Table of Contents
The first chapter of The Red Queen opens with a discussion of the concept of “red queen” evolution, which is named after Lewis Carroll’s character in Through the Looking Glass. This concept says that species must constantly evolve in order to survive in an ever-changing environment. Ridley then delves into the theory of evolution itself, discussing concepts such as speciation and natural selection. He also highlights how these processes have been applied to humans over time, using examples such as changes in body size, skin coloration, and immunity to disease.
Ridley goes on to explore how natural selection has shaped human behavior over time, particularly when it comes to cooperation, competition, and social interactions. He discusses how certain behaviors are beneficial from an evolutionary standpoint and how our understanding of them has changed over time. Finally, he looks at some more recent developments in evolutionary theory such as epigenetics and gene-culture coevolution.
The first chapter of The Red Queen provides readers with an overview of evolutionary theory as well as some examples of how it has impacted humanity throughout history. By looking at concepts such as speciation, natural selection, cooperation and competition, Ridley shows us just how powerful a force evolution can be when it comes to shaping our species’ past and future. Academics who are interested in learning more about evolutionary biology should definitely give this book a read!
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Page 4
To say that all human motivation can be boiled down to sexual motivation seems an astonishingly hubristic claim. It seems to deny free will, ignore those who choose chastity and portray human beings as programmed robots bent only on procreation. But throughout the book the case is made, that human sexuality is the essential precursor to all human endeavor.
Page 7
Humanity is, of course, morally free to make and remake itself infinitely, but we do not do so. We stick to the same monotonously human pattern of organizing our affairs.
Page 20
Simply put, anything that increases reproductive success will spread at the expense of anything that does not – even if it threatens survival.
For most evolutionary anthropologists now believe that big brains contributed to reproductive success either by enabling men to outwit and outscheme other men (and women to outwit and outscheme other women), or because big brains were originally used to court and seduce members of the other sex.
Page 21
The greatest ‘experts’ our species has produced on the subject of human nature were people like the Buddha and Shakespeare, not scientists or philosophers.