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Be able to define the following positions or concepts, and to explain their significance in the context of the assigned readings or course topics. When relevant, be able to give a concrete example.
| Philosophical naturalism |
Methodological naturalism |
| Materialism |
Nonmaterialism |
| The standard social science model |
Evolutionary Psychology |
| Genetic determinism |
Norm of reaction |
| Fallacy of equivocation |
True altruism |
| Kin-directed altruism |
Reciprocal altruism |
| The Naturalistic Fallacy |
Anti-Darwinism |
| Mind first, dualist Darwinism |
Blank-Paper Darwinism |
| Gene-machine Darwinism |
Darwinism boundary |
| Materialism boundary |
Evolutionary psychology boundary |
| Bateman's principle |
See Exercises 3.1, 3.2, and 5.3 in Human Nature after Darwin. See also the revision questions on pp. 290-297 for Chapters 3,5,7, and 8.
Be able to identify two phenomena associated with relations between the human sexes that can be explained by evolutionary psychology. For each phenomenon, give a relatively complete evolutionary explanation of it. Then give an alternative explanation in terms of environmental social factors. See p. 82 exercise 3 for examples of phenomena.
Richards presents the debates among those lying along the spectrum from anti-Darwinist to gene-machine Darwinist as if they can be settled by scientific investigations. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer in terms of the methods and aims of science.
Richards implies that accepting the insights (if that is what they are) from evolutionary psychology commits you to a "greedy realism" in which we have reason to believe in the existence of only those things that play a role in well-corroborated scientific theories. A corollary is that there is no justification for believing in anything that plays no such role. Do you agree? Why or why not?
For the sake of discussion, define "conservatives" as those who wish to preserve the status quo in terms of gender roles and relations, and the "liberals" who desire change. Are there any sound reasons for those who are liberal to be opposed to or fearful of evolutionary psychology?
Identify 3 mistakes in the following inference: Women are genetically predisposed to emotions of care for the needs of others. Therefore, Jane Doe, a woman, must go through life taking care of the needs of others.
Explain why some people believe that evolutionary psychology is a threat to traditional views of ethics. To what degree is this belief justified?
Is it true that from the perspective of evolutionary psychology that your gene’s (metaphor) "interests" and your own interests must coincide? Explain.
Is it true from the perspective of evolutionary psychology that selfish genes must create selfish people? Explain.
Can parents show true altruism towards a child? Explain. Why might some people think they can’t?
According to Richards, what difference does it make whether a person believes in materialism or not?
According to Richards, does Darwinism in any of its 4 forms have political or ethical implications, and why? What about science in general?
According to Richards, why is it important to be right about the (lack of) ethical and political implications of scientific theories?