The Hierarchy Mechanism in Human Cognition

We as a species seem to have a very deep and strong cognitive mechanism that seems to be based on a hierarchy principle, i.e., a principle that determines which species or groups within our environment are superior to which one, and of course usually with the view that our own species or group is the most superior one. Let's call this apparent behavior/cognition mechanism the Hierarchy Mechanism.

This seems to be a major part of our cognitive and behavior process. It seems to affect much of our thinking and actions. This mechanism seems to be innocuous most of the time but it becomes quite apparent when it appears to be challenged, i.e., in the context of ideas and behavior that contradict its underlying hypothesis. The underlying hypothesis apparently at play here is the one that asserts that our species is the superior one.

The vast majority of human individuals of all cultures and all degrees of education behave in ways to suggest that they are driven by this underlying hypothesis.

A few human individuals are aware of it and have reversed it. These people are generally able to think and act without being limited by this apparently evolutionary primitive cognitive mechanism of hierarchy or superiority.

For scientists studying evolved life forms such as sharks and whales, as opposed to worms or molecules, the lack of control or lack of reversal of the Hierarchy Mechanism in one's cognition will eventually limit the quality of the work by these scientists because it will limit the type of ideas that are deemed to have value. This is probably why so few scientists are studying animal cognition and communication today, despite a large body of work showing a great potential for scientific discoveries in these fields.

For example, how come it takes a Dr Diana Reiss to do the mirror experiment with elephants when she is the one who conducted a similar experiment with dolphins many years ago. How come no one else or very few have done similar experiments?

How come no other scientist than Dr J. C. Lilly has published results to advance Dr Batteau's work on dolphin communication since the 1960's? I could also mention that I estimate that Dr Lilly has been rejected and cast out by most of the scientific community, despite having produced some ground breaking scientific results.

Where are the recent ground breaking works on primate cognition that could advance those that we saw in the 1970s?

I propose the hypothesis that scientific work in the areas of animal cognition is being hampered by the presence of the Hierarchy Mechanism is our own species and by the lack of reversal of this mechanism in individual scientists and in people manning the science funding structures today.

I propose the related hypothesis that the Hierarchy Mechanism is one of the main sources of ideologies that negate science (e.g., anti-evolution) and ideologies that are causing large groups of people in engaging in wars and also causing many individuals in manipulating these large groups that actually want to wage war, including killing and getting killed. This hypothesis effectively proposes that the Hierarchy Mechanism is one of the main causes of human social problems today.