Analysis of human intentionality as explained by Michael Tomasello.

Michael Tomasello's problem that he wants to solve is to explain difference between humans and other primates in evolutionary closeness that allows humans to be radically different from non-human primates. Tomasello begins with the premise that humans are evolutionary close to other primates in two ways (2). Firstly, the evolutionary change Tomasello seeks occurred in the last 200,000 to 40,000 years, based on dating of Homo sapiens. This time is considered to be very short when compared to …

…biological adaptation. Historical and ontogenetic processes have contributed to creating an environment and culture that could foster the evolutionary change of intentionality and promote cultural transmission and cumulative cultural evolution. Tomasello goes as far as to say that these historical and ontogenetic processes explain the development of human cognition such as tools, symbols, and institutions, and that these same processes also explain the most unique of qualities which are limited to different cultures of humans.