Beyond Biofatalism - Human Nature for an Evolving World

Beyond Biofatalism is a spirited response to the pessimism of mainstream evolutionary psychology, which argues that human beings are incapable of building a more inclusive, cooperative, and egalitarian society. Considering the pressures of climate change, unsustainable population growth, increasing income inequality, and religious extremism, this attitude promises to bury us before we even try to meet these threats. Beyond Biofatalism provides the perspective we need to understand that better societies are not only possible but actively enabled by human nature.

Summary

Are we “hard-wired” for disaster? Or do new findings in evolution, development, and behavior show that human beings can adapt positively to adverse circumstances and realize a more just and inclusive society?

Report

"Barker's focus on the conjunction of plasticity and stability, on viewing adaptations as a space of alternatively realizable equilibria between phenotypic distributions and environmental states, is as unique as it is insightful." Bruce Glymour, Kansas State University

Product details

• Authors: Gillian Barker, Barker Gillian
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 13.10.2015
• EAN: 9780231171885
• ISBN: 978-0-231-17188-5
• No. of pages: 176
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Psychology > Theoretical psychology; Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Natural sciences (general); Evolution, PSYCHOLOGY / Social Psychology, SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Evolution, SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Developmental Biology, SCIENCE / Philosophy & Social Aspects, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Social Aspects, Social, group or collective psychology, Impact of science & technology on society, Impact of science and technology on society, Developmental biology, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Technology Studies, evolution; psychology