Evolutionary Psychology

Beschreibung

According to evolutionary biologists, we are the minders of ourgenes. But, as Christopher Badcock points out in this book, it isonly recently that evolutionists have realized that minders needminds, and that evolution needs psychology to fill the yawning gapbetween genes and behaviour. Evolutionary Psychology assumes no prior knowledge of thesubject, and concentrates on the fundamental issues raised by theapplication of modern Darwinism to psychology. Basic concepts ofevolution are explained carefully, so that the reader has a soundgrasp of them before their often controversial application topsychology is discussed. The approach is a critical one, and theauthor does not hide the many difficulties that evolutionarypsychology raises. Examples include the strange neglect of Darwin'sown writings on psychology, and the fact that no existing theoryhas succeeded in explaining why the human brain evolved in thefirst place. The book is the first to give a non-technical account ofremarkable new findings about the roles that conflicting genes playin building different parts of the brain. It is also the first toconsider the consequences of this for controversies like those overnature/nurture, IQ, brain lateralization and consciousness. Evolutionary Psychology is based on many yearsexperience of teaching evolution and psychology to social sciencestudents, and is intended for all who wish to get to grips with thebasic issues of one of the most exciting and rapidly growing areasof modern science.

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Christopher Badcock

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Brain & Behavior: Physiological Psychology Physiologische Psychologie Psychologie Psychology

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'Christopher Badcock has produced the most thorough integration ofmodern genetics and human behaviour to appear. This stimulatingbook will be valued by those who want an up to date treatment ofmodern genetics and human behaviour and who value a bit ofcontroversy and a touch of speculation in their reading.'Charles Crawford, Simon Fraser University 'Once again Christopher Badcock has written a compulsivelyreadable book on an important topic. The application of Darwinianevolutionary biology to our understanding of the human mind and oursocial behaviour is producing cutting-edge science, and Badcockexplains the advances made and the problems remaining with skilland insight. Knowledgeable both about the social sciences and thediscoveries of modern biology, this book offers a penetratinganalysis of the interacions between the branches of science.Written in a clear and understandable style, EvolutionaryPsychology will surely be a standard work on the subject foryears to come.' Michael Ruse, University of Guelph 'Christopher Badcock's Evolutionary Psychology: A CriticalIntroduction has got to be one of the better introductory textsout there. It is a way into what can often be perceived as anintimidating and overly science-based endeavour. It fact it isextremely informed from within the natural sciences, but it is alsointensely fascinating ... Christopher Badcock has done an excellentjob introducing the public to a field that is often mired in highacademia and scientific obfuscation.' Self &Society 'it contains excitement and vision that, when tempered by amature critic such as a teacher or tutor, make this book stand outas one from which I should love to teach' Paul Harvey, Head ofZoology, University of Oxford, The Times Higher EducationSupplement
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