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36 - A Bridge Too Far?

Evolutionary Psychology and the Solution of Social Problems

from Part IX - Applying Evolutionary Principles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 March 2020

By
Abraham P. Buunk
Edited by
Lance Workman ,
Will Reader  and
Jerome H. Barkow
Lance Workman
Affiliation:
University of South Wales
Will Reader
Affiliation:
Sheffield Hallam University
Jerome H. Barkow
Affiliation:
Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia
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Summary

The theme for this chapter as formulated by the editors was: “Can evolutionary psychology be used to solve social problems?” For the sake of simplicity, I use here a broad definition of evolutionary psychology as the evolutionary approach to human behavior, including approaches that have often been set apart, such as human sociobiology and human behavioral ecology (Laland & Brown, 2011). Although the question of the applicability of evolutionary thinking has occupied me for years and although I have applied such thinking to a variety of social problems, including occupational burnout, jealousy, and depression, I found it a real challenge to write a chapter on this issue. In fact, as I will argue, my answer to this question is not unequivocally positive. Instead, I will argue that evolutionary psychology does not provide clear solutions to all kinds of social problems.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Behavior , pp. 451 - 461
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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