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Controversies over Evolutionary Psychology

Controversies over Evolutionary Psychology. Overview of The Day Criticisms of Evolutionary Theory Criticisms of Evolutionary Psychology. Criticisms of Evolutionary Theory. It’s just a theory The evidence is weak How can you prove a theory when the evidence is all in the past. Responses.

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Controversies over Evolutionary Psychology

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  1. Controversies over Evolutionary Psychology Overview of The Day Criticisms of Evolutionary TheoryCriticisms of Evolutionary Psychology

  2. Criticisms of Evolutionary Theory • It’s just a theory • The evidence is weak • How can you prove a theory when the evidence is all in the past

  3. Responses • No theory is ever completely proven. • Must be stated so that it can be disproved (“Falseifiability”) • Weight of empirical evidence • Fossil record • Similarities among species • Contemporaneous studies • Grants’ study of Darwin’s finches • the Flynn effect • Compressed evolution with fruit flies • Computer simulations

  4. Religious Criticisms • Idea of intelligent design and creator • Literal interpretation of scriptures • People are apart from natural world (great chain of being) • Famous Scopes trial

  5. Responses • Creation as process (rather than product) in not incompatible with religion • Are we part of the natural world? • Is there a great chain of being from lower to higher (and better) forms? • We share about 95% of our genes with chimpanzees • We have about 30,000 genes, rice has about 70,000

  6. Religion involves matters of faith and morality; science involves theories about about the natural world based on empiricism • Religion and science are different spheres • Religion: Right and wrong; good and evil • Science: What is, why, and how it works • S

  7. Fears over Evolutionary Psychology • 1. If some differences are biological, then this could justify oppression. • 2. If aggression in innate, then we might begin to view violence as natural and acceptable. • 3. Psychological mechanisms imply lack of free will and abdication of responsibility

  8. Fear 1: biological differences could justify oppression • EP’s response: • Scientific and philosophical views of all stripes have been used to justify oppression • Marxism emphasizes blank slate and equality • Most biological differences among humans are trivial (humans are similar in most ways) • Two people selected at random share about 99.98% of their genes • Group differences do not imply individual differences

  9. Fear 1: biological differences could justify oppression • Fairness does not require sameness • Equality under the law • Voting rights • Laws against discrimination • Sex, race, religion, ethnicity, age • Knowledge of one’s own personal uniqueness can be liberating

  10. What about social Darwinism? • Are the rich rich and the poor poor because of innate characteristics? • EP’s response • High level of upward and downward social mobility(about 50% of families change position in income quintiles every decade) • Only about one sixth of a male’s SES can be explained by genetic factors • Reproduction is the currency of natural selection, not wealth

  11. Fear 2: If aggression is innate, this could lead to viewing violence as natural • EP’s Response • The naturalistic fallacy (if it exists, it must be good) is just that: a fallacy. • Just because something exists does not mean that it is good or moral.

  12. Fear 2: If aggression is innate, this could lead to viewing violence as natural • Deal with aggression with a realistic view of human nature, not a romantic ideal • People have both base and noble instincts • Trust people but cut the cards • Balance of power and institutions to deal with conflict

  13. Is Modern Civilization Responsible for Aggression and Violence? • Among pre-agricultural peoples • often, 1/2 of men have killed someone • battles more frequent • causalities are proportionally higher • prisoners are fewer

  14. Fear 3: Psychological mechanisms imply lack of free will and abdication of responsibility • “Don’t blame me, my genes made me do it.” (sleeping around, murder, oppression) • EP’s response • This argument is fallacious • it can be raised by any explanation of behavior • Twinkie Defense, Abuse Excuse • Confusing explanation with exculpation • To understand is not to forgive

  15. Fear 3: Psychological mechanisms imply lack of free will and abdication of responsibility • Many evil regimes have been based on a core belief that human nature is malleable and that people can be socialized to do anything.

  16. Many fears about EP are based on Misunderstandings of EP • Misunderstandings: • Human behavior is genetically determined • If it’s evolutionary, we can’t change it • Current mechanisms are optimally designed

  17. Critics of EP • Utopian visionaries • Social engineers • Professional advice-givers • Management consultants • Child care “experts”

  18. Summary • Criticisms of Evolutionary Theory • Criticisms of Evolutionary Psychology • Critics • Misunderstandings

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