Monday, March 2, 2009
Sociobiology
I thought that the idea of sociobiology was very interesting. Trying to interpret human behavior in terms of our genetic past and who we evolved from can cause some conflict. I never really considered that we act like wolves. When wolves go out and hunt, they bring food back for the entire pack. They have high family values, as most human beings do with only having one mate. The experts say that humans get their tendencies toward infidelity and divorce from chimps. Chimps get food for themselves and do not have a single partner. Humans are in conflict with how we live in contrast with our genetic past, our wolf culture and chimp past. They both have different tendencies. We need to understand our natural inclinations and avoid their temptations. These inclinations do not justify our behavior and it is unecessary. We should understand the tendencies of chimps, which may be some of our own tendencies, and strive to be better than them. Someone can't justify infidelity, by saying it is a genetic tendency that they have. Human beings need to overcome their chimp past and rely more on their wolf culture.
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I must admit, the idea of sociobiology confuses me. The belief that somehow we, as thinking beings, act as we do because of some genetic heritage does not make sense. For one, though I agree that human DNA is similar to other animals', I don't necessarily agree that it means we evolved from those creatures. We may share 50% of our DNA with bananas, but I don't think that we evolved from them. However, even if I were inclined to accept bananas as ancestors, I doubt that that genetic heritage somehow inclines me to act like a banana. Likewise, despite any similar genes between humans and wolves and chimps, I see no clear line of ancestry, and don't see how their actions influence my own.
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