Death, Hope and Sex Steps to an Evolutionary Ecology of Mind and Morality [Paperback]

Fascinating and controversial examination of how evolutionary theory sheds light on human nature using reproductive issues as a focus.Death, Hope and Sex examines how and why human nature is what it is, following evoutionary theory to its logical conclusion. Uniquely focussing on reproductive strategies as contingent on environmental risk and uncertainties, James Chisholm sheds new light on teen pregnancy, young male violence and risk-taking and provides an evolutionary rationale for valuing human rights equality and freedom. Bridging the gap between the social and biological sciences, this far-reaching volume will be a source of inspiration, debate and discussion for all those interested in the evolution of human nature.Death, Hope and Sex examines how and why human nature is what it is, following evoutionary theory to its logical conclusion. Uniquely focussing on reproductive strategies as contingent on environmental risk and uncertainties, James Chisholm sheds new light on teen pregnancy, young male violence and risk-taking and provides an evolutionary rationale for valuing human rights equality and freedom. Bridging the gap between the social and biological sciences, this far-reaching volume will be a source of inspiration, debate and discussion for all those interested in the evolution of human nature.By showing how and why human nature is what it is, evolutionary theory can help us see better what we need to do to improve the human condition. Following evolutionary theory to its logical conclusion, Death, Hope and Sex uses life history theory and attachment theory to construct a model of human nature in which critical features are understood in terms of the development of alternative reproductive strategies contingent on environmental risk and uncertainty. James Chisholm examines the implications of this model for perspectives on concerns associated with human reproduction, including teen pregnancy, and young male violence. He thus develops new approaches for lC