Human language and intelligence go far beyond biological needs, allowing us to discuss abstract ideas, construct imaginary worlds, and do science and mathematics. How did such an ability arise? I propose that a major contributing factor was an arms race between truth and deception in storytelling. In honeybees, an elaborate language could evolve because reproductive conflicts of interest between individuals were reduced. For humans, however, reproductive conflicts of interest became a spur for increasing intelligence. Through the drive to negotiate social interactions, primate intelligence reached the point where knowledge could be shared through basic problem–resolution proto-stories, building on the way animals learn. As soon as honest proto-stories became possible, so did dishonest ones, ushering in an arms race between truth and deception, through which stories, language and skills in detecting lies through contradictions, were driven to ever greater heights. In telling stories to others, humans also told them to themselves, allowing them to think consciously and plan ahead. Through fictions they could share understanding by making discrepancies stronger and more engaging. Science arose when skills in detecting lies through empirical contradictions were applied to stories about how the world operates, whereas mathematics arose when skills in discerning lies through self-contradiction were applied to abstract reasoning. Both scientists and mathematicians used the storytelling structure of problem–chain–resolution to share their findings, founded on the principles of animal learning. Human intelligence thus arose through, and continues to depend upon, a balance between trust and doubt in the stories we share.

中文翻译：

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讲故事的军备竞赛：人类智慧和科学思维的起源

人类的语言和智力远远超出了生物学的需要，使我们能够讨论抽象的想法，构建想象的世界，做科学和数学。这种能力是怎么产生的？我认为一个主要的促成因素是讲故事时真假之间的军备竞赛。在蜜蜂中，由于个体之间的生殖利益冲突减少了，因此可以进化出一种复杂的语言。然而，对于人类来说，生殖利益冲突成为提高智力的刺激因素。通过协商社会互动的驱动力，灵长类动物的智力达到了可以通过基本的问题解决原型故事共享知识的地步，建立在动物学习的方式上。一旦诚实的原型故事成为可能，不诚实的故事也成为可能，在真理和欺骗之间引发了军备竞赛，通过这些故事、语言和通过矛盾发现谎言的技能，被推向了更高的高度。在给别人讲故事的过程中，人类也给自己讲故事，让他们有意识地思考和提前计划。通过虚构，他们可以通过使差异更强大和更吸引人来分享理解。当通过经验矛盾发现谎言的技能被应用于关于世界如何运作的故事时，科学就出现了，而当通过自我矛盾辨别谎言的技能被应用于抽象推理时，数学就出现了。科学家和数学家都使用问题链解决的故事结构来分享他们的发现，这些发现基于动物学习的原则。人类智慧因此产生并继续依赖于，