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William_the_Bloody · 01-09-2016, 08:30 PM

Politics part 1: Human Nature

Question: Is human nature good, evil or somewhere in between?
I shall research the following topics below to come to a conclusion:

1) Studying the zoology of our closest ancestors
2) Looking at scientific studies, in regards to our behavior, in relation to our genetics
3) Looking at some prominent views in psychology, and general events in our history

References will be cited at the bottom

Human Nature part 1: A tale of two chimps.

It has been well over a 150 years since Charles Darwin published his groundbreaking book "The Origin of Species" a book that depicted nature as a brutal environment based on survival of the fittest.

As consequence, the sinister ideology of Social Darwinism would take western civilazation by storm by the late 19th century, culminating in the outbreak of two world wars, in an era where eugenics was all the rage amongst western intellectuals.

But are the Social Darwinists right? Is humankind generally based on survival of the fittest? To come to a conclusion on this issue, I've chosen to research are two closest ancestors, the Bonobo and the Chimpanzee.

The chimpanzee:

Whether you are a an evolutionist, creationist, or somewhere in between, you cannot deny the fact that approximately 98.8% of our DNA is shared with Chimpanzees. So taking this into considering, it is fair to say that analyzing their social structure and behavior can give us some insight into our own, so this is what is they have to offer....

• Chimpanzees are natural born killers, Competing groups of the animals go to war over resources such as territory, food and mates. Targeted males and their infants are slaughtered and the females are usually cohabited into the group for reproductive purposes.

• It's often packs of males who outnumber the other males (think of jocks beating up the emo kid), and it is not necessarily because food resources are low, but rather because the consequences of killing and taking their land is low.

• Chimps are extremely territorial, better territory means better food and a longer lifespan

• Chimps also appear to be naturally xenophobic, as they are altruistic to those who share genetic similarities within their group, but are more inclined to hunt and kill Chimpanzees that show genetic differences from them.

• Alongside wolves and humans chimpanzees are one of the few animals who have been witnessed to carry out full scale genocide.

• Chimpanzee societies are based on hierarchical patriarchies were females are often victims of physical abuse (sometimes beaten with branches or clubs)

• In turn high prized female chimps are normally attracted to the most dominant males that protect them.

(Depressed yet? Well it's not all bad)

Human chimps have been able to show high degrees of altruism. Showing acts of kindness, helping strangers, mourning the dead, and even a sense of fairness in regards to equality.

Thankfully we are just as related to another ape.

The Bonobo:

The recent decoding of the Bonobo genome has revealed that this ape is now on par with Chimpanzees as our closet genetic relatives, which is a good thing, considering there are significant differences in the behaviors of these two species.

An endangered species known as the hippy ape for its kind and gentle qualities. Here is what they have to offer...

• Little violence or warfare occurs amongst the Bonobos

• Bonobos show a high degree of altruism, helping out others even when there is no personal gain to be had.

• They tend to be less xenophobic approaching and sharing their food with strangers who share less in genetic similarity.

• They often locate themselves in area with an abundant food source & tend to be less territorial

• They often form matriarchal or equal societies, and there is no evidence of rape or spousal abuse

• Bonobos have lots and lots of sex, and females may have many partners thereby reducing male aggression within the society

and the sex may be the key to their peaceful co-existance , as scientists theorize that the reason Bonobos could be less violent than Chimpanzees, is that the women are estrus (horny) for 27% of their lifespan where as Chimpanzees females are horny for a mere 5% of their lifespan making the mating competition extremely intensive.

This begs the question? Could a more sexually liberated society result in a more peaceful one? I know I've painted a bit of a Darth Vader & Luke Skywalker picture of the two apes but I'll leave my conclusions until the end. Next up part 2.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/11102823/Chimps-and-humans-both-natural-born-killers.html

DNA: Comparing Humans and Chimps

Chimpanzees and the Battle Over Human Nature | National Geographic (blogs)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0625112010.htm

Chimps learn compassionate behaviour from each other, just like humans | Daily Mail Online

Like Humans, Chimps Show Selfless Behaviors | Chimpanzees Show Altruistic Behaviors | Evolution of Human Altruism

Selfless Chimps Shed Light on Evolution of Altruism

Chimps Value Fairness | Ultimatum Game

Do chimpanzees care about fairness? The jury

Animal social justice: Equality in bonobos, chimps, monkeys, lions, baboons.

Bonobos Join Chimps as Closest Human Relatives | Science/AAAS | News

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/sc...obos.html?_r=0

Endangered Bonobos Reveal Evolution of Human Kindness

Does Chimp Warfare Explain Our Sense of Good and Evil? - The Atlantic

The loving bonobos and the genocidal chimpanzees -- how are humans related to these, our closest genetic relatives?

Do Bonobos And Chimpanzees Offer A Path To Understanding Human Behavior? : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR

Bonobo Sexuality

01-09-2016, 08:30 PM	#18 (permalink)
William_the_Bloody Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Sunnydale Cemetary Posts: 2,093	Politics part 1: Human Nature Question: Is human nature good, evil or somewhere in between? I shall research the following topics below to come to a conclusion: 1) Studying the zoology of our closest ancestors 2) Looking at scientific studies, in regards to our behavior, in relation to our genetics 3) Looking at some prominent views in psychology, and general events in our history References will be cited at the bottom Human Nature part 1: A tale of two chimps. It has been well over a 150 years since Charles Darwin published his groundbreaking book "The Origin of Species" a book that depicted nature as a brutal environment based on survival of the fittest. As consequence, the sinister ideology of Social Darwinism would take western civilazation by storm by the late 19th century, culminating in the outbreak of two world wars, in an era where eugenics was all the rage amongst western intellectuals. But are the Social Darwinists right? Is humankind generally based on survival of the fittest? To come to a conclusion on this issue, I've chosen to research are two closest ancestors, the Bonobo and the Chimpanzee. The chimpanzee: Whether you are a an evolutionist, creationist, or somewhere in between, you cannot deny the fact that approximately 98.8% of our DNA is shared with Chimpanzees. So taking this into considering, it is fair to say that analyzing their social structure and behavior can give us some insight into our own, so this is what is they have to offer.... • Chimpanzees are natural born killers, Competing groups of the animals go to war over resources such as territory, food and mates. Targeted males and their infants are slaughtered and the females are usually cohabited into the group for reproductive purposes. • It's often packs of males who outnumber the other males (think of jocks beating up the emo kid), and it is not necessarily because food resources are low, but rather because the consequences of killing and taking their land is low. • Chimps are extremely territorial, better territory means better food and a longer lifespan • Chimps also appear to be naturally xenophobic, as they are altruistic to those who share genetic similarities within their group, but are more inclined to hunt and kill Chimpanzees that show genetic differences from them. • Alongside wolves and humans chimpanzees are one of the few animals who have been witnessed to carry out full scale genocide. • Chimpanzee societies are based on hierarchical patriarchies were females are often victims of physical abuse (sometimes beaten with branches or clubs) • In turn high prized female chimps are normally attracted to the most dominant males that protect them. (Depressed yet? Well it's not all bad) Human chimps have been able to show high degrees of altruism. Showing acts of kindness, helping strangers, mourning the dead, and even a sense of fairness in regards to equality. Thankfully we are just as related to another ape. The Bonobo: The recent decoding of the Bonobo genome has revealed that this ape is now on par with Chimpanzees as our closet genetic relatives, which is a good thing, considering there are significant differences in the behaviors of these two species. An endangered species known as the hippy ape for its kind and gentle qualities. Here is what they have to offer... • Little violence or warfare occurs amongst the Bonobos • Bonobos show a high degree of altruism, helping out others even when there is no personal gain to be had. • They tend to be less xenophobic approaching and sharing their food with strangers who share less in genetic similarity. • They often locate themselves in area with an abundant food source & tend to be less territorial • They often form matriarchal or equal societies, and there is no evidence of rape or spousal abuse • Bonobos have lots and lots of sex, and females may have many partners thereby reducing male aggression within the society and the sex may be the key to their peaceful co-existance , as scientists theorize that the reason Bonobos could be less violent than Chimpanzees, is that the women are estrus (horny) for 27% of their lifespan where as Chimpanzees females are horny for a mere 5% of their lifespan making the mating competition extremely intensive. This begs the question? Could a more sexually liberated society result in a more peaceful one? I know I've painted a bit of a Darth Vader & Luke Skywalker picture of the two apes but I'll leave my conclusions until the end. Next up part 2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/11102823/Chimps-and-humans-both-natural-born-killers.html DNA: Comparing Humans and Chimps Chimpanzees and the Battle Over Human Nature \| National Geographic (blogs) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0625112010.htm Chimps learn compassionate behaviour from each other, just like humans \| Daily Mail Online Like Humans, Chimps Show Selfless Behaviors \| Chimpanzees Show Altruistic Behaviors \| Evolution of Human Altruism Selfless Chimps Shed Light on Evolution of Altruism Chimps Value Fairness \| Ultimatum Game Do chimpanzees care about fairness? The jury Animal social justice: Equality in bonobos, chimps, monkeys, lions, baboons. Bonobos Join Chimps as Closest Human Relatives \| Science/AAAS \| News http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/sc...obos.html?_r=0 Endangered Bonobos Reveal Evolution of Human Kindness Does Chimp Warfare Explain Our Sense of Good and Evil? - The Atlantic The loving bonobos and the genocidal chimpanzees -- how are humans related to these, our closest genetic relatives? Do Bonobos And Chimpanzees Offer A Path To Understanding Human Behavior? : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR Bonobo Sexuality