Controversies over Evolutionary Psychology

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Controversies over Evolutionary Psychology

• Overview of The Day
• Criticisms of Evolutionary TheoryCriticisms of
  Evolutionary Psychology

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Criticisms of Evolutionary Theory

• Its just a theory
• The evidence is weak
• How can you prove a theory when the evidence is
  all in the past

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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 Darwins finches
• the Flynn effect
• Compressed evolution with fruit flies
• Computer simulations

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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

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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

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• 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

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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

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Fear 1 biological differences could justify
oppression

• EPs 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

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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 ones own personal uniqueness can be
  liberating

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What about social Darwinism?

• Are the rich rich and the poor poor because of
  innate characteristics?
• EPs 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 males SES can be
  explained by genetic factors
• Reproduction is the currency of natural
  selection, not wealth

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Fear 2 If aggression is innate, this could
lead to viewing violence as natural

• EPs 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.

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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

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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

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Fear 3 Psychological mechanisms imply lack of
free will and abdication of responsibility

• Dont blame me, my genes made me do it.
  (sleeping around, murder, oppression)
• EPs 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

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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.

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Many fears about EP are based on
Misunderstandings of EP

• Misunderstandings
• Human behavior is genetically determined
• If its evolutionary, we cant change it
• Current mechanisms are optimally designed

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Critics of EP

• Utopian visionaries
• Social engineers
• Professional advice-givers
• Management consultants
• Child care experts

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Summary

• Criticisms of Evolutionary Theory
• Criticisms of Evolutionary Psychology
• Critics
• Misunderstandings