ABSTRACT
The theory pursued here begins with the assertion that the origins of modern human nature and the foundations of culture were constructed during the last Ice Age. Living in the hostile environment of the glacial period, and in a fierce struggle to survive, Paleolithic humans confronted large wild animals each day and faced a deadly fight to secure flesh for food and pelts for clothing. During the glacial period men and women competed with, and were the frequent prey of, carnivores. By bonding in small groups, early humans increased their chances of surviving the attacks of ferocious predatory animals. The need for protection against predators, and for security from counter-attacks of the prey hunted, gave early men and women powerful incentives to develop vital interpersonal networks or ‘cultures’ of belonging and identity. The human nature which was formed was defensive and aimed to compensate for human vulnerability. Even so, social strategies developed by prehistoric humans for preserving life allowed the species to survive only by a razor-thin margin, according to some scientists.
