Dear 3WDave,
You may be right (18/4 22:29 -0500) that apes can and do consistently pass
on and perpetuate 'know-how' in non-genetic ways and are making some primary
social progress (development of social patterns of values in the service of
biological survival).
If 'culture' is defined (with Pirsig) as the sum total of social and
intellectual patterns of values, then these apes you describe do
autonomously create some 'culture'. And yes, a lot of the 'know-how' passed
on in medieval guilds (and even now) is comparable with what these apes pass
on. The difference is (and was even before the intellectual level was
created between 50.000 and 100.000 years ago) a matter of (massively larger)
scale: humans pass on much more 'know-how' than apes.
The probability that humanity will not tolerate apes or others to develop
culture to the extent that they become a threat to homo sapiens in
biological competition is indeed -from an intellectual level point of view-
arrogant and dangerous, but nevertheless consistent with the social patterns
of values humanity has developed. Human societies will defend themself and
their biological foundations if threatened, even if this thwarts Evolution
as a whole. Evolution (DQ) will not let itself be thwarted once and for all.
If necessary it will surpass homo sapiens. Wasn't this the essence of the
'Gaia theory' of deep ecologists? I don't know whether their scenario is
realistic, but I do believe that DQ can and will find ways to outflank
humanity if it blocks Evolution. (In religious terms: God can and will cast
out humanity if it sins...)
With friendly greetings,
Wim
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