Biohistory has been defined as the study of human situations, past and present, against the background of, and as part of, the story of life on Earth. It is, by its very nature, holistic, integrative, and transdisciplinary.
Biohistory recognises that, through the processes of biological evolution, the human species acquired the capacity to invent, remember and communicate with a symbolic spoken language. This capacity eventually led to the accumulation of shared knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and values in human groups. That is, it led to human culture. Human culture is thus an outcome of biological evolution; and it is a manifestation of the activities of neurons in the human brain and of muscles involved in speech.
Through its influence on human behaviour, culture has impacts not only on humans, but also on other living organisms and on ecosystems. It has become a powerful force in biological systems worldwide.
The biohistorical approach thus leads to an understanding of the constant interplay between different aspects of human situations, biological and cultural, that are conventionally studied separately in different academic disciplines as if they were unrelated. I believe that understanding of this kind is important for wise decision-making at the level of individuals and families and at the level of society as a whole.
A Biorenaissance 