The Sociological Jump before Hominization

Abstract

This paper re-evaluates food-sharing in Pan societies from a sociological perspective, with the purpose of creating a better model of food-sharing in human ancestors.A chimpanzee begging food from another will never attack the other nor snatch the food away, even if begging is ignored. Thus, when a food possessor allows beggars to take food, it is not forced but rather voluntary behavior worthy to the term food-sharing. A food-possessor tends to share smaller portion of food, indicating consciousness of sharing and conflict in abandoning desire.Food-sharing suggests the following implications for social evolution. 1) The beginning of intervention by others into the self-maintaining activities of an independent individual. 2) The first form of interaction through the medium of material objects. 3) The voluntary abandonment of desire, made possible through self-consciousness and the capacity to view oneself objectively. 4) The capacity to sence another's desire as one would one's own, a psychological capacity that is the basis of intersubjectivity. 5) A rudimentary form of economics, in which food takes on value and is possessed, although it soon disappears.In this way, advent of food-sharing in the common ancestor of Pan and Homo was linked to great changes in social structure, relations and recognition. It was a jump comparable to advent of reciprocity and systematic food-sharing.