Posted on 06/27/2009 7:55:19 PM PDT by Fichori
June 26, 2009 — Evolution of rape? No way. Sharon Begley won’t let the evolutionary psychologists get away with their tales about how rapists, molesters, and cheaters can’t help themselves because evolution made them that way. The Science Magazine blog Origins seems to be cheering her on.
Science writer Sharon Begley, who in 2007 returned to her old job at Newsweek after 5 years of writing the “Science Journal” column for The Wall Street Journal, has long reported skeptically about anything smacking of biological determinism. In the 29 June issue of Newsweek, she pens a 4300-word critique of evolutionary psychology, the theory that modern human behavior—including everything from mate choice to child abuse to warfare—is the result of evolutionary adaptations that took place 100,000 or more years ago. Her piece, titled “Why Do We Rape, Kill and Sleep Around?” concludes, as the subtitle puts it, “The fault, dear Darwin, lies not in our ancestors, but in ourselves.”
(Excerpt) Read more at creationsafaris.com ...
Ping!
Philosophies that would frame us as automatons always seem to produce Frankenstein monsters.
Newsweek?
Isn’t that the rag whose editor declared Obama “practically a god” ?
Their credibility is down around that of used car salesmen and ABC news...
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Wow! I guess its back to school for me.
Funny how it is that no other animal on earth has “evolved” into faggot pedophiles, rapists and murderers hell bent on destroying their own kind. In fact most mammals have a well defined mating season with rituals which ends in mutual acceptance and mating to propagate the species. Once that season is over, you don’t see bucks ducks or wolves running around raping the females, or engaging in homosexual behavior. (and no, young dogs deer etc. do not engage in homosexual behavior no matter how desperate homo’s are to interpret acts of dominance assertion during play between male pups as homosexual behavior)
Essentially, I think the Darwinian biologist is looking down their nose at the Darwinian psychologists...
/shrug
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Thanks Fichori.Sharon Begley won't let the evolutionary psychologists get away with their tales about how rapists, molesters, and cheaters can't help themselves because evolution made them that way. The Science Magazine blog Origins seems to be cheering her on.To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. |
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And as a believer in creationism, I look askew at both. However, I am more concerned about the concept of “Bio-Darwinist” as apposed to “Psycho-Darwinist” ;-)
No need to insult used car salesmen...
Actually there is no sex act (except for those involving batteries) that the Bonobo chimpanzee has not exploited.
I am not sure whether they have the Bonobo as a unique species now or as a subspecies of the Chimp.
I will admit that the battery operated activities are uniquely human.
Note that evolution is only possible with HETEROSEXUAL relationships...
This is one scientific fact a lot of the so-called Darwinists want to run away from.
It is still a scientific fact that evolution can only occur with HETEROSEXUAL relationships. Bonobos probably know this better than a lot of humans...
Wild animals can and do fight their own species to the death as well as destroy their own young. It used to be that “acting like an animal” was a reproach.
My two tomcats, on the other hand, definitely know that “you’re gay” is a taunt. All one needs to do to start a fight with the other is to begin licking his rival behind the ears like he does to start courtship with a female. I’ve seen both of them start fights this way.
A fist fight in The Temple of Darwin? Let’s just stand across the street and let’em have at it.
Theology butts in at this juncture by pointing out this is a fallen creation. Some devilment is to be anticipated as normal. The lion isn’t yet ready to lie down with the lamb.
LOL!
“Evolution of rape? No way. Sharon Begley won’t let the evolutionary psychologists get away with their tales about how rapists, molesters, and cheaters can’t help themselves because evolution made them that way.”
Straw-man argument. There aren’t a lot of people who excuse the behavior of violent offenders by contending they are helpless tools of their genes; unless of course their genes gave them a mental disease. Lawyers make deterministic arguments from time to time, but as everyone knows, lawyers are liars.
Here’s the thing. There quite obviously is a biological aspect to rape. Anyone who says differently doesn’t have a penis. Furthermore, it happens too often to be a fluke. Must be inherent to our make-up. Rape occurs, in roughly the same manner, across national and ethnic boundaries. Almost all of perpetraitors are sexually frustrated and lonely males. If it was a matter of choice or random evil, you’d think women would do it more often. Don’t give me crap about the male entering the women and the male sexual organ being essentially a weapon. One cannot turn one’s genitals into a knife at will. At least not for long.
However much you disagree with the truth of natural selection, to say that men are prone to violence, and to “spread their seed” in whatever way they can, is not to excuse the behavior. It is to take note of a universal human phenomenon, and to say, look, this is the way it is, and one of the best explanations we have, outside of “evil,” is the logic of natural selection.
This author has a big problem following the biologist’s distinction between general and individual problems. Just because people in general tend to rape does not mean any particular individual is free from his responsibility not to rape. An explanation is not an excuse. Know what morality tells us? It tells us how things OUGHT to be. The propensity to rape is how things are. No rape is how things ought to be.
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