On Human Nature: The Biology and Sociology of What Made Us Human

Cover
Endorsements
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Illustrations
Tables
Boxes
Preface
Acknowledgment
1: Humans by Nature?
	Approaches to Understanding Human Nature
		Searching for Human Universals
		Darwinian Selection and Biological Analyses
		Sociobiology and Genic Selection
		Evolutionary Psychology
		Some More Purely Sociological Approaches
		Gerhard Lenski\'s Evolutionary-Ecological Approach
		Speculations in Sociological and Related Social Science \"Theories\"
		Christian Smith\'s Analysis of \"Personhood\"
		Nicholas A. Christakis\'s \"Social Suite\" of Universals Necessary for Societies
	What Is Human Nature vs. What Are the Outcomes of This Nature?
	Conclusion
2: Before Humans
	The Power of Cladistic Analysis
	Monkeys and Great Apes
	Why Are Monkeys and Apes So Organizationally Different?
	The Liabilities of Being a Great Ape
	Preadaptations and Behavioral Capacities
		Preadaptations
		Behavioral Capacities and Propensities
	Conclusion
	Notes
3: Why Humans Became the Most Emotional Animals on Earth
	Natural Selection and the Forces of Evolution
	Natural Selection and Emotions
		Expanding the Range of Variations of \"Primary Emotions\"
		First-Order Elaborations of Primary Emotions
	The Language of Emotions
		Additional Preadaptations for Spoken Language
		Brain Growth, Second-Order Elaborations of Emotions, Spoken Language, and Culture
	Conclusion
	Notes
4: Why and How Did the Human Family Evolve?
	Community as the Structural Basis of Social Organization
		Community as the Natural Social Form
		Low Levels of Grooming and Reliance on Cognitive Mapping
	Life History Characteristics of Great Apes
	Mother-Infant Bonds
	Lack of a Harem Pattern in Mating
	Play among Young Mammals
	The Evolution of the Nuclear Family
		The Primal, Pre-Kinship \"Horde\"
		From Horde to Nuclear Family
	Conclusions
	Note
5: Interpersonal Skills for Species Survival
	Inherited Capacities for Interaction and Solidarity
		Early Imitation of Facial Gestures Revealing Emotions
		Reading of Face and Eyes
		Capacities for Role-Taking and Empathizing
		Rhythmic Synchronization of Interaction
		Collective Emotional Effervescence
	Seeing Self as an Object
	Reciprocity and Calculations of Justice
		Exchange and Reciprocity
		Calculations of Justice
	The Capacity to Make Attributions
	Fluid and Episodic Hierarchies
	Friendship and Fellowship Behaviors
	Conclusion
	Note
6: The Elaboration of Humans\' Inherited Nature
	The Vulnerability of Hominins and Early Humans
	Separating the Biological from Cultural
	Brain Growth, Speech, and Culture as an \"Elaboration Machine\"
	Conclusion: Visualizing the Evolved Nature of Humans
7: The Evolved Cognitive Complex and Human Nature
	The Nature of Brain Functioning during Action and Interaction
	Still Foundational Insights into Cognitive Functioning from Early Theorists
		Mind and Thinking
		Significant Symbols, Mind, and Role-Taking
		Emotions, Cognitions, and Self
		Cognitive Capacities, Self, Emotions, and Defense Mechanisms
	Ordering Stocks of Knowledge Used in Interaction
		The Emotional Basis of Memory and Experience in Ordering Cognitions
		Ordering Memories and Creating Stocks of Knowledge at Hand
		Future/Potential Salience as an Ordering Mechanism
		Abstraction and Response Generalization as Ordering Mechanisms
		Framing as an Ordering Mechanism
		\"Chunking\" Information as an Ordering Mechanism
		Gestalt Dynamics as Ordering Mechanisms
		Cognitive Congruence and Consistency
		Contrast-Conceptions
		Expectation States
		Attributions
	Conclusion
8: The Evolved Emotions Complex and Human Nature
	Brain Growth, Language and Speech, Culture, and the Elaboration of Emotions
	Emotions and Reflexivity
	Emotions and Social Control
	Emotions and Self
	Emotions and Social Structures
	Conclusion: The Emotions Complex
9: The Evolved Psychology Complex and Human Nature
	Need-States to Verify Levels of Identity Formation
		Person or Core Identities
		Categoric-Unit Identities
		Corporate-Unit Identities
		Role Identities
		The Loose Hierarchy of Human Identities
	Need-States for Positive Exchange Payoffs Perceived as Fair
	Need-States for a Sense of Efficacy
	Need-States for a Sense of Group Inclusion
	Need-States for Cognitive and Emotional Congruence
	Need-States for Sense of Trust
	Need-States for Experiencing Positive Emotions
	Conclusion: The Evolved Psychology Complex
10: The Evolved Interaction Complex and Human Nature
	Elements of the Evolved Interaction Complex
		Evolved Capacities for Identity Formation and the Presentation of Self
		The Evolved Complexity of Role-Taking and \"Theory of Mind\"
		Role-Taking and Role-Making
		Status-Taking and Status-Making
		Identity-Taking and Identity-Making
		Structure-Taking and Structure-Making
		Culture-Taking and Culture-Making
		Situation-Taking and Situation-Making
		Emotion-Taking and Emotion-Making
		Framing and Interaction
		Erving Goffman Simplified
		Keying and Rekeying of Frames
		Frame-Taking and Frame-Making
		Language, Rhythmic Synchronization, Ritualizing, Totemizing, and Exchange
		Language and Rhythmic Synchronization
		Shorter-Term Rituals
		Longer-Term Interaction Rituals
		Totemizing
		Exchange
	Conclusion: The Evolved Interaction Complex
11: The Evolved Community Complex and Human Nature
	Community as the Basic Organizational Units of Great Apes and Hominins
	Inherited Traits and Effects of the \"Elaboration Machine\"
	Conclusion: The Elaborated Community Complex
12: Human Nature and the Evolution of Mega Societies
	Human Nature and the \"Social Cages\" Created during Societal Evolution
	Why Do Humans Prefer Modernity?
	Human Nature and Species Survival
	More Misery for Humans, Masquerading as Technological \"Advancement\"
	Recapturing Our Humanity in Complex Societies
Bibliography
Subject Index
Name Index