Introduction
The article analyzes hominid evolution as a process of reorganizing mutual understanding. Changes such as bipedalism and brain expansion are stages in detaching the coordination of actions from immediate stimuli toward the abstract horizons of norms and shared fictions. The text explains how the theory of mind and Dunbar’s number shape our societies and why the era of artificial intelligence requires the protection of the "social brain." Readers will learn how primal bonding mechanisms—from grooming to laughter—determine modern technology, law, and geopolitics.
Bipedalism, Intentionality, and the Energetic Cost of the Brain
Bipedalism paves the way for the emergence of language by lifting the head from the ground and changing our relationship with space long before the appearance of speech. This evolution carried a massive energetic cost for the brain; to allow for childbirth with a pelvis optimized for walking, human infants are born with a one-year neurological deficit. This biological helplessness forced new strategies for cooperation and care.
Higher orders of intentionality became the engine of technical progress—Acheulean hand axes are the materialization of plans that require maintaining complex intentions in consciousness. In this context, language evolved as vocal grooming. It allowed for the building of bonds in groups too large to be nurtured solely through touch, becoming an energetically cheaper substitute for physical proximity.
Religion, Music, and Laughter as Biochemical Glue
Religion, music, and laughter form the foundation of the human "social toolkit." Religion serves as a mechanism for binding large collectives, requiring a fourth order of intentionality for the shared experience of rituals and belief in divine intentions. Music and laughter stimulate the biochemistry of bonding, releasing endorphins that alleviate pain and build trust. However, these mechanisms are biologically limited—Dunbar’s number (approx. 150 people) still determines the structure of effective organizations and social groups.
The ability to operate with multi-layered intentionality is also the foundation of mythology and literature, allowing us to track the nested mental states of multiple characters simultaneously. Even human partnership is an evolutionarily expensive investment; the biochemical mechanism of falling in love is meant to guarantee the relationship stability necessary to raise offspring within large, risky communities.
Digital Technology and Protecting the Lifeworld
Modern digital technology does not eliminate cognitive barriers; despite global networks, the number of our real emotional bonds still hovers around 150. Europe, the USA, and the Arab world present different AI geopolitics: from European protection of rights and dignity, through American market primacy, to Arab attempts to integrate technology into the fabric of tradition and religion. The instrumentalization of AI threatens the lifeworld when algorithms replace authentic, endorphin-driven relationships with digital simulations.
Theory of mind bridges anthropology and social theory, reminding us that the brain is an organ for negotiating relationships, not just a data processor. Therefore, we must design AI as a support for, rather than a substitute for, relationships. Technologies should free up resources for practices that build trust and meaning, protecting spheres where humans still sing and laugh together, instead of reducing the human being to a manipulable object in a data system.
Summary
In a world of algorithms and artificial intelligence, will we lose the essence of what makes us human—the capacity for laughter, empathy, and the shared experience of the world? Perhaps the future lies not in transcending our limitations, but in understanding and protecting them, so that technology serves not only progress but also our humanity. Can we create a symphony in which technology and humanity resonate in harmony, rather than in a cacophony of loneliness?
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