Evolutionary Psychology / Sociobiology

[Technocrat]

There seems to be a great deal of hostility toward biology and evolution as tools in understanding human culture and behavior. The purpose of this thread will be to discuss and debate evolutionary psychology and sociobiology.

I think the following would be good to start with.

Culture is Biology, Steve Moxon:

http://www.politicsandculture.org/2010/04/29/symposium-on-the-question-how-is-culture-biological-six-essays-and-discussions-essay-1-by-steve-moxon-culture-is-biology-why-we-cannot-transcend-our-genes%E2%80%94or-ourselves/

The responses to the essay are also very good.

[Raúl Duke]

I haven't even started reading and I have an issue with the title.


Culture is Biology

That would be too reductionist. The most deterministic view that is respected in the field of anthropology would include/be environmental determinism (i.e. the surroundings of the culture group plays a role in influencing/determining their culture) and the only cultural biological determinist views I've seen take into account/include this environmental determinism.

[Technocrat]

I haven't even started reading and I have an issue with the title.



That would be too reductionist. The most deterministic view that is respected in the field of anthropology would include/be environmental determinism (i.e. the surroundings of the culture group plays a role in influencing/determining their culture) and the only cultural biological determinist views I've seen take into account/include this environmental determinism.

So did you ever get around to reading it? Disagreeing with the title is not an argument.

[La Comédie Noire]

I liked the article and if people had read what you said in the other thread there'd be no need for this separate thread.


Only explanations which consider the biological AND the social can be taken seriously or considered scientific. Evolutionary psychology and sociobiology posit a coevolutionary theory whereby genes and culture interact to produce behavior.