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Evolutionary Theory and Human Nature is an original, highly theoretical work dealing with the transition from genes to behavior using general principles of evolution, especially those of sexual selection. It seeks to develop a seamless transition from genes to human motivations as bio-electric brain processes (emotional-cognitive processes), to human nature propensities (various constellations of emotional-cognitive forces, desires and fears) to species typical patterns of behavior.
This work covers two often antagonistic fields: biology and the social sciences. It should be of strong interest to anthropologists, sociologists, sociobiologists, psychobiologists and psychologists who are interested in the question of human nature influences on social behavior.
List of contents
1 In Search of Human Nature: Reason and Rationality.- Reason As Rationality.- In Search of an Empirical Science of Human Behaviour.- Summary and Conclusions.- 2 Biology and the Social Sciences: The Issue of Morality.- Darwin-s Impact.- Biology and the Social Sciences; The Search for Morality.- Summary and Conclusions.- 3 Biology and the Social Sciences: Epistemological and Ontological Issues.- The Problem of Causation.- Human Nature and the Problem of 'Pre-knowledge'.- The Problem of Classification: Significance and Unity.- In Search of Human Nature.- Summary and Conclusions.- 4 Human Nature: Emotional-Cognitive Processes.- Emotionality and Cognition: Meaning and Significance.- The Biology of Emotional-Cognitive Processing.- Summary and Conclusions.- 5 The Psychology of Human Emotional-Cognitive Processing.- Species Typical Emotional-Cognitive Motivators.- The Evolution of Human Desires.- The Evolution of Human Fears.- Summary and Conclusions.- 6 Advanced Cognition.- Evaluating.- Delineating.- Deception and Self-deception.- Summary and Conclusions.- 7 Human Nature and Social Propensities.- Human Nature and the Processes of Political Society.- The Search for Vengeance and the Social Order.- Controlling Self and Others.- Summary and Conclusions.- 8 In Search of Political Society.- Social Boundaries.- Hierarchy, Politics and Spirituality.- In Search of Natural Kinds of Behaviour.- Conclusions: A Science of Behaviour.- Notes.- References.
Summary
Evolutionary Theory and Human Nature is an original, highly theoretical work dealing with the transition from genes to behavior using general principles of evolution, especially those of sexual selection. It seeks to develop a seamless transition from genes to human motivations as bio-electric brain processes (emotional-cognitive processes), to human nature propensities (various constellations of emotional-cognitive forces, desires and fears) to species typical patterns of behavior.
This work covers two often antagonistic fields: biology and the social sciences. It should be of strong interest to anthropologists, sociologists, sociobiologists, psychobiologists and psychologists who are interested in the question of human nature influences on social behavior.
