QUESTION EIGHT
8. How does the theory of evolution help explain human behavior? Use 5 examples of your own choosing to illustrate your point.
the main concept behind the theory of evolution is what is usually known as "the survival of the fittest" or natural selection. basically a trait that is the fittest in the society survives and is passed down to the next generation. now, this theory can be used to analyze human behavior since the theory argues that human behavior revolves around the one tendency: maintaining the existence of one's traits in the society. and to do this, one needs to create offspring. as pinker put it, "in the game of evolution, is it better to be monogamous or polygamous? gentle or aggressive? cooperative or selfish? indulgent with children or stern with them? optimistic, pragmatic, or pessimistic?" (pinker 52) the theory of evolution helps one understands why one action is preferred over the other.
a couple examples of this is given by pinker in the blank slate page 53:
"an eye for beauty, for example, lockes onto faces that show signs of health and fertility --- just as one would predict if it had evolved to help the beholder find the fitterst mate."
"the emotions of symphathy, gratitude, guilt, and anger allow people to benefit from cooperation without being exploited by liars and cheats"
"a reputation for toughness and a thirst for revenge were the best defense against aggression in a world in which one could not call 911 to summon the police."
pinker also explains this concept in terms of proximate and ultimate cause. proximate cause is the "mechanism" that drives one into commiting an action, and has the properties of being impromptu and temporary. ultimate cause, on the other hand, is the "adaptive rationale" that furthers the proximate cause. in other words, ultimate cause is like the final end, the final purpose, of an action. pinker gives an example for both causes; in the case of procreation, proximate cause would be the lust that drives one to have sex, and ultimate cause would be the need to reproduce. (pinker 54)
pinker claims that the concept of proximate and ultimate cause is "indispensable" in analyzing human behavior, particularly when one asks the question "why did that person act way he/she did?" although it seems like ultimate cause will likely be the reason people do what they do, in most cases, proximate cause becomes the main reason for one's action. in some examples that pinker offers, he said that in cases of procreation where proximate cause overwhelms ultimate cause, people can "covet their neighbor's spouse" or "prefer a sexy and dangerous partner to a plain but dependable one."
some other pertinent examples i've heard in some biology classes i've taken are about birds or bees, not humans. some birds chirp at 3 or 4 in the morning because males and females of their species forage at that time and so the females usually start chirping to attract the male species to come and procreate because that's the only way they could prevent the extinction of their species. a negative side effect would be for some people like me who don't go to bed until 3 or 4 in the morning and then aren't to sleep well because the birds keep chirping until past sunrise, causing unnecessary frowns and grouchiness when waking up the next day.
another example i've heard is about an experiment with two monkeys. while monkeys are not human beings, both species are quite alike in behavior. this one experiment i've heard puts two monkeys in one cage, but they are separated by metal bars so they can still see each other, but not trespass each other's territory. now the scientist puts a banana on top of one monkey, let's say monkey A, but makes it too high for monkey A to reach. the only way monkey A can get the banana is if monkey B pulls a string that is located in monkey B's territory. so like the brief example pinker gives about cooperation, these two monkeys have to learn to help each other in order for them not to die from starvation. what is interesting is that monkey A never tries to cheat monkey B by keeping the banana all for himself and not sharing. maybe this is because monkey A realizes that if he does that, next time the banana is up there again, monkey B will refuse to pull the string. so from this example, cooperation is a trait that is being promoted by natural selection, while cheating is weeded out.
the main concept behind the theory of evolution is what is usually known as "the survival of the fittest" or natural selection. basically a trait that is the fittest in the society survives and is passed down to the next generation. now, this theory can be used to analyze human behavior since the theory argues that human behavior revolves around the one tendency: maintaining the existence of one's traits in the society. and to do this, one needs to create offspring. as pinker put it, "in the game of evolution, is it better to be monogamous or polygamous? gentle or aggressive? cooperative or selfish? indulgent with children or stern with them? optimistic, pragmatic, or pessimistic?" (pinker 52) the theory of evolution helps one understands why one action is preferred over the other.
a couple examples of this is given by pinker in the blank slate page 53:
"an eye for beauty, for example, lockes onto faces that show signs of health and fertility --- just as one would predict if it had evolved to help the beholder find the fitterst mate."
"the emotions of symphathy, gratitude, guilt, and anger allow people to benefit from cooperation without being exploited by liars and cheats"
"a reputation for toughness and a thirst for revenge were the best defense against aggression in a world in which one could not call 911 to summon the police."
pinker also explains this concept in terms of proximate and ultimate cause. proximate cause is the "mechanism" that drives one into commiting an action, and has the properties of being impromptu and temporary. ultimate cause, on the other hand, is the "adaptive rationale" that furthers the proximate cause. in other words, ultimate cause is like the final end, the final purpose, of an action. pinker gives an example for both causes; in the case of procreation, proximate cause would be the lust that drives one to have sex, and ultimate cause would be the need to reproduce. (pinker 54)
pinker claims that the concept of proximate and ultimate cause is "indispensable" in analyzing human behavior, particularly when one asks the question "why did that person act way he/she did?" although it seems like ultimate cause will likely be the reason people do what they do, in most cases, proximate cause becomes the main reason for one's action. in some examples that pinker offers, he said that in cases of procreation where proximate cause overwhelms ultimate cause, people can "covet their neighbor's spouse" or "prefer a sexy and dangerous partner to a plain but dependable one."
some other pertinent examples i've heard in some biology classes i've taken are about birds or bees, not humans. some birds chirp at 3 or 4 in the morning because males and females of their species forage at that time and so the females usually start chirping to attract the male species to come and procreate because that's the only way they could prevent the extinction of their species. a negative side effect would be for some people like me who don't go to bed until 3 or 4 in the morning and then aren't to sleep well because the birds keep chirping until past sunrise, causing unnecessary frowns and grouchiness when waking up the next day.
another example i've heard is about an experiment with two monkeys. while monkeys are not human beings, both species are quite alike in behavior. this one experiment i've heard puts two monkeys in one cage, but they are separated by metal bars so they can still see each other, but not trespass each other's territory. now the scientist puts a banana on top of one monkey, let's say monkey A, but makes it too high for monkey A to reach. the only way monkey A can get the banana is if monkey B pulls a string that is located in monkey B's territory. so like the brief example pinker gives about cooperation, these two monkeys have to learn to help each other in order for them not to die from starvation. what is interesting is that monkey A never tries to cheat monkey B by keeping the banana all for himself and not sharing. maybe this is because monkey A realizes that if he does that, next time the banana is up there again, monkey B will refuse to pull the string. so from this example, cooperation is a trait that is being promoted by natural selection, while cheating is weeded out.
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