Evolutionary Psychology II

I just completed the follow up lecture series Evolutionary Psychology II by The Modern Scholar © series. This course, like the first volume, was presented by Professor Allen D. MacNeill of Cornell University. His academic background and qualifications can be found in my previous entry. Like the first volume in the series, this course consists of fourteen one-half hour lectures.

This second volume of lectures is more focused than the first. There are basically three separate topics presented over the seven hours: politics and warfare, religion, and individuality. Each of these areas is discussed from the evolutionary psychology perspective with a particular focus on the nature of adaptation.

Professor MacNeill first discusses the character of human societies. Human societies are a lot like most animal societies. They are made up of several different social groups each interacting with the other “in complex and fascinating ways.” At times, individuals engage in competition with members of their own group; however, they usually cooperate with fellow group members to further their own interests and the interests of the group. The evolution of social behavior in human beings “depends on the evolution of the capacity for cooperation, which can evolve as the result of kin selection, reciprocal altruism, and group selection.”

Kin selection refers to an individual’s tendency to cooperate with those who are closely related so that their genes will increase in frequency in the population over time. According to evolutionary theory, those who sacrifice part or all of their individual fitness for the sake of their offspring do so because in the past this behavior has led to more of their genes being expressed in future generations as compared to those who act purely selfishly.

Using an example from the animal kingdom, Professor MacNeill explained that animals that cooperate with individuals and groups who are not genetically related in a symbiotic relationship. For example, he asserts, “there are acacia trees in Africa called “whistling thorns” that are inhabited by ant species that protect the trees from insects and other herbivores that might eat or otherwise damage the trees. In return for such protection, the acacia trees produce bulbous thorns where the ants lay their eggs and raise their young. The trees even provide food for the ants in the form of nectar secreted at the bases of their leaves.” This type of mutual symbiosis describes what evolutionary biologist Robert Trivers termed reciprocal altruism.

Five of the next lectures focus on religion as part of the human experience. The professor first reviewed the neurobiology of religious experience. He explained that humans have evolved to have transcendent experiences. Religion also plays an important role in promoting pro-social behaviors. One of the most interesting arguments he made, from several different approaches, was that the same impulses that drive religious experience drive the tendency for humans to engage in warfare. In fact, according to Professor MacNeill, religiosity is essential to war—and the two are often intertwined closely throughout most of history’s armed conflicts. 

Professor MacNeill presented one of the most compelling statements in any lecture series that I have had the pleasure to hear. It concerns the nature of scientific inquiry and those who would turn their back on science and reason as tools for understanding the world. He said:

The fact that a non-scientist, or a person who chooses not to use scientific reasoning, cannot imagine a naturalistic explanation for a phenomenon is neither a logical nor compelling argument against that explanation. On the contrary, it is an admission of ignorance, willful or otherwise. Now, ignorance by itself is no sin, it simply means that one has not yet had the opportunity to learn something. But ignorance in the face of the opportunity to learn is not ignorance at all: it is stupidity. Science is a socially organized determined effort to minimize ignorance in all its forms. It is the opposite of stupidity.

Many people would balk at the ideas presented in these lecture series, and indeed, some inferences do seem to require a “stretch” to be believed. However, I contend that this field of study provides valuable insights into the way in which natural selection and evolutionary forces have shaped and continue to shape human culture and individual behavior. I must admit that I find some strains of argument too deterministic for my taste. I have no problem with human consciousness as an emergent phenomenon from various disparate neurological functions, but I think it is too complex and our understanding too scarce to apply reductionism to the point that many natural and social scientists often have. Whatever the reality, I believe that further study in cognitive science and evolutionary psychology will continue to enhance our understanding of how we think, act, and are influenced by the environment.

Evolutionary Psychology I

I recently completed The Modern Scholar © series Evolutionary Psychology I by Professor Allen D. MacNeill of Cornell University. MacNeill completed a B.S. in biology and an Master’s degree in science education at Cornell University in 1977. He currently teaches the support course for introductory biology at Cornell University where he has lectured since 1976 and is currently a senior lecturer in the Learning Strategies Center. Professor MacNeill also teaches evolution for the Cornell Summer Session and the introductory evolution course for non-science majors. He is also involved in drama as an off-Broadway actor.

Evolutionary Psychology I is very strong right out of the gate. The first five lectures are a revelation. The material in these lectures is a unique blend of biology and psychology with a strong history of science component weaved throughout the lectures. Unfortunately, the “wow” factor (excuse the terminology, I accidentally spent a few minutes on TMZ.com earlier this evening) tends to wane in the later lectures.

Like all Modern Scholar series, Evolutionary Psychology I is a 14 lecture series, with each lecture lasting approximately 30 minutes. The recording and production quality is excellent. Professor MacNeill is one of the best “public” speakers I’ve heard in recorded lectures—perhaps this ability is enhanced by his background in the dramatic arts. The pacing of the course is well done and material very well organized. It is the level of detail presented in this introductory course in the last half of the lecture series that seems to make the course “bog down” under its own weight.

Most of the lectures cover the evolution of the brain among various animals leading up to human beings and the corresponding capacity for complex behaviors that, according to evolutionary psychologists can tell us a lot about human nature. One of the more interesting facts is that these scientists use study of animals as well as humans to understand and try to explain human behavior under a variety of circumstances.

MacNeill explains that the field of evolutionary psychology, “the scientific study of how human nature has evolved” is a relatively new discipline. The early material sketches a brief historical study of the characteristics of both traditional human psychology and the more specialized and newer field of evolutionary psychology. The instructor also introduces and elaborates on the basic analytical methods and theoretical frameworks evolutionary psychologists use in their research.

From this beginning, Professor MacNeill follows the continued historical development of the field, from its nascent emergence to contemporary applications in fields such as genetic engineering and neuroscience. Evolutionary psychology has its roots in particular fields such as cognitive psychology and evolutionary biology and attempts to combine the methods and theories from these fields to understand human behavior and its purposes. As a brief aside, there is an interesting discussion of the early American preference for behavioral psychology over the cognitive model which positioned American study behind Europe. Evolutionary psychologists assert, as their name suggests, that the human brain is an organ similar to any other but with the unique emergent property we call “the mind.” The brain, they believe, evolved in relation to the environmental challenges human beings have faced throughout their history as a species.

Thus, the bulk of Evolutionary Psychology I examines the history of the field, its primary theories, and the unique research methods used in the field. These perspectives are applied to human behavior at the level of the individual, the family, and other groups. Professor MacNeill then explains how evolutionary psychology applies to the essentials of human life: food, shelter, clothing, and safety (or health). He discusses the ways in which groups of social animals, such as primates, are organized. Importantly, MacNeill examines the role of natural selection in social organization.

The latter part of the lecture series concerns the theoretical foundation for the evolution of cooperation among humans as well as their complex sexual behaviors. A considerable amount of time is spent evaluating the concepts of monogamy and polygamy. (A small warning here, as the professor pronounces these words “mono-gammy” and “polly-gammy” which sounds very unnatural to me). MacNeill also reconfigures the definition of monogamy and polygamy. According to him, any person who has sexual relations (or “mates”) with more than one partner at any time during the course of his or her life—whether by divorce, death of significant other, or any other reason, they are polygamous. Thus, according to this revised definition, Professor MacNeill declares that humans are largely polygamous. I must admit, I had a bit of a problem with the way in which he reached this conclusion. Finally, the course considers the implications of evolutionary psychology and its theories for child rearing and mate selection.

Overall, I think that the course material is interesting and exotic enough to recommend it for at least a cursory review. I studied psychology in quite a few courses for my initial undergraduate degree but most of this material was new to me. Likewise, my career in counseling and social service work exposed me to even more developments and subfields of psychology but I must admit that much of the material discussed in this course was foreign to me—one of the reasons that I found at least the first half of the course refreshing and fascinating. There is another 14-lecture course by The Modern Scholar Company appropriately titled Evolutionary Psychology II. I will more than likely listen to, read, and review its materials at some later date as well.

Until the next time, happy learning! By the way, if you have completed an interesting course, lecture series, TED talk, seminar, training, book, or any other learning experience and would like to share it, please e-mail me or leave a comment in the comments section. Criticisms and responses are always welcome to this and other postings as well.

S.I.P.