Hakim Lecture Highlights an Evolutionary Blueprint for a Better Society

The story of human evolution often skews toward the dark side—to the point where it can overshadow the innate social qualities that are essential to our success as a species.

That premise, along with supporting research, was put forward for the Emmanuel community on March 28 by Yale Professor of Social and Natural Science Dr. Nicholas Christakis. 

“I think the bright side has been denied the attention it deserves, because our species has also evolved to be good, and to manifest the wonderful qualities of love and friendship and cooperation and teaching,” said Dr. Christakis. “These good qualities must necessarily have outweighed the bad ones-in my view- or we wouldn’t be living socially in the first place.”

It's a topic Dr. Christakis has researched extensively as a sociologist, physician, and director of the Yale Human Nature Lab, which is focused on developing new insights on the connections between innate human traits and social interactions. He was visiting Emmanuel as the guest speaker for the annual Catherine McLaughlin Hakim Lecture, which highlights issues of sociology, social justice, and public policy. 

Titled Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society, the presentation focused on what Dr. Christakis called the "social suite," a group of interpersonal traits (such as love or friendship) that are uncommon in nature but shared by humans worldwide.      

Having collected data from thousands of examples where groups coalesced outside of mainstream society—  everything from shipwrecks to remote scientific research —  Dr. Christakis found systemic patterns to how people organize. Social suite qualities such as friendship and mutual aid increase the odds of survival, and that brings natural selection into the equation— with the end result of universal traits that are seen in every society.  

“These are generally encoded attributes…that are adaptively useful and crucial for building a society,” said Dr. Christakis. “Natural selection has shaped not just the form and function of our bodies…but also the structure and function of our societies.”

It’s also an ongoing process. Humans as a species were once lactose intolerant, but mutations that allowed milk as a food source became standard relatively quickly after the domestication of animals. Noting his glasses, Dr. Christakis said humans are becoming more myopic, because society provides technology that makes it easier to survive with poor eyesight. 

“Our capacity for culture changes our genes,” said Dr. Christakis. “We are changing the trajectory of our evolution and there are many examples of this.” 

Humans and Machine Interactions: Utopian or Dystopian? 

The Human Nature Lab also explores interactions between humans and AI, with a focus on how technology can produce better outcomes by playing to the social suite. 

Dr. Christakis outlined two research projects that supported this premise. The first was a group project that required collaboration. The participants were filed under two categories: those who contributed and those who counted on others to do the work. On average, 60% of participants contributed initially, but that declined over time. Conversely, when bots that promoted cooperation were added, the participation level rose to 80% by the end of the trial. 

The other study had three people and a bot working together to lay pieces of virtual toy railroad track. The project was purposely designed to be frustrating at times, and the key variable was that in one trial the robot would provide “social lubricant” by telling dad jokes. The study tracked interaction among the participants and found that the group with humor was noticeably more communicative and inclusive.

In a general sense, Dr. Christakis described the idea of bots replacing human friends as somewhat dystopian. Instead, he preferred bots that promote harmony among people through simple acts, such as serving up a reminder that it’s a friend’s birthday. 

 “My argument is that hybrid systems will need to respect the social suite if they are to facilitate a utopian rather than dystopian future,” said Dr. Christakis. “In other words, if these new types of AI work with our natural tendencies, it’s going to be okay.”

Dr. Christakis closed on an optimistic note, saying humans overall have had success living together, despite their defects and differences. He noted an ongoing academic debate about progress, which often centers on how much of it is due to the 19th century Enlightenment, which promoted democracy, universal suffrage, and abolition of slavery. While acknowledging that progress, he looked to its evolutionary foundation. 

“We do not need to rely solely on such recent historical developments to make the world a better place,” said Dr. Christakis. “More ancient and powerful and deeper forces are at work—stretching across hundreds of thousands of years to propel a good society.”

“In short, the arc of our evolutionary history is long, but it bends toward goodness,” he added.

An Emmanuel Tradition

Sponsored through the Department of Sociology, the annual lecture series was established in memory of Catherine McLaughlin Hakim ’70, who formed lifelong connections at the College while earning a degree in sociology.    

In opening the proceedings, Emmanuel President Dr. Beth Ross described the lecture series as a moving tribute to Catherine McLaughlin Hakim’s memory; one that has provided an enduring impact on both the lives of students and the intellectual life of the college. 

“Since its inception in 2011, this lecture series has brought to Emmanuel a succession of superb speakers who are at the forefront of an ideas, trends, and movements shaping our society,” said Dr. Ross. “That tradition, to be sure, continues today.”

Dr. Ross also recognized several friends and family members of Catherine McLaughlin Hakim in attendance, and thanked her husband, Dr. Raymond Hakim, for generously establishing the series in her memory.

Dr. Hakim spoke briefly to introduce the lecture, and expressed both pleasure and sadness. The latter at losing his wife of 24 years to breast cancer in 1982. But he also highlighted her love for Emmanuel, telling of how she completed her degree remotely after they moved to Montreal. 

“I know she is very proud to have this series of lectures in her name at Emmanuel College, and that gives me some pleasure,” said Dr. Hakim. 

Dr. Christakis was introduced by Sociology Department Chair Dr. Ivy Krull. She described him as a “multidisciplinary powerhouse” who holds the highest academic ranking at Yale, along with degrees in sociology, genetics, and public health. She also praised his multidisciplinary approach to research and his dedication to the common good —  saying those traits are very much in keeping with Emmanuel and the spirit of the lecture series.  

 “His work on how individuals within a society can connect with each other and what those positive connections can do, to me that is the embodiment of why we are here in this room at the moment,” said Dr. Krull. “If you think about it, we are here because Catherine McLaughlin Hakim had a great experience at Emmanuel.”