Evolution and Morality

[Phage]

http://www.skeptic.com/04.1.miele-immoral.html

Great article on the subject of evolutionary psychology and morality.

Some excerpts:

While evolutionary theory predicts a certain level of parent-child and sibling rivalry, its predictions are contrary to another mainstay of social science--the Freudian Oedipus Complex. Under evolutionary theory, fathers have a strong vested interest in their son's well-being; provided, of course, it is their son. As sons mature, they may in fact compete with their fathers for status and for females (as daughters may compete with their mothers for males), but not for their own mother (or father). Many evolutionists argue that, given the decreased viability of children born out of incest, selection has created an incest taboo, especially against mother-son incest. The comparative ethnographic data support the existence of the incest taboo, not the Oedipus complex (Alexander, p.165; Wright, pp. 315-316).

Sorry Freud.

also:

Evolutionary psychology provides explanations not only of why we pair up, but why we split up. Conservative social critics have decried the alarming increase in divorce in the US since the 1960s, and variously attribute it to removing Bible reading from the public schools, rock 'n roll, TV and movies, liberal social welfare programs, decriminalization of abortion, women's lib, and even the teaching of evolution. The evolutionary perspective, on the other hand, leads one to see lifetime monogamy as the exceptional result of an increased level of social pressure rather than as the rule for humans.

[Figure 8]

[Figure 9]

Anthropologist Helen Fisher has gathered divorce data from 62 societies around the world (Figures 8 and 9). She finds that "human beings in a variety of societies tend to divorce between the second and fourth years of marriage, with a divorce peak during the fourth year" (p. 360). She also finds that the divorce statistics for the US in 1986, well past the sexual revolution of the 1960s, fit the same pattern, with most divorces taking place between the second and third year of marriage (p. 362).

One should note however that according to Diamond and other evolutionary psychologists human beings are also pairing animals. Meaning we tend to stay in monogamous relationships dominated by jealousy.

* Almost universally, men experience sexual jealousy of their mates. Women are more malleable in this respect, but in certain circumstances, women's experience of sexual jealousy may be characteristically as intense as men's.

Also I found this amusing:

The gibbon (an ape, but not a great one) shows the least sexual dimorphism. Males and females look identical at a distance and the gibbons' strict adherence to monogamy should win an award from the Moral Majority (though that would mean acknowledging man's common primate ancestry and therefore ditching creationism).

Finally:

Rather, human female breasts are secondary sexual characteristics that evolved to attract mates.

Well looks like they finally admitted the obvious....

[SurlyPIG]

Hehehe, good post. I've always thought the Freudian Oedipus Complex was bull...not to mention disturbing... :-

[Scrinlord]

Ya, buy Freud was just kinda screwed up anyways

[Exo Etherial]

I rather enjoyed reading this post. Thank you for putting it up. Being a humanist nuts-and-bolts kind of person, I find this very enlightening.

[Caid Ivik]

What kind of halucinogene works as a fuel for such "science"? Another fascinating psychology of mankind, based on behavior of one nation, which forms less than 1/30 of world's population (while it is uncertain if every American is included there). And to be sure, only for last 40 years.