Abstract

Is deliberation in line with human nature? And if so, in what way? A common assumption is that people, by nature, are little inclined to deliberate. Drawing on evolutionary theory, I argue instead that it is more plausible that deliberation is in line with our human nature, which evolved 250-12 thousand years ago. I discuss the ways in which deliberation may be a product of evolution (noise, byproduct, adaptation) and advance two falsifiable hypotheses: (1) deliberation as a byproduct of reasoning and (2) deliberation as an adaptation to the problem of ingroup political disagreement. This letter thereby contributes to the debate on human nature and deliberation by moving it beyond philosophical speculation, offering pointers for a research programme on deliberation and human evolution.