|
|
Article: Bad behaviour; Evolutionary psychology.(!)(Review)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- January 27, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
ALAS, POOR DARWIN: ARGUMENTS AGAINST EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY.
ACCORDING to evolutionary psychology, most of our actions, emotions and beliefs-including the sexual attractiveness of Donald Trump, the popularity of cheeseburgers and the crime of rape-are the products of natural selection that acted on our savannah-dwelling forebears. This new notion of man as a walking atavism has ignited a caustic debate among academics. The opposing view is represented by "Alas, Poor Darwin", a collection of essays edited by Hilary and Steven Rose.
Sixteen authors, among them biologists, sociologists, and anthropologists, condemn evolutionary psychology as a flagrant ...