The Hunter Hypothesis: Scientific Speculation and Ancestral Imaginaries of Adult ADHD in Chile

Abstract

In this paper, I examine the social, subjective, and scientific implications of the hunter hypothesis, an evolutionary etiology for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). By tracing its presence in Chilean “everyday life” narratives and “neuropsychiatric” discourses, I argue for greater attention to the ancestral imaginaries within evolutionary etiologies. This perspective aims to enhance the study of medical categories as tools for self-understanding and biosociality, to foster interdisciplinary collaboration in mental health research, and to engage with calls for greater participation from neurodiverse individuals and communities. The article is structured in two parts. First, I explore the two-way encounter with the hunter hypothesis, examining its origins and interpretations in both “everyday life” and “neuropsychiatric” Chilean contexts. Second, I analyze the undertheorized role of ancestral imaginaries in scientific and medical speculation, seeking to enrich critiques of evolutionary thinking. I show how other legitimate speculations and testable scientific fictions become possible if we move beyond linear and dichotomic evolutionary narratives. The conclusion emphasizes that engaging with imagination should not involve adopting fixed speculative frameworks. Instead, it calls for democratizing access to scientific speculation to open it up to more nuanced strength-based narratives.