolve beyond geographical and cultural boundaries. According to Ridley, before societies began trading, each group had to be self-sufficient, producing or procuring everything they required independently. This not only limited their resources but also confined their ideas and knowledge within their physical boundaries. When trade networks emerged, however, people could exchange goods, ideas, and practices between diverse cultures and regions.
| The Limitations of Autarky: Why Economic Self-Reliance Falls Short Ridley notes the limitations of pre-trading societies, observing that the need to produce everything independently made such societies materially, culturally, and intellectually poorer. The experience of some modern countries that have lived under autarky—complete economic self-reliance—underscores Ridley’s argument about the primacy of trade in human growth and advancement. For example, North Korea has long operated under an autarkic economic model, arising from a combination of imposed self-reliance and sanctions imposed by other nations. This has resulted in economic stagnation, widespread poverty, and severe food insecurity. |
3. Trade Leads to Specialization
In addition to cultural evolution, Ridley emphasizes another key benefit of trade: specialization. According to Ridley, when societies engage in trade, individuals can specialize in activities where they have a competitive advantage.
Before trade, every individual or community needed to master all skills necessary for survival. This approach wasn’t efficient, writes Ridley, because it dissipated the efforts and time of each individual and community across a wide array of tasks, each requiring a different skill set. For example, before trade, a single community might have needed to cultivate crops, hunt, weave clothing, and construct shelters. According to Ridley, the dawn of trade ushered in a dramatic change. If one community was adept at farming and another excelled at tool-making, they could each specialize in these tasks and trade their surplus with each other.
4. Trade Leads to Agriculture and Civilization
Trade, according to Ridley, provided the impetus for agriculture—and agriculture became the cornerstone of settled civilization. Here’s how it happened.
Before agriculture took root, humans were largely hunters and gatherers. This lifestyle didn’t require them to stay in a fixed place. But trading required a meeting place and often benefited from proximity to other communities and stability. Thus, humans began to live in larger, long-term communities near trading spots—the beginnings of cities and settled civilization.
Moreover, writes Ridley, these burgeoning communities required a steady food supply. Hunting and gathering was unpredictable and unable to meet the growing demand. This problem spurred our ancestors to develop agriculture. They discovered that they could grow plants and breed animals on a large scale. The steady, localized food supply created by farming was ideal for supporting the consistently populated trading communities.
This became a positive feedback loop as farming, in turn, accelerated trade. Once people began to grow crops or rear livestock, they produced more food than they could consume. The surplus could then be traded for other necessities and luxuries. This led not only to the growth of these early communities but also to increased specialization, as people began to focus more on producing specific goods for trade.
