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NatureVersusNurture

AInthesummerof1994Timemagazinescoverstoryfeaturedascientifictaleaboutthegenetic

underpinningsofhumaninfidelity.Incaseyoumissedit,itwentsomethinglikethis:Theindividual’s

mostbasicdriveinvolvesinsuringthattheirgeneticcodessurvivedeath,totransfergenesintothenext

generation.Menandwomenarebynaturesupposedlyfairlypromiscuousapes.Mencansireasmany

childrenastheylike.Whilewomen,ontheotherhand,arelimitedbytheirabilitytogenerallybearone

childayearbutwilldowhateverittakestoguaranteethesurvivaloftheiroffspring,includingtricking

supportivemenintoraisinganothermaleschild.

Thisisbutthelatestcontroversysurroundinghumansbestialoriginsandtraits,anissueunderlyingthe

gapbetweenthehumanitiesandthesciences.Asrecentlyas1993,morethanhalftheAmerican

publicstillbelievedthattheideaofhumansdevelopingfromearlieranimalspecieswasprobablyor

definitelynottrue!Nowadayssociobiologyandpsychobiologyhauntthesocialsciencesastheytiltthe

nature-nurtureequationofhumanfatetowarturalexplanations.

BAccordingtoRichardDawkins,theultimategoalofthegameoflifeistheimmortalityofones

information.Thisinformationisoftwoforms:thegenetic,theprogrammingofones,andthe

memetic,theunitsofmentalinformationindividualspassonintheirculture.Wearesurvival

machines,hewritesinTheSelfishGene,robotvehiclesblindlyprogrammedtopreservetheselfish

moleculesknownasgenes.Andjustasgenespropagatethemselvesinthegenepoolbyleapingfrom

bodytobodyviaspermsoreggs,somemespropagatethemselvesinthememepoolbyleapingfrom