We began our previous discussion, Tavian, by talking about how our natures have been shaped by evolution, and then we went on to discuss ERVs, and how they are such powerful evidence for evolution being true.
I'd like us to go on to consider exactly how and why it is important for us to recognize our evolutionary past, in order to understand why we are the way we are. The way we are is often problematic, but the only way to begin to tackle any problem effectively is by trying to understand it. The way we are is often exploited by populists and populist ideologies. They press our buttons. They whip up antagonism towards out-groups so easily, and it can lead to hatred, repression, murder, war and genocide. What are these buttons and why are they so easy to press?
Contrary to many accusations of racism from the anti-evolutionary lot, it appears that the problem has nothing to do with "race" or inter-species competition, (a common misrepresentation of what evolution is about), but the fact that we so easily identify with our in-groups and identify out-groups as out-groups. An experiment conducted by leading figures in evolutionary psychology, (EP) Robert Kurzban, John Tooby, and Leda Cosmides, identifies the key as "coalition alliances" - knowing whether someone is your ally or not. They argue that for most of our evolutionary history, the history that has shaped us, we would rarely come across strangers of a different "race" - just people very similar to us from over the river or over the hill in the next valley. So "race" recognition is not something that is inherently instilled in us by evolution. What does count, is whether you recognize someone as an ally or a possible rival or enemy.
By the way, a good example of cooperation rather than competition with other species is dogs. Both of our species have been seen as being significant in our mutual evolutionary journey.
The experimenters set up an artificial situation in which participants were divided into groups that benefited from cooperation within the group, a group for which the other groups were rivals. They carefully eliminated perceived "race" from any decisions about assigning group membership. After carefully designed exercises, they found that group membership was the main determinant of attitudes between group members, and race was of very low significance or of no significance at all. Here is their paper. Can race be erased? Coalitional computation and social categorization. https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.251541498.
Of course, we no longer live in the "environment of evolutionary adaptedness" (EPs EEA). Our environment is very different. But our ancient instincts and predispositions are still with us, and they are not always desirable.
I grew up in the early post WWII years, in Europe, a Europe half devastated and depopulated by conflict. People talked about what had happened in terms of different national traits or characteristics. "The Germans" were like so. "The French" were such and such. People thought that the Germans had a particularly callous and cruel streak and that explained the aggression and the holocaust. WE would not be capable of doing what THEY did. Various experiments, and the fact that genocides have continued in different parts of the world, committed by different people with different ideologies, have convinced us that the holocaust cannot be attributed to a unique quality of evil that any Germans possessed, but that all of us are capable of such actions given certain circumstances. There is some controversy over the Milgram experiment, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment). But it has been replicated, with confirmatory results. The Stanford Prison experiment, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment) and Jane Elliot's 'exercises' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Elliott) and other studies, all confirm that normal people, placed in particular circumstances, can be induced to behave in cruel and horrific ways.
It appears that it is far easier to turn us into devils than it is to turn us into angels.
Nevertheless the Better Angels of our Nature,(see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Better_Angels_of_Our_Nature by Steven Pnker) can be encouraged to prevail. The title comes from Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address. Pinker outlines many factors that have and have had encouraging effects. These are summarized in the Wikipedia article on his book. One of these is what Pinker calls "The Leviathan", after the title of the book by Thomas Hobbes. Pinker's Leviathan is the nation-state, which governs the use of force, and reduces inter-group conflict within the state.
But the emergence of the nation state has not eliminated inter-state violence - warfare. The same old us and them instincts apply with international affairs. The U.S.A., always an extreme case when it comes to these matters, spends more on "defense" ($800 billion at the current annual rate) than the next nine countries combined. It has also been at war for 225 out of 243 years since 1776. Yet nation-states are not cast in stone, or ordained by God. Many of them, Germany, Italy, Spain for example, were unions of formerly rival baronies or mini-kingdoms and fiefdoms. Although such unions can be fragile and can fall back, as Pinker and others point out, peace and prosperity are the benefits of such unions. Talking of falling back, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union is a tragic step, because more and more (voluntary) union is the way forward in my opinion.
Science deniers will attack a pathetic caricature, or straw-man version of evolution, which has it as a struggle between different races. Evolution is not about inter-racial struggle. It is not about acting for the benefit of country, race, or even species. It is about genes, upon which natural selection focuses .
I have written the above to set the stage for what follows. Let's see what insights a real understanding of evolution offers.
In studying common chimpanzees, our closest cousins, and bonobos, equally close to us evolutionarily, we can gain some insight into our natures and or behaviours. Now I'm not saying that common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are demons and bonobos (Pan paniscus) are angels. Both species shed light on our natures. It used to be thought at one time that Trogs lived innocent lives in nature, in complete harmony with one another. In "Eden", in blissful innocence. It turns out that they can be extremely xenophobic. If a Trog from another group strays into the territory of another group, it is attacked with murderous and vicious ways. Murder is the only word for it.
Conflict and Cooperation in Wild Chimpanzees.(http://ngogochimpanzeeproject.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/muller_and_mitani_2005.pdf)
Reminder notes follow. These are to be developed.
Brain chemicals two sides of the coin.
Genocides.
Dawkins "do what you think best". We can control our behaviour. Even thwart the instincts that evo has bequeathed to us. Our intellligence grants us that. We do not alwys give in o our instincts esp. when our intelligence can manage them.
Jared Diamond. Why the West thought themselves superior. Science and technology.
White supremacy and anti-evolutionism. The irony.
Oxytocin.
Countries can unite - and split apart. Cooperation is teh key.
Brexit
Trump
German unity - 'ethnic' Germans.
Ceationist charges of racism on evolution - Darwin's writings.
Darwin and race.
Science-denying creationists often try to smear evolutionary science, or Darwin, or "Darwinism" with the charge that it is racist.
I have already addressed this on my page .... , but here are some further thoughts and considerations.
The word "race" comes up frequently in the notes that follow, but, as I will argue, it is a nonsense concept without any real meaning or value. I would put the word in scare-quotes throughout, but that would be distracting. Just accept that my scare-quotes are always there in spirit.
Racism has a long, deep history within our species, and the only way to counter it, as with any other problem, is by striving to understand it.
It has its roots in the "them and us" syndrome, which is not inherently a matter of race, nor is it inherent, solely, to our species.
I have studied evolution, particularly our own evolution, and that of our closest relatives, the chimpanzees, in order to deepen my understanding. Following the work of Jane Goodall and Franz de Waal and others, it turns out that common chimpanzees, as well as being a highly social, interdependent species, with instincts we can only call moral, (within the troupe) are also a highly xenophobic. A lone individual who invades or even strays into the territory of another group, is viciously attacked and murdered (it's the only term) by the home team. Someone said that if you put a bunch of chimps from different troupes on a bus, and they go for a ride, only one will get off the bus alive. Even members of a troupe who have survived leaving it and joining another, are treated mercilessly by the ones they have abandoned.
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