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opiate69

(10,129 posts)
Sat Oct 27, 2012, 12:34 AM Oct 2012

Evolutionary Psychology and anti-intellectualism. [View all]

I've noticed from time to time, the utter disdain some of our radfem friends have for the field of Evolutionary Psychology. Now, being a huge fan of Anthropology as well as Psychology as academic pursuits, I always thought the concepts were pretty sound. Upon doing further research, I discovered that while the field can trace it roots back to Darwin, there is a more modern movement afoot. At the risk of falling into an appeal to authority fallacy black hole, I further discovered that the two people considered as the "founders" of the modern EvoPsych field are a married couple, Leda Cosmides and John Tooby, who have their Harvard PhDs in Cognitive Psychology and Biological Anthropology, respectively. Not exactly what I, or any other serious person, would consider "woo." So, where exactly does this anti-intellectual hatred for the field come from? Now, admittedly, I probably did study some of this material back when I thought it would be neat to get a degree in Clinical Psychology, but didn't realize there was a separate field apart from Anthropology, but I'm not 100% up to speed on everything about the field. Does seem to have some damned fine credentials behind it though (Twisty's derision notwithstanding lol)

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Because it's madness- sheer madness!- to suggest there may be evolutionary or biological drivers in Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #1
Gah! rrneck Oct 2012 #5
It does seem to be... opiate69 Oct 2012 #6
Yeah.. Upton Oct 2012 #7
The woo spewed against evolutionary psych is insane hifiguy Oct 2012 #15
"The one core fact about science and the scientific method . . . " 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #25
You might say that. hifiguy Oct 2012 #28
*groan* iuzyp Oct 2012 #2
"chock up"? Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #3
*snork*!!! Oh, and... Hi again, iverglas! opiate69 Oct 2012 #4
You can't win, Darth Major Nikon Oct 2012 #10
More like this: Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #11
Same thing Major Nikon Oct 2012 #12
Another one bites the dust: hifiguy Oct 2012 #16
Can't tell if that rant is real or parody. caseymoz Oct 2012 #13
Fundamentalists of all stripes reject science 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #8
Too true, 4thLaw.. too true opiate69 Oct 2012 #9
I think they don't like it . . . caseymoz Oct 2012 #14
evo psych (sociobiology) is mostly bullshit Mosby Oct 2012 #17
Oh, well.... Mosby sez so, so it must be trufax!!! opiate69 Oct 2012 #18
some links Mosby Oct 2012 #19
Hmm... ok.. opiate69 Oct 2012 #20
Yeah. I know for a fucking FACT that alcoholism has a genetic and physiological component. Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #24
Why am I not surprised that an ax-grinder is at the base of this? hifiguy Oct 2012 #29
Are you suggesting that men don't have the capacity to understand it? lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #21
I'm posting from my phone Mosby Oct 2012 #22
There's plenty of social science concepts which can't be effectively tested Major Nikon Oct 2012 #23
Many disciplines can't be based on experimentation 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #27
some things are very hard or nearly impossibe to test Mosby Oct 2012 #30
I think you are grievously misunderstanding what evo-psych 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #35
I think it's safe to agree that psychology, evolutionary or otherwise, is a soft science. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #31
Well said, jeff. hifiguy Oct 2012 #32
psychology does cover a lot of ground these days Mosby Oct 2012 #33
I think the analogies between psychology and environmental science are apt. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #34
The genetic component would be neuro-science 4th law of robotics Nov 2012 #36
Claim: evo-psych is bullshit 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #26
This is the stuff that makes people think it's okay to cover up or apologize for child abusers, huh? Warren DeMontague Nov 2012 #37
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