Rational agency is of central interest to philosophy, with evolutionary accounts of the cognitive underpinnings of rational agency being much debated. Yet one building block—our ability to argue—is less studied, except Mercier and Sperber’s argumentative theory (Mercier and Sperber in Behav Brain Sci 34(02):57–74, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x10000968 , 2011, in The enigma of reason. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2017). I discuss their account and argue that it faces a lacuna: It cannot explain the origin of argumentation as a series of small steps that reveal how hominins with baseline abilities of the trait in question could turn into full-blown owners of it. This paper then provides a first sketch of the desired evolutionary trajectory. I argue that reasoning coevolves with the ability to coordinate behavior. After that, I establish a model based on niche construction theory. This model yields a story with following claims. First, argumentation came into being during the Oldowan period as a tool for justifying information ‘out of sight’. Second, argumentation enabled hominins to solve collective action problems with collaborators out of sight, which stabilized argumentative practices eventually. Archeological findings are discussed to substantiate both claims. I conclude with outlining changes resultant from my model for the concept of rational agency.

中文翻译：

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论证演变：但如何？协调的群体行为和推理的协同进化

理性能动性是哲学的核心兴趣，对理性能动性的认知基础的进化解释引起了很多争论。然而，除了 Mercier 和 Sperber 的论证理论（Mercier 和 Sperber in Behav Brain Sci 34(02):57-74, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x10000968 , 2011）之外，我们的一个基本要素——我们的辩论能力——研究较少，在理性之谜。哈佛大学出版社，剑桥，2017 年）。我讨论了他们的描述，并认为它面临着一个空白：它无法将争论的起源解释为一系列小步骤，这些小步骤揭示了具有所讨论特征的基本能力的人类如何成为它的完全拥有者。然后，本文提供了所需进化轨迹的第一个草图。我认为推理与协调行为的能力共同进化。之后，我建立了一个基于生态位构建理论的模型。这个模型产生了一个具有以下声明的故事。首先，在奥尔多万时期，作为证明信息“看不见”的工具，论证开始出现。其次，论证使古人类能够解决看不见的合作者的集体行动问题，最终稳定了论证实践。讨论了考古发现以证实这两种说法。最后，我概述了我的理性代理概念模型所导致的变化。最终稳定了论证实践。讨论了考古发现以证实这两种说法。最后，我概述了我的理性代理概念模型所导致的变化。最终稳定了论证实践。讨论了考古发现以证实这两种说法。最后，我概述了我的理性代理概念模型所导致的变化。