"The Fitness of Human Nature" Responses

1.)    What does Wilson mean by the term “kin selection?”  What evolutionary factors have lead people to feel altruistic toward members of their own family?

When Wilson talks about kin selection, he is referring to the effect that genes have on the individual and their genetic relatives.  Family members have become altruistic by sacrificing their own wants or needs for the sake of a relative.  This is an extremely unselfish move that can stifle one of the members reproductively, while enabling the other.

2.)    What are the basic differences in mating strategies between males and females?  How have these differences, according to Wilson, led to certain differences between male and female human nature?

Males, biologically speaking, have a motive of reproducing with as many women as possible because they do not have a limit or time-clock.  Women are more selective because they have a set number of years that they can reproduce and each pregnancy takes up nine months.  This has led to men being more likely to mate with whoever, whenever.  It has also led to women being coyer and looking for proper traits before settling.

3.)    Why, according to Wilson, are humans tribal and territorial?  Are these traits that can be altered, or does Wilson present them as inherent parts of our psychological make-up?  Explain.

Humans are tribal and territorial because they want to ensure their survival and future reproductive potential.  A scarcity of resources leads to territorialism.  At times, this can lead to war, but Wilson says that this does not have to be the outcome.  While it is part of our psychological make-up to be territorial, he says that war is cultural in origin.

4.)    What does Wilson say lies behind the human desire to cooperate and make agreements with other human beings?  Why do we act altruistically toward people who are not closely related to us and do not therefor carry any of our genes?

Wilson seems to take a rather negative perspective when it comes to human motives.  He believes that the reason we cooperate and make agreements is for the sake of our own self-interests.  We are motivated to respond in a way that will benefit ourselves and our close kin.  He says we act altruistically toward people who are not close kin because of long-term contracts.