My wild guess is that it is not politically correct
to see Evolutionary Psychology as a new but promising science.
Ever since E.O. Wilson published his "On Human Nature "
and the book "Sociobiology" EP has been declared the enemy to destroy.
Today I saw reference to this book
http://www.amazon.com/Origins-Altrui.../dp/1441995196 Quote:
Origins of Altruism and Cooperation (Developments in Primatology:
Progress and Prospects) [Hardcover]
Robert W. Sussman (Editor), C. Robert Cloninger (Editor)
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Quote:
This book is about the evolution and nature of cooperation and altruism
in social-living animals, focusing especially on non-human primates
and on humans.
Although cooperation and altruism are often thought of as ways
to attenuate competition and aggression within groups, or are related
to the action of "selfish genes", there is increasing evidence that
these behaviors are the result of biological mechanisms that have
developed through natural selection in group-living species.
This evidence leads to the conclusion that cooperative and altruistic behavior
are not just by-products of competition but are rather the glue that underlies
the ability for primates and humans to live in groups.
The anthropological, primatological, paleontological, behavioral,
neurobiological, and psychological evidence provided in this book
gives a more optimistic view of human nature than the more popular,
conventional view of humans being naturally and basically aggressive and warlike.
Although competition and aggression are recognized as an important part
of the non-human primate and human behavioral repertoire, the evidence
from these fields indicates that cooperation and altruism may represent
the more typical, "normal", and healthy behavioral pattern.
...
The book derived from a conference sponsored by N.S.F.,
the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research,
the Washington University Committee for Ethics and Human Values,
and the Anthropedia Foundation for the study of well-being.
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I know too little but I hope EP is a science that mature into
something that help us understand what it it to be a human.
I feel very sad about the criticism from the Politically Correct
Political Left.
