Evolutionary Psychology
[October 12, 2001 8:25 AM ]

Evolutionary Psychology (EP) has a bad name in some circles as it is often confused with its predecessor, Sociobiology, or even worse associated with Social Darwinism.

Poor Ed Wilson had a glass of water tipped over him because he dared to suggest that some aspects of human behaviour may be influenced by genes.

Determinism. Nobody likes that, including EP. I'd like to think EP has something to offer, but I'm always stifled by the polarized attitudes when discussing it – either you are with us or against us and there is no middle ground.

Many of EPs claims about adaptations are difficult to prove, so they rely on clever anecdotes or plausible scenarios.

People arose on Earth through the processes of selection (and also a lot of fortunate accidents). The development of societies has proceeded at a much faster rate than evolution. While different cultures have a number of universals, clearly human cultures have a diversity that is important. Most sensible EPs have no problem with this.

Recommended Reading:

Buss, D.M.: Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of Mind. New York, Allyn & Bacon (1999)

Miller, G.F.: The Mating Mind: How Sexual Choice Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature. London, William Heinemann (2000)

Pinker, S.: How the Mind Works. Middlesex, England, Penguin Press (1997)

[created: October 11, 2001 5:00 PM, last modified: October 12, 2001 8:25 AM]