EVOLUTION AND HUMAN NATURE

by Richard Morris ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 1983

A proven expositor of physics and astronomy (Light, The End of the World, The Fate of the Universe) here writes sensibly on matters evolutionary. Indeed, Morris' short volume is a popular counterpart to Roger Trigg's more scholarly The Shaping of Man (p. 109) in dealing with the kinds of bias that color interpretations of human nature. Morris takes a look at the anthropology-archaeology-psychology tradition, noting the corruptions of evolution-by-natural-selection by assorted thinkers, as well as by the Carnegies and Rockefellers. He discusses the ""white man's burden"" attitudes of Teddy Roosevelt and the innocent or not-so-innocent followers of the eugenics movements, providing choice quotes from assorted sources (Supreme Court decisions to Mein Kampf). Then it's on to Watson, Skinner, Lysenko, and others espousing environmental, Marxist, or Lamarckian views of what makes humans tick. Morris' moderate stance is all the more persuasive for his eschewal of polemics. He notes that Lorenz, for example, has altered his views on human aggression over the past decade. He also recognizes the importance of historical contexts. (World War II and the advent of nuclear weapons may have made Ardrey's and Dart's man-the-aggressive-killer promulgations of the Sixties particularly popular.) Further, he adds at least one interesting trait that he believes common to all mankind: intellectual passion. That trait helps explain what Morris so wisely concludes: theories of human nature, strongly held, often bear a close resemblance to what scientists want most to believe. An intelligent, restrained presentation.

Pub Date: May 27, 1983

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Seaview/Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1983

Categories: NONFICTION