PSYC 385 Chapter Notes - Chapter Reading 2: Promiscuity, Scientific Method, Eugenics
22 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
The lack of acceptance of evolutionary approaches to human behaviour
By: Perry and Mace
Original opposition of Darwin’s theory came from religion
Eugenics, coined by Galton (Darwin’s cousin), attempts to
investigate any biological influence on human behaviors; further
adopted by Nazis and resulted in discrimination, forced
sterilization, and racial atrocities
Social Darwinists applied evolutionary theory to society to justify
right-wing capitalist ideology and racist immigration policy
Morgan’s ideas of societal evolution as being unilinear,
progressing from savagery to barbarism to civilization… these
ideas were further used to justify the perception of white
Europeans as most evolved humans, and legitimize racist
oppression of other cultures
Justify slavery, other races were diff species to be used by humans
Greatest variation is within populations
Modern approaches of sociobiology focus on the adaptive
significance of behaviour
Evolutionary psychology focuses on psychological mechanisms as
adaptions
Behavioral ecologists investigate adaptive behavioral responses
to environments, often through testing formal models
Many studies have not addressed cultural influences
Spencer coined the term “survival of the fittest”, regarded
evolution as linear and progressive (opposition to Darwin’s own
views)
Social sciences’ focus on cultural determinants of behaviour have
generally been seen as incompatible with any proposition of
biological influences, leading many social scientists to continue to
disregard evolutionary perspectives
reciprocal altruism accounts for co-operation between unrelated
individuals
sociobiology approach was explicitly gene-centered, and viewed
organisms as ‘vehicles’ for the reproduction of genes
Behavioral traits, like physical traits, can be genetic adaptations
and genes influencing phenotypic traits that result in higher
inclusive fitness for the organism will be selected for and will
propagate in future generations. Using this basic principles
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The lack of acceptance of evolutionary approaches to human behaviour. Original opposition of darwin"s theory came from religion. Eugenics, coined by galton (darwin"s cousin), attempts to investigate any biological influence on human behaviors; further adopted by nazis and resulted in discrimination, forced sterilization, and racial atrocities. Social darwinists applied evolutionary theory to society to justify right-wing capitalist ideology and racist immigration policy. Morgan"s ideas of societal evolution as being unilinear, progressing from savagery to barbarism to civilization these ideas were further used to justify the perception of white. Europeans as most evolved humans, and legitimize racist oppression of other cultures. Justify slavery, other races were diff species to be used by humans. Modern approaches of sociobiology focus on the adaptive significance of behaviour. Evolutionary psychology focuses on psychological mechanisms as adaptions. Many studies have not addressed cultural influences. Spencer coined the term survival of the fittest , regarded evolution as linear and progressive (opposition to darwin"s own views)
