Evolutionary Psychology

• Evolutionary Biology: Explains human origins and behaviors.

• Behavioral Ecology: Studies variation in behavioral strategies for inclusive fitness.

• Evolutionary Psychology: Applies evolutionary theory to the mind, forming a new model of human cognition.

• Research Evidence: Joan B. Silk's work on primates' altruistic behaviors highlights natural selection's role.

• Broader Impacts: Raises questions about free will and influences sociology and politics.

  
  

These points highlight the transformative impact of Darwin's theory on science and its continued relevance across various fields.

Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection has changed the face of science since it was published over 150 years ago.  Combined with the study of genetics, evolutionary theory today explains human origins, the biological processes that instantiate the human mind, and human behavioral patterns through space and time.  Specifically, the field of evolutionary biology has emerged, encompassing a broad array of scientific disciplines, including behavioral ecology, which “attempts to develop hypothesis regarding variation in behavioral strategies that individuals employ to maximize their inclusive fitness” (Hames 2015: 6947). These behavioral strategies include reciprocal altruism, sexual selection, parental investment and sex bias therein, optimal foraging theory, and life history theory (Hames 2015: 6947).

Another, related field, known as evolutionary psychology, applies evolutionary theory to the study of the mind and has produced a new model of the human mind, whereby “all normal human minds reliably develop a standard collection of reasoning and regulatory circuits that are functionally specialized and, frequently, domain-specific” (Cosmides & Tooby, 1997). These ‘human universals’ combine with the physical (biological) components of the human mind – the brain, brain stem, and neural pathways – to form the basis for a theory of the evolution of the human mind that replaces the Standard Social Sciences Model.

As evidence of the power of evolutionary theory in explaining human behavior, anthropologist Joan B. Silk presented her research on primates’ alarm calling and kin-selection, altruistic behaviors observed in our closest living relatives.  Silk demonstrates that “reserving altruism mainly for close kin…[shapes] social organization and [influences] reproductive strategies of individuals over the course of their lives,” (Silk 2002: 866) explaining the role of natural selection in both behavioral strategies and the early development of what would become the human brain.

All of these new developments in evolutionary biology raise new questions about free-will and other metaphysical matters.  Additionally, the theory of evolution broadly impacts other disciplines and arenas including sociology and politics.  It is interesting to note how Darwin’s theory of natural selection and its ripple-effects across the sciences and society continue to reverberate today.

References

Cosmides L., Tooby J. (1997) Evolutionary Psychology: A Primer.  http://www.cep.ucsb.edu/primer.html

Hames, R. (2015). Human Behavioral Ecology. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 6946-6951. http://www.unl.edu/rhames/ms/behavioral-ecology-hames.pdf

Silk, J. B. (2002). Kin Selection in Primate Groups. International Journal Of Primatology, 23(4), 849-875.