Horny Monkeys R Us

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Robert Wright

The Moral Animal - Why we are the way we are: The new science of evolutionary psychology
(Vintage)

The basic premise behind the (somewhat ironically) titled Moral Animal is this: The human brain is far too complex and well adapted to come about by accident. You can't accept that everything in creation (irony intended) is the end result of millions of years of evolution except the human brain. Uh, uh. The 2 kg mass of grey matter is the only reason us hairless apes are on top of the food chain, feverishly breeding like cockroaches in a garbage dump. Simply put, it's the ultimate evolutionary weapon.

The genetic imperative and human behaviour isn't a new idea: the third Reich were pretty hep on their own twisted interpretation of Social Darwinism (as are the Tory youth who debate outside the VOX office on a daily basis). So it's no wonder that in the last twenty years scientists have adopted a new name (evolutionary psychology) and armed themselves with an arsenal of modern research methods designed to empirically illustrate that all of us are nothing but horny monkeys with a thinly veiled "To Do" list: "1. Maximize reproductive opportunity; 2. Get laid." Happiness, art and all other intellectual pursuits are filler: stuff that helps us survive or get better reproductive opportunities (like a better way to kill mammoths.) Your genes don't care how happy you are, they'd just like to make it to the next generation.

Robert Wright's book is a very readable, cohesive outline of the new "world-view" research scientists have taken in the area of evolutionary psychology/socio-biology. As the sub-title explains Wright sets out to examine the "way we are," (or the way we believe we are) and looks at the behaviour, or the genetic self- interest, that lead to this state of affairs. The questions posed are intriguing and fascinating, even for those who have never lingered on the Discovery channel: Are men and women really built for monogamy? (No.) Is hierarchy inherent in human society? (Yes.) Are we prisoners of our gender? (Yes.) Is intellectual honesty possible? (Yes, but difficult.)

The result of this book is a ruthlessly logical essay that peels off the thin veneers of culture and emotion to reveal what Wright believes are the genetic roots of our behaviour and resulting social systems. By way of example he cleverly uses the life and times of Charles Darwin, both as a history of "Darwinism" and an examination of Victorian England and Darwin's own prolific life-time - historical snap-shots of gussied up monkeys on the make.

Controversial is perhaps a somewhat mild way to gauge Wright's approach. His calculated approach and smooth narrative belie the fact that much of what is presented is subject to interpretation and the object of considerable debate within the communities he is surveying. His own agenda is written between the lines, but as a conservative thinker the critical reader will challenge some of the context while relishing in the ideas. The ideas are very big.

So why do we act the way we do? The answers presented in this book are unsettling to say the least. If Wright is right (heh, heh), then morality, reason, art - all the trappings we use to elevate our status in creation - are a sham. A behavioural exercise carefully perpetrated by our smirking genes, confident of seeing another generation. This book might change your life.

Don McSwiney

http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/students/VOX/Books/Moralanimal.htm

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