Darwin-L Message Log 1:18 (September 1993)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<1:18>From stcmille@panix.com  Sun Sep  5 17:54:11 1993

From: Cheese Miller <stcmille@panix.com>
Subject: Re: Evolutionary Psychology
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 1993 18:56:15 -0400 (EDT)

Just a note about Evolutionary Psychology, spcificaly about the book,
(The Adapted Mind, edited by J. Barkow, L. Cosmedes and J. Tooby; Oxford
University Press, 1992), which seems to be the focus of much of the
discussion I've seen of this topic.

I agree that what they are calling Evolutionary Psychology is highly
worth doing - its almost like a GUT for the social sciences - or at
least a certain very interesting corner of them.  The introduction to
the book is particularly interesting and provocative, pointing to new
directions fusing psychology and evolution.  The postscript, too, is
interesting.  The problem comes in the middle.  That is, the theoretical
stuff is very nice, but my sampling of the many papers in this book did
not impress me overly.  I thought they resembled finely tuned
sociobiology, actually.

I'm looking forward to getting back to this interesting book.  But the
GUT for the social sciences has not been achieved.  Maybe some people
have glimpsed what it might look like.  But I'm a  little skeptical.

=Steve

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