The first lesson that Durant reveals to us is modesty. Two scientific revolutions forced us to be modest, the Copernican revolution, and the Darwinian revolution. Copernicus told us that we are not the center of the universe, and Darwin told us that we are merely highly evolved animals, but animals nonetheless. What we think of … Read more
The Red Queen is about how humans behave, and what led them to behave this way. Ridley compares the human mammal to other animals, and finds patterns that we have in common. The most universal of those patterns, Ridley argues, is sexuality. The explanations for why males and females exist, why they behave differently, why … Read more
Mankind is a self-domesticated animal; a social ape; an ape in which the male takes the initiative in courtship and females usually leave home; an ape in which men are predators, women herbivorous foragers; an ape in which males are hierarchical, females egalitarian. An ape in which males invest heavily in offspring by providing their … Read more
Are beauty standards cultural whims or innate drives? Incest may give us a hint. Freud thought that incest is a taboo that originated in people’s attraction to ther opposite sex parents, because it would result in birth defects. But there are several objections to this theory. First, sexual attraction is not the same as attraction. … Read more
The intellectual life of the 19th century was more complex than that of previous centuries. The world grew larger, and more countries contributed to culture. Science moved forward with new discoveries. Technology changed the social structure and imbued man with new powers over his environment. Political and philosophical movements challenged the beliefs and institutions that … Read more
“Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies” is a seminal work by Jared Diamond published in 1997. The book seeks to explain why Eurasian civilizations, as a whole, have survived and conquered others, while arguing against the idea that Eurasian hegemony is due to any form of Eurasian intellectual, moral, or inherent genetic … Read more
This chapter is about the differences between men and women. Men are better at spatial tasks than women. Spatial skills and polygamy go together in several species. Female bodies evolved to bear and rear children. Men’s bodies evolved to suit the demands of rising in the male hierarchy, fighting over women and providing meat for … Read more
Consistent monogamy, not polygamy sets humans apart from mammals (including apes). Of the four apes (gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees) only gibbons are monogamous. Although men are polygamous opportunists at heart, afraid of commitment, they are interested in finding wives whom to rear families with. Sperm competition theory emerged after it was discovered that some … Read more
“The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals” is a compelling book by Michael Pollan that delves into the question of what we should have for dinner. Published in 2006, the book explores the realities of the modern food industry and its impact on our health, environment, and society. Pollan organizes the book into … Read more
The Incas had strict rules for who would be able to mate with their women. They organized these rights according to a hierarchy, and any man who violated these rules would be put to his death, along with his family. Most of the Incas were descendants of powerful men. Human beings are a product of … Read more