A commitment account of norm externalisation

One of the distinctive features of some norms is thought to be their externalised character. To say that a norm is externalised is to say that it is experienced as imposed on us from the outside and exacting a demand on all, regardless of their group (Stanford in Behav Brain Sci 14:1–13, 2018a). Stanford (Behav Brain Sci 14:1–13, 2018a) argues that externalisation evolved to facilitate correlated interaction among cooperators. However, he failed to specify the means by which externalisation achieves correlated interaction. In this article, I argue that externalisation secures correlated interaction via commitment. I also offer an account of the emergence of externalised norms that further draws attention to the role of commitments in securing correlated interaction over our evolutionary history.