4 ms·

This is addressed in the article: "Mating psychology may not be that malleable." i.e. Biology.

Anderkent 9y ago
Of course that's not necessarily a bad state. Sociology is fixed, biology is mutable - http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/09/10/society-is-fixed-biology-is-mutable/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/09/10/society-is-fixed-biolog...
mannykannot 9y ago
Biological explanations for social phenomena are generally frowned upon these days, and they certainly have a poor track record, historically.
- ghostcluster 9y ago
  Both mating and sexual selection are fundamentally biological issues. > they certainly have a poor track record, historically Evolution: a biological explanation for a social phenomena with a poor track record, historically
- dwaltrip 9y ago
  Is mate selection primarily a social phenomenon?
- SamReidHughes 9y ago
  Um, no? Biological explanations work great. Want to explain the social phenomenon of people going home every night? It's biology: they have to sleep. Want to explain why people smoke? They're addicted. Want to explain why grown up adoptees behave more like their biological parents than their adoptive parents? Genetics.
  - mannykannot 9y ago
    I probably should have put 'explanations' in quotes, because I was thinking of the bogus 'biological' just-so stories that have frequently been advanced in the past to 'explain' why women should not or can not do this or that, and the alleged inferiority of various ethnic groups. It is somewhat moot, however, as my comment is mostly about contemporary mores regarding the use of biological explanations (or 'explanations'), though perhaps I was not explicit enough. I don't know enough to have a definite opinion as to whether, or to what extent, biological explanations apply in this case.
  - raincom 9y ago
    The parent is hinting at sociobiology. Similarly in biology, we have -nomics: trying to explain every biological phenomenon with genes. See Sydney Brenner's criticism on the latter as well.

Of course that's not necessarily a bad state. Sociology is fixed, biology is mutable - http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/09/10/society-is-fixed-biology-is-mutable/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/09/10/society-is-fixed-biolog...

mannykannot 9y ago

Biological explanations for social phenomena are generally frowned upon these days, and they certainly have a poor track record, historically.

ghostcluster 9y ago
Both mating and sexual selection are fundamentally biological issues. > they certainly have a poor track record, historically Evolution: a biological explanation for a social phenomena with a poor track record, historically
dwaltrip 9y ago
Is mate selection primarily a social phenomenon?
SamReidHughes 9y ago
Um, no? Biological explanations work great. Want to explain the social phenomenon of people going home every night? It's biology: they have to sleep. Want to explain why people smoke? They're addicted. Want to explain why grown up adoptees behave more like their biological parents than their adoptive parents? Genetics.
- mannykannot 9y ago
  I probably should have put 'explanations' in quotes, because I was thinking of the bogus 'biological' just-so stories that have frequently been advanced in the past to 'explain' why women should not or can not do this or that, and the alleged inferiority of various ethnic groups. It is somewhat moot, however, as my comment is mostly about contemporary mores regarding the use of biological explanations (or 'explanations'), though perhaps I was not explicit enough. I don't know enough to have a definite opinion as to whether, or to what extent, biological explanations apply in this case.
- raincom 9y ago
  The parent is hinting at sociobiology. Similarly in biology, we have -nomics: trying to explain every biological phenomenon with genes. See Sydney Brenner's criticism on the latter as well.