Category:
Politics
Sep 5, 2012
Ayn Rand and Modern Politics
The problem with visions of life that are detached from the world—no matter how intoxicating—is that they crash and burn when they encounter the real world.The problem with visions of life that are detached from the world—no matter how intoxicating—is that they crash and burn when they encounter the real world.
Aug 25, 2012
Social Darwinism Strikes Back?
Kevin Williamson writing at <em>The National Review</em> believes that Romney should get "100 percent" of the female vote. Why? Good question...Kevin Williamson writing at <em>The National Review</em> believes that Romney should get "100 percent" of the female vote. Why? Good question...
Jun 28, 2012
The Nature of Regulation I: Breaking Out of Our Narrative Prisons
Both liberal and conservative narratives about regulation are like prisons that confine reasonable people to predetermined choices. A new narrative based on the biological concept of regulation can set us free. Regulation is one of the most charged words in politics. If you’re a conservative, then you’re likely to think that regulation is a bad thing that erodes personal responsibility and prevents the free enterprise system from working its magic.
Jun 6, 2012
The Science of War, and the War Over Human Nature
Are we stuck with war? ETVOL reviews select contributions to the Science special issue on Human Conflict.Warfare and human nature seem inextricably linked. But what do we mean by “human nature,” and what evidence would we require as proof that warfare is an indelible feature of the human condition?
May 24, 2012
With Age Comes…Success in Battle?
New research suggests that in wartime, people tend to prefer leaders with older looking faces.Brian R. Spisak argues that ancestrally, older age tended to come with greater status, rank, and dominance, which are traits that would have correlated with success in battle.
May 7, 2012
Pinker, Politics, and the Decline of Violence: Roundtable on “The Better Angels of Our Nature”
This year's meeting of the International Studies Association featured a panel organized exclusively around Steven Pinker's book. Steven Pinker's book, "The Better Angels of Our Nature," has been getting substantial media attention this year, and it makes what many see as a surprising and counterintuitive claim about the decline of violence in human evolutionary history. Now, the academics weigh in. This year's meeting of the International Studies Association featured a panel organized exclusively around Pinker's book.
Mar 27, 2012
Of Chimps and Men: War In Evolutionary Perspective
Evolutionary theory as a lens with which to investigate the origins and psychological mechanisms of war. Partly stemming from misapplication of metaphors such as "survival of the fittest" and the "struggle for survival," it was assumed that Darwinian processes could only produce selfish individuals that care not for the welfare of others. In the case of coalitional violence, early ethologists argued that chimpanzees and humans naturally strive to dominate each other and that aggression is the inevitable consequence of competitive social environments.
Feb 27, 2012
Politics, In Your Face
Ever get the feeling when you meet someone for the first time, that there is just something about this person you really don't like? Although most of the time we are not consciously aware of it when it happens, humans pay great attention to facial features when evaluating who to trust, who not to trust, the desirability of a mate, and even the potential efficacy of political leaders.
Feb 11, 2012
Adaptationism and the Study of Political Behavior
For millennia, group boundaries have organized our identities, motivated allegiances, and inspired feats of coordination the likes of which are unparalleled in the animal kingdom.We hypothesize that psychological adaptations exist that structure the way we think about groups, and that regulate cooperative and competitive behavior in the context of specific coalitional dynamics; specifically, we argue that humans are endowed with an evolved “coalitional psychology.”
Feb 9, 2012
Natural Security: Evolutionary Insights For 21st Century Threats
The core idea is to use insights from biology and evolution to tackle an empirical challenge we face in the real worldThe Natural Security project uses similar evolutionary principles to offer a fresh perspective on our understanding of security threats, as well as to design effective responses to those threats. While evolution may seem to be a simplistic paradigm, especially applied to complex issues such as human conflict, this simplicity is its power.
Feb 9, 2012
Natural Security: Evolutionary Insights For 21st Century Threats
The core idea is to use insights from biology and evolution to tackle an empirical challenge we face in the real worldThe Natural Security project uses similar evolutionary principles to offer a fresh perspective on our understanding of security threats, as well as to design effective responses to those threats. While evolution may seem to be a simplistic paradigm, especially applied to complex issues such as human conflict, this simplicity is its power.
