| BookTalk.org News |
| Vote on our next non-fiction book in the "Non-Fiction Book Suggestions & Polls" forum. Poll goes down on Oct. 5, 2008 so vote soon please. |
| Show us where you live! |
 |
| Donate & Support BookTalk.org |
Please support our free community by making a credit card donation through our secure PayPal account. We appreciate and depend on the generosity of our members. Thank you!
•
See who supports us
|
|
| Author |
Message |
Chris OConnor 
Rhodes Scholar
BookTalk.org Owner
Joined: 05 May 2002
Posts: 6958
Gender: 
Location: Florida
|
 Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 3:53 am Post subject: Ch. 11 - Evolutionary Psychology...
|
 |
|
Ch. 11 - Evolutionary Psychology: Lorenz on Aggression
Please discuss Chapter 11 in this thread.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
WildCityWoman
Graduate Student
Joined: 13 Jan 2008
Posts: 418
Gender: 
|
| Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:44 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
Evolutionary Psychology: Lorenz on Aggression
Background Theory: Evolution;
Lorenz's Theory of Animal Nature;
Theory of Human Nature;
Diagnosis;
Prescription;
Critical Discussion |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DWill
Masters
Joined: 31 Jan 2008
Posts: 472
Gender:
Location: Berryville, Virginia
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:07 pm Post subject:
|
|
|
I recalled reading King solomon's Ring about a hundred years ago. Don't remember much about it other than thinking that Lorenz was exceptional as a popularizer of his branch of science. He had some jackdaws (I believe) who became his bosom buddies.
At any rate, the chapter got the taste of B. F. Skinner out of my mouth! I thought Stevenson did well in puncturing what initially seem like plausible analogies between humans and other animals. He also identified how unlikely it is that natural selection could operate on a group level regarding the trait of aggression. Unlike Lorenz, I think that the trait of aggression doesn't apply so exclusively to group against group (providing the evolutionary rationale). Aggression is plenty common within groups, just look at our murder rates. And what is the evolutionary function of that?
But I favor an evolutionary view in general, so I naturally like Lorenz even if in this one instance he might be on shaky ground. I know some Christians who say they see no contradiction between evolution and their religious beliefs. The difference between them and me is that I don't just not object to evolution, I base a lot of my outlook on it. It's the prime fact in understanding ourselves biologically. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
| Recent Topics |
|
|
|
