Commentary on “An Evolutionarily Informed Education Science” by David C. Geary

Abstract

Dr. David C. Geary's article centers on the concept of inherited folk psychology modules, together with the idea of a transition from primary to secondary learning. This article suggests that there exist only effective folk psychology modules, which are the result of interaction of inherited primary emotional systems with the physical, biological, and social environment. Consequently there is no transition from primary to secondary learning; all cognitive modules result from the process characterized by Geary as secondary learning. Furthermore, an evolutionary psychology analysis does not support the idea of a phoneme-based approach to learning how to read, as suggested by Geary; rather all evolutionary processes are top-down as well as bottom-up, and hence rather support holistic, meaning-based approaches. Finally the issue of proof and evidence in these contexts is raised; it is suggested that no adequate criteria have been given for proving existence of the suggested folk psychology modules, whereas such criteria do exist for the primary emotional systems that are in fact the lynchpin of evolutionary psychology effects.