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Chapter 5 - The Question of Where

Cultural Evolution and How It Transforms Talent and Talent Development

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 June 2024

David Yun Dai
Affiliation:
SUNY Albany
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Summary

Chapter 5 looks at talent development and human excellence in a broader social-historical conditions and changes. The flourishing of particular forms of excellence in a given historical period or culture is always distinct, due to both cultural values and priorities as well as societal changes in social structure, leisure, and conditions of education. If human excellence reflects high-level self-organized individuality, then sociocultural contexts matter; ECT supports the notion of personal agency in changing the world and changing history, not by traits and genes, notwithstanding their meaningful role, but by cultural evolution that leverages characteristic and maximal adaptation with its niche construction and infrastructure-building to achieve the prosperity and vitality of its members. However, sociocultural conditions (including available technology) also significantly constrain individual strivings as well as how far individuals can go. The Needham Puzzle on the birth of modern science (why it occurred in the West, not China) is discussed, and a comparison is made of Da Vinci and Wang Yangming to demonstrate that any creative act is a sociocultural act, which can change history, yet is constrained by one’s times.

Type
Chapter
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The Nature and Nurture of Talent
A New Foundation for Human Excellence
, pp. 104 - 129
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • The Question of Where
  • David Yun Dai, SUNY Albany
  • Book: The Nature and Nurture of Talent
  • Online publication: 20 June 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009370622.007
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  • The Question of Where
  • David Yun Dai, SUNY Albany
  • Book: The Nature and Nurture of Talent
  • Online publication: 20 June 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009370622.007
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Question of Where
  • David Yun Dai, SUNY Albany
  • Book: The Nature and Nurture of Talent
  • Online publication: 20 June 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009370622.007
Available formats
×