Predator and prey is only the most basic of examples. Maslow, for instance, proposed his Hierchy of Needs…which, in terms of darwinian psychology, or darwinism in general, constitutes a secondary and triciary set of survival fields. At the lowest level of it, of course, is primal darwinian survival…which is what I’ve been referring too up until now. Once this urge is satisfied, which takes base sentience, and, in the case of a being devoid of physical benifits beyond thumbs, at least some semblance of cognition, we move upwards to the next level: Safety Needs.
On this level, cognition becomes crucial, for the preventative measures. Learning what will get you outcast, in a culture, for instance, or even the act of prohibiting actions that may harm the community in and of itself. Keep in mind, though, that by this point, knowledge has come into play, so outdated superstitions can be interwoven, creating a ‘flawed’ version of safety that one strives to adhere to.
The next level, the one where love and belonging is sought, brings the bases of the arts…like the mating songs of the birds, or the communal howling of wolves to show oneness in their remorse for a passing clan member, the arts attempt to draw attention from promising mates, display wealth and beauty, like the peacock’s tail, and even warn away rivals. Indeed, stretched even further, they can simply be used to vent psychological frustration, or to show yourself to a group, in hopes of acceptance.
Next comes the need for self esteem, once the lower ones are dealt with (or, as multitasking humans, while the others are still being wrastled with). In this portion, the person seeks to say “I am me, and I am important” …a fallacy in which the equivelent of beta males fighting against alpha males for dominance is exemplery. It is this section that shows most of cognitions worth, and its interrelation with the level below it: People think, inherently, that there is something worthwhile about them if they can outthink others…much as a jock outruns a competitor, or a whore out-performs the others in her turf.
Finally, we come to the touchiest part of the pyramid, which is almost pure cognition: The self actualization needs. Here we have the yearning for psychological soundness, the seeking of ends for our internal turmoil — and yes, the base questionings that lead to developments in other areas. Though not in the least directly related to survival, this use of cognition stems from all that is before: Our self esteem, our need for love, our respect for safety, and our basic urge for survival all meld here, making us wonder why we’re doing it, suspecting some higher pattern, since we have such needs.
All of this can be a view of the extension of survivalist intentions…when we seek to survive, we don’t just do it to survive, as darwin assumes, but we do it to survive well. Our society demands refinement, because it demands, at the topmost level of that pyramid, to seem happy, to seem fit, whether it is or not. It keeps things running, and those things, in turn, perpetuate and add to the glit of civilized living.
So in the end, it can all be seen as survivalist tendancies that give us cognition, and in turn, that cognition that requires seperate levels of cognition for survival and function within the species. It may not be satisfying to the askers of how or why, but in the end, many of life’s answers aren’t satisfying…but perhaps, for this answer, I can offer a possibility as to why:
We do it for love of the hunt,
For love of the springtime moon,
All aglitter upon its throne,
As the passing days, take us farther yet,
From home, sweet home.
-Anonymous