Richard Swinburne (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197264898
- eISBN:
- 9780191754074
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264898.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
Do humans have a free choice of which actions to perform? Three recent developments of modern science can help us to answer this question. First, new investigative tools have enabled us to study the ...
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Do humans have a free choice of which actions to perform? Three recent developments of modern science can help us to answer this question. First, new investigative tools have enabled us to study the processes in our brains which accompanying our decisions. The pioneer work of Benjamin Libet has led many neuroscientists to hold the view that our conscious intentions do not cause our bodily movements but merely accompany them. Then, Quantum Theory suggests that not all physical events are fully determined by their causes, and so opens the possibility that not all brain events may be fully determined by their causes, and so maybe — if neuroscience does not rule this out — there is a role for intentions after all. Finally, a theorem of mathematics, Gödel's theory, has been interpreted to suggest that the initial conditions and laws of development of a mathematician's brain could not fully determine which mathematical conjectures he sees to be true. The extent to which human behaviour is determined by brain events may well depend on whether conscious events, such as intentions, are themselves merely brain events, or whether they are separate events which interact with brain events (perhaps in the radical form that intentions are events in our soul, and not in our body). This book considers what kind of free will we need in order to be morally responsible for our actions or be held guilty in a court of law. Is it sufficient merely that our actions are uncaused by brain events?Less
Do humans have a free choice of which actions to perform? Three recent developments of modern science can help us to answer this question. First, new investigative tools have enabled us to study the processes in our brains which accompanying our decisions. The pioneer work of Benjamin Libet has led many neuroscientists to hold the view that our conscious intentions do not cause our bodily movements but merely accompany them. Then, Quantum Theory suggests that not all physical events are fully determined by their causes, and so opens the possibility that not all brain events may be fully determined by their causes, and so maybe — if neuroscience does not rule this out — there is a role for intentions after all. Finally, a theorem of mathematics, Gödel's theory, has been interpreted to suggest that the initial conditions and laws of development of a mathematician's brain could not fully determine which mathematical conjectures he sees to be true. The extent to which human behaviour is determined by brain events may well depend on whether conscious events, such as intentions, are themselves merely brain events, or whether they are separate events which interact with brain events (perhaps in the radical form that intentions are events in our soul, and not in our body). This book considers what kind of free will we need in order to be morally responsible for our actions or be held guilty in a court of law. Is it sufficient merely that our actions are uncaused by brain events?
Doreen Kimura
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195054927
- eISBN:
- 9780199872268
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195054927.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Neuropsychology
Using two decades worth of research with patients who have experienced pathology in one hemisphere of the brain, this book deals with brain mechanisms in human communicative behavior, and with ...
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Using two decades worth of research with patients who have experienced pathology in one hemisphere of the brain, this book deals with brain mechanisms in human communicative behavior, and with related motor functions from a broadly biological point of view. The book discusses the possible evolutionary origins of human communication, the relation of brain mechanisms in communicative behavior to analogous nonhuman behaviors, and the neural systems involved in various levels and kinds of communication. Noncommunicative mechanisms which parallel those used in communication are outlined in detail. Individual differences in brain organization for some functions are also explored. New data is presented along with the theoretical treatment of human communication, which emphasizes a behavioral rather than a linguistic approach.Less
Using two decades worth of research with patients who have experienced pathology in one hemisphere of the brain, this book deals with brain mechanisms in human communicative behavior, and with related motor functions from a broadly biological point of view. The book discusses the possible evolutionary origins of human communication, the relation of brain mechanisms in communicative behavior to analogous nonhuman behaviors, and the neural systems involved in various levels and kinds of communication. Noncommunicative mechanisms which parallel those used in communication are outlined in detail. Individual differences in brain organization for some functions are also explored. New data is presented along with the theoretical treatment of human communication, which emphasizes a behavioral rather than a linguistic approach.
Nikolas Rose and Joelle M. Abi-Rached
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691149608
- eISBN:
- 9781400846337
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691149608.003.0007
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Development
This chapter examines the arguments that claim that human antisocial behavior—notably impulsivity, aggression, and related forms of criminal conduct—have neurobiological roots. While neurobiological ...
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This chapter examines the arguments that claim that human antisocial behavior—notably impulsivity, aggression, and related forms of criminal conduct—have neurobiological roots. While neurobiological evidence from genomics or functional brain imaging is likely to have limited traction in the criminal courtroom itself, a new diagram is nonetheless emerging in the criminal justice system as it encounters developments in the neurosciences. This does not entail a challenge to doctrines of free will or an exculpatory argument that “my brain made me do it,” as some have suggested. Rather it is developing around the themes of susceptibility, prediction, and precaution that have come to infuse many aspects of criminal justice systems as they have come to focus on questions of risk—risk assessment, risk management, and risk reduction.Less
This chapter examines the arguments that claim that human antisocial behavior—notably impulsivity, aggression, and related forms of criminal conduct—have neurobiological roots. While neurobiological evidence from genomics or functional brain imaging is likely to have limited traction in the criminal courtroom itself, a new diagram is nonetheless emerging in the criminal justice system as it encounters developments in the neurosciences. This does not entail a challenge to doctrines of free will or an exculpatory argument that “my brain made me do it,” as some have suggested. Rather it is developing around the themes of susceptibility, prediction, and precaution that have come to infuse many aspects of criminal justice systems as they have come to focus on questions of risk—risk assessment, risk management, and risk reduction.
Jaap Goudsmit
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195130348
- eISBN:
- 9780199790166
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195130348.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Microbiology
Rarely have humans been as threatened by viruses as they are today. It almost seems as if a virus invasion is taking place. Viruses have lately been coming out of nowhere and appearing in the ...
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Rarely have humans been as threatened by viruses as they are today. It almost seems as if a virus invasion is taking place. Viruses have lately been coming out of nowhere and appearing in the strangest places — exotic viruses about which no one had ever heard before. Many human viruses have started out in the animal world. Are these viruses maybe escaping from their natural hosts? Are human beings simply available as easy prey? Why is all this happening now, and what does it mean for our future? What can we do to defend ourselves? This book addresses viral adaptation as a general phenomenon and examines the implications for public health of human behavior altering viral ecosystems. This book discusses the phenomenon of viral emergence.Less
Rarely have humans been as threatened by viruses as they are today. It almost seems as if a virus invasion is taking place. Viruses have lately been coming out of nowhere and appearing in the strangest places — exotic viruses about which no one had ever heard before. Many human viruses have started out in the animal world. Are these viruses maybe escaping from their natural hosts? Are human beings simply available as easy prey? Why is all this happening now, and what does it mean for our future? What can we do to defend ourselves? This book addresses viral adaptation as a general phenomenon and examines the implications for public health of human behavior altering viral ecosystems. This book discusses the phenomenon of viral emergence.
Emilie M. Hafner-Burton
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691155357
- eISBN:
- 9781400846283
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691155357.003.0005
- Subject:
- Law, EU Law
This chapter reviews scholarly research on international human rights law, focusing on systematic studies that are based on historical statistics and carried out by social scientists. The systematic, ...
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This chapter reviews scholarly research on international human rights law, focusing on systematic studies that are based on historical statistics and carried out by social scientists. The systematic, scholarly study of international human rights law can be grouped into two main categories. First are studies on the process of international law, such as on how judges in human rights tribunals make decisions. Second are studies that look for relationships between the presence of law (and laws of different types) and actual changes in human behavior. The chapter concentrates on the second category of research and highlights its main weaknesses. It also discusses some of the findings of statistical research regarding civil and political rights as well as economic, social, and cultural rights. Finally, it examines the mechanisms of influence of the international human rights legal system.Less
This chapter reviews scholarly research on international human rights law, focusing on systematic studies that are based on historical statistics and carried out by social scientists. The systematic, scholarly study of international human rights law can be grouped into two main categories. First are studies on the process of international law, such as on how judges in human rights tribunals make decisions. Second are studies that look for relationships between the presence of law (and laws of different types) and actual changes in human behavior. The chapter concentrates on the second category of research and highlights its main weaknesses. It also discusses some of the findings of statistical research regarding civil and political rights as well as economic, social, and cultural rights. Finally, it examines the mechanisms of influence of the international human rights legal system.
Ann E. Cudd
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195187434
- eISBN:
- 9780199786213
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195187431.003.0002
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This chapter characterizes social groups and institutions in a way that meets the plausible objections of individualists, yet allows a social explanation of oppression. Topics discussed include ...
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This chapter characterizes social groups and institutions in a way that meets the plausible objections of individualists, yet allows a social explanation of oppression. Topics discussed include explaining human behavior, social groups, institutionally structured constraints, oppression and social groups, social groups and group harm. It is argued that any account of oppression that distinguishes it from other types of harm that can come to individuals and locates it as a social injustice requires an account of social groups. Further, harms that accrue to members of voluntary and nonvoluntary groups must be treated separately in moral arguments.Less
This chapter characterizes social groups and institutions in a way that meets the plausible objections of individualists, yet allows a social explanation of oppression. Topics discussed include explaining human behavior, social groups, institutionally structured constraints, oppression and social groups, social groups and group harm. It is argued that any account of oppression that distinguishes it from other types of harm that can come to individuals and locates it as a social injustice requires an account of social groups. Further, harms that accrue to members of voluntary and nonvoluntary groups must be treated separately in moral arguments.
Adam Miklosi
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199295852
- eISBN:
- 9780191711688
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199295852.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
The main aim of this book is to provide a basis for a complete dog behavioural biology based on concepts derived from contemporary ethology. Thus, dog behaviour is viewed from both functional ...
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The main aim of this book is to provide a basis for a complete dog behavioural biology based on concepts derived from contemporary ethology. Thus, dog behaviour is viewed from both functional (evolution and ecology) and mechanistic and developmental points of view. The study of dogs is placed in a comparative context which involves comparison with their ancestors (wolves), as well as with humans with which dogs share their present environment. Instead of advocating a single theory which would explain the emergence of dogs during the last 20,000 years of human evolution, this book gives an overview of present knowledge which has been collected by scientists from various fields. It aims to find novel ways to increase our understanding of this complex evolutionary process by combining different methods originating from different scientific disciplines. This is facilitated by describing complementing knowledge provided by various field of science, including zooarchaeology, cognitive and comparative ethology, human-animal interaction, behaviour genetics, behavioural physiology and development, and behavioural ecology. This interdisciplinary approach to the study of dogs deepens our biological understanding of dog behaviour, but also utilizes this knowledge to reveal secrets to behavioural evolution in general, even with special reference to the human species.Less
The main aim of this book is to provide a basis for a complete dog behavioural biology based on concepts derived from contemporary ethology. Thus, dog behaviour is viewed from both functional (evolution and ecology) and mechanistic and developmental points of view. The study of dogs is placed in a comparative context which involves comparison with their ancestors (wolves), as well as with humans with which dogs share their present environment. Instead of advocating a single theory which would explain the emergence of dogs during the last 20,000 years of human evolution, this book gives an overview of present knowledge which has been collected by scientists from various fields. It aims to find novel ways to increase our understanding of this complex evolutionary process by combining different methods originating from different scientific disciplines. This is facilitated by describing complementing knowledge provided by various field of science, including zooarchaeology, cognitive and comparative ethology, human-animal interaction, behaviour genetics, behavioural physiology and development, and behavioural ecology. This interdisciplinary approach to the study of dogs deepens our biological understanding of dog behaviour, but also utilizes this knowledge to reveal secrets to behavioural evolution in general, even with special reference to the human species.
Mark D. Regnerus
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195320947
- eISBN:
- 9780199785452
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195320947.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter reviews and evaluates the various ways in which social scientists have come to understand how religion affects human behavior in general, and adolescent sex in particular. In a nutshell, ...
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This chapter reviews and evaluates the various ways in which social scientists have come to understand how religion affects human behavior in general, and adolescent sex in particular. In a nutshell, social scientific debate about the real influence of religion on human behavior remains intense. However, some reasonable conclusions about it can be made.Less
This chapter reviews and evaluates the various ways in which social scientists have come to understand how religion affects human behavior in general, and adolescent sex in particular. In a nutshell, social scientific debate about the real influence of religion on human behavior remains intense. However, some reasonable conclusions about it can be made.
Nikolas Rose and Joelle M. Abi-Rached
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691149608
- eISBN:
- 9781400846337
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691149608.003.0009
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Development
This concluding chapter suggests that for the human sciences, there is nothing to fear in the rise to prominence of neurobiological attempt to understand and account for human behavior. It is ...
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This concluding chapter suggests that for the human sciences, there is nothing to fear in the rise to prominence of neurobiological attempt to understand and account for human behavior. It is important to point out the many weaknesses in the experimental setups and procedures, for example, in the uses of animal models and in the interpretations of brain imaging data generated in the highly artificial social situations of the laboratory. In the necessity for this criticism, there is also opportunity. There are many opportunities for a more positive role for the social and human sciences that engages directly with these truth claims, that seizes on the new openness provided by conceptions of the neuromolecular, plastic, and social brain to find some rapprochement.Less
This concluding chapter suggests that for the human sciences, there is nothing to fear in the rise to prominence of neurobiological attempt to understand and account for human behavior. It is important to point out the many weaknesses in the experimental setups and procedures, for example, in the uses of animal models and in the interpretations of brain imaging data generated in the highly artificial social situations of the laboratory. In the necessity for this criticism, there is also opportunity. There are many opportunities for a more positive role for the social and human sciences that engages directly with these truth claims, that seizes on the new openness provided by conceptions of the neuromolecular, plastic, and social brain to find some rapprochement.
Jonathan Kaplan
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195340525
- eISBN:
- 9780199867219
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195340525.003.0002
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
This chapter explores some of the limits of human behavioral genetics research, focusing on how these limits affect the reasonableness of the interpretations and uses of the research results. It ...
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This chapter explores some of the limits of human behavioral genetics research, focusing on how these limits affect the reasonableness of the interpretations and uses of the research results. It argues that despite over a quarter-century of criticism of the methodological limitations of human behavioral genetics research and the weak evidence offered for linking particular variations in human behaviors to particular biological features, the standards required to publish and publicize particular claims in human behavioral genetics still remain disappointingly low. From a scientific perspective, behavioral genetics provides little relevant information regarding defendants in the criminal justice system.Less
This chapter explores some of the limits of human behavioral genetics research, focusing on how these limits affect the reasonableness of the interpretations and uses of the research results. It argues that despite over a quarter-century of criticism of the methodological limitations of human behavioral genetics research and the weak evidence offered for linking particular variations in human behaviors to particular biological features, the standards required to publish and publicize particular claims in human behavioral genetics still remain disappointingly low. From a scientific perspective, behavioral genetics provides little relevant information regarding defendants in the criminal justice system.
John Dupré
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199284214
- eISBN:
- 9780191700286
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199284214.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
Charles Darwin transformed our understanding of the universe and our place in it with his development of the theory of evolution. One hundred and fifty years later, we are still puzzling over the ...
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Charles Darwin transformed our understanding of the universe and our place in it with his development of the theory of evolution. One hundred and fifty years later, we are still puzzling over the implications. This book presents an introduction to evolution and what it means for our view of humanity, the natural world, and religion. The author explains the right and the wrong ways to understand evolution: in the latter category fall most of the claims of evolutionary psychology, of which the author gives a withering critique. He shows why the theory of evolution is one of the most important scientific ideas of all time, but makes clear that it cannot explain everything — contrary to widespread popular belief, it has very little to tell us about the details of human nature and human behaviour, such as language, culture, and sexuality.Less
Charles Darwin transformed our understanding of the universe and our place in it with his development of the theory of evolution. One hundred and fifty years later, we are still puzzling over the implications. This book presents an introduction to evolution and what it means for our view of humanity, the natural world, and religion. The author explains the right and the wrong ways to understand evolution: in the latter category fall most of the claims of evolutionary psychology, of which the author gives a withering critique. He shows why the theory of evolution is one of the most important scientific ideas of all time, but makes clear that it cannot explain everything — contrary to widespread popular belief, it has very little to tell us about the details of human nature and human behaviour, such as language, culture, and sexuality.
Abigail A. Baird
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195340525
- eISBN:
- 9780199867219
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195340525.003.0003
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
This chapter explores how cognition and emotion work together synergistically to produce predictable behavior, independent of its utility. It shows that in high-stakes situations, emotional response ...
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This chapter explores how cognition and emotion work together synergistically to produce predictable behavior, independent of its utility. It shows that in high-stakes situations, emotional response (whether automatic or cognitively mediated) ultimately drives behavior. A developmental model is presented to elucidate the ways in which maturation of the human brain supports the development of a coordinated relationship between emotional and cognitive processes—a relationship whose integrity is critical to the production of behavior in accordance with personally or socially mandated standards. Conditions under which emotion and cognition are less synchronized, such as in situations of high psychological stress and in cases involving specific neuropsychological disorders, are offered as additional support for this model. Finally, the implications for legal scholarship and policy are discussed.Less
This chapter explores how cognition and emotion work together synergistically to produce predictable behavior, independent of its utility. It shows that in high-stakes situations, emotional response (whether automatic or cognitively mediated) ultimately drives behavior. A developmental model is presented to elucidate the ways in which maturation of the human brain supports the development of a coordinated relationship between emotional and cognitive processes—a relationship whose integrity is critical to the production of behavior in accordance with personally or socially mandated standards. Conditions under which emotion and cognition are less synchronized, such as in situations of high psychological stress and in cases involving specific neuropsychological disorders, are offered as additional support for this model. Finally, the implications for legal scholarship and policy are discussed.
Matthew Rizzo, Scott Robinson, and Vicki Neale
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195177619
- eISBN:
- 9780199864683
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195177619.003.0008
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Sensory and Motor Systems, Behavioral Neuroscience
This chapter discusses the use of a “people tracker” to study human behavior in the real world. Modern technology allows for the development of various “people trackers” using combinations of ...
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This chapter discusses the use of a “people tracker” to study human behavior in the real world. Modern technology allows for the development of various “people trackers” using combinations of accelerometers, GPS, video, and other sensors (e.g., to measure cerebral activity, eye movement, heart rate, skin temperature) to make naturalistic observations of human movement and behavior. These devices can advance the goal of examining human performance, strategies, tactics, interactions, and errors in humans engaged in real-world tasks. Besides various issues of device development and sensor choice and placement, there is also a need to develop taxonomies for classifying likely behavior from sensor output, as well as the need to be able to analyze behavior sequences using new applications of classic ethological techniques.Less
This chapter discusses the use of a “people tracker” to study human behavior in the real world. Modern technology allows for the development of various “people trackers” using combinations of accelerometers, GPS, video, and other sensors (e.g., to measure cerebral activity, eye movement, heart rate, skin temperature) to make naturalistic observations of human movement and behavior. These devices can advance the goal of examining human performance, strategies, tactics, interactions, and errors in humans engaged in real-world tasks. Besides various issues of device development and sensor choice and placement, there is also a need to develop taxonomies for classifying likely behavior from sensor output, as well as the need to be able to analyze behavior sequences using new applications of classic ethological techniques.
Susan K. Jacobson, Mallory D. McDuff, and Martha C. Monroe
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198567714
- eISBN:
- 9780191718311
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198567714.003.0004
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
The road to behavior change is paved with many theories. The disciplines of education, sociology, and psychology provide frameworks and models that can be used to influence people's ...
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The road to behavior change is paved with many theories. The disciplines of education, sociology, and psychology provide frameworks and models that can be used to influence people's conservation-related behaviors. This chapter reviews ten of the most commonly used theories in conservation program development and research. Some are designed to influence how people learn information and skills to become responsible citizens, while others explore ways to orchestrate changes in specific behaviors. Both types of theories play important roles in the development of conservation education and outreach programs.Less
The road to behavior change is paved with many theories. The disciplines of education, sociology, and psychology provide frameworks and models that can be used to influence people's conservation-related behaviors. This chapter reviews ten of the most commonly used theories in conservation program development and research. Some are designed to influence how people learn information and skills to become responsible citizens, while others explore ways to orchestrate changes in specific behaviors. Both types of theories play important roles in the development of conservation education and outreach programs.
Herbert Gintis
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691160849
- eISBN:
- 9781400851348
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691160849.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Economic Sociology
Game theory is multiplayer decision theory where the choices of each player affect the payoffs to other players, and the players take this into account in their choice behavior. This chapter ...
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Game theory is multiplayer decision theory where the choices of each player affect the payoffs to other players, and the players take this into account in their choice behavior. This chapter addresses the contribution of game theory to the design of experiments aimed at understanding the behavior of individuals engaged in strategic interaction. This is referred to as behavioral game theory. The chapter goes on to discusses charter virtues, defined as ethically desirable behavioral regularities that individuals value for their own sake, while having the property of facilitating cooperation and enhancing social efficiency. It presents two studies that illustrate the situational nature of preferences and the desire to conform to social norms. It then deals with the dark side of altruistic cooperation and norms of cooperation.Less
Game theory is multiplayer decision theory where the choices of each player affect the payoffs to other players, and the players take this into account in their choice behavior. This chapter addresses the contribution of game theory to the design of experiments aimed at understanding the behavior of individuals engaged in strategic interaction. This is referred to as behavioral game theory. The chapter goes on to discusses charter virtues, defined as ethically desirable behavioral regularities that individuals value for their own sake, while having the property of facilitating cooperation and enhancing social efficiency. It presents two studies that illustrate the situational nature of preferences and the desire to conform to social norms. It then deals with the dark side of altruistic cooperation and norms of cooperation.
Carl N. Degler
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195077070
- eISBN:
- 9780199853991
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195077070.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, History of Ideas
This chapter examines the revival of interest in the study of biology as the basis of the differences in human behavior in the U.S. during the 1960s. Despite signs of a culturalist triumph, a growing ...
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This chapter examines the revival of interest in the study of biology as the basis of the differences in human behavior in the U.S. during the 1960s. Despite signs of a culturalist triumph, a growing number of social scientists started taking a hard second look at earlier decisions to extirpate biology and heredity from explanations for human behavior. The principal reason for this was the willingness of psychologists to pay heed to geneticists, whose work by the 1930s was increasingly sophisticated as well as responsible and respected.Less
This chapter examines the revival of interest in the study of biology as the basis of the differences in human behavior in the U.S. during the 1960s. Despite signs of a culturalist triumph, a growing number of social scientists started taking a hard second look at earlier decisions to extirpate biology and heredity from explanations for human behavior. The principal reason for this was the willingness of psychologists to pay heed to geneticists, whose work by the 1930s was increasingly sophisticated as well as responsible and respected.
Bede Rundle
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198236917
- eISBN:
- 9780191679414
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198236917.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This book challenges the quasi-mechanical view of human action that is dominant in contemporary philosophy of mind. A materialist view of the mind and a causal theory of action fit together ...
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This book challenges the quasi-mechanical view of human action that is dominant in contemporary philosophy of mind. A materialist view of the mind and a causal theory of action fit together conveniently: the notion of action as caused by thoughts and desires allows philosophers to accommodate explanations of action within a framework that is congenial to scientific understanding, and the conception of mind as physical enables them to make sense of causal transactions between the two domains. This book offers an alternative approach. Compelling reasons are given for demoting causation and for shifting the emphasis to the role played by behaviour in accounts of thought, belief, desire, intention, freedom, and other key concepts. The book's approach sheds fresh light not only on human behaviour but also on animal mentality, and has important implications for the feasibility of current programmes in cognitive science.Less
This book challenges the quasi-mechanical view of human action that is dominant in contemporary philosophy of mind. A materialist view of the mind and a causal theory of action fit together conveniently: the notion of action as caused by thoughts and desires allows philosophers to accommodate explanations of action within a framework that is congenial to scientific understanding, and the conception of mind as physical enables them to make sense of causal transactions between the two domains. This book offers an alternative approach. Compelling reasons are given for demoting causation and for shifting the emphasis to the role played by behaviour in accounts of thought, belief, desire, intention, freedom, and other key concepts. The book's approach sheds fresh light not only on human behaviour but also on animal mentality, and has important implications for the feasibility of current programmes in cognitive science.
Carl N. Degler
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195077070
- eISBN:
- 9780199853991
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195077070.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, History of Ideas
This chapter examines social scientists' use of biology in the study of human behavior. The conundrum of the roots of the incest taboo among human beings is surely the most elaborate example of the ...
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This chapter examines social scientists' use of biology in the study of human behavior. The conundrum of the roots of the incest taboo among human beings is surely the most elaborate example of the way biological knowledge has been drawn upon by social scientists. Another application of biology was in the discovery that among some animal species individuals in a group situation arranged themselves in a hierarchical pattern of relations. This study took place during the 1920s.Less
This chapter examines social scientists' use of biology in the study of human behavior. The conundrum of the roots of the incest taboo among human beings is surely the most elaborate example of the way biological knowledge has been drawn upon by social scientists. Another application of biology was in the discovery that among some animal species individuals in a group situation arranged themselves in a hierarchical pattern of relations. This study took place during the 1920s.
Stephen Stich, John M. Doris, and Erica Roedder
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199733477
- eISBN:
- 9780199949823
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199733477.003.0015
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General
This chapter focuses on an issue that has vexed philosophers since Plato: is genuinely altruistic behavior possible, or is all human behavior ultimately selfish? It begins in Section 2 with a brief ...
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This chapter focuses on an issue that has vexed philosophers since Plato: is genuinely altruistic behavior possible, or is all human behavior ultimately selfish? It begins in Section 2 with a brief sketch of a cluster of assumptions about human desires, beliefs, actions, and motivation that are widely shared by historical and contemporary authors on both sides in the debate. Section 3 considers links between evolutionary theory and the egoism/altruism debate. There is a substantial literature employing evolutionary theory on each side of the issue. However, it is argued that neither camp has offered a convincing case. Section 4 looks at recent research on altruism in social psychology. While this work has not resolved the debate, it has made illuminating progress—progress that philosophers interested in the question cannot afford to ignore.Less
This chapter focuses on an issue that has vexed philosophers since Plato: is genuinely altruistic behavior possible, or is all human behavior ultimately selfish? It begins in Section 2 with a brief sketch of a cluster of assumptions about human desires, beliefs, actions, and motivation that are widely shared by historical and contemporary authors on both sides in the debate. Section 3 considers links between evolutionary theory and the egoism/altruism debate. There is a substantial literature employing evolutionary theory on each side of the issue. However, it is argued that neither camp has offered a convincing case. Section 4 looks at recent research on altruism in social psychology. While this work has not resolved the debate, it has made illuminating progress—progress that philosophers interested in the question cannot afford to ignore.
Thomas J. Jr. Bouchard
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195332834
- eISBN:
- 9780199868117
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195332834.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
This chapter shows that genetic variation is an important feature of virtually every human psychological trait and must be taken into account in any comprehensive explanation (theory) of human ...
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This chapter shows that genetic variation is an important feature of virtually every human psychological trait and must be taken into account in any comprehensive explanation (theory) of human behaviour. It begins by discussing the mistaken but widely held belief that ‘genetic variance’ is an indicator of the biological or evolutionary unimportance of a trait. It then turns to the role of quantitative genetic methods in modern biology. Application of these methods across a very large number of quantitative characteristics of an equally large number of species leads to the conclusion that almost all quantitative characters are heritable. This truism is illustrated for the major domains of normal human individual differences: mental ability, personality, psychological interests, and social attitudes. It is shown that compared with effects in social psychology, ecology, and evolution, as well as psychological assessment and treatment, known quantitative genetic influence on human psychological traits should be considered large in magnitude. The argument that ‘ there are no genes for behaviour’ is refuted using ‘clockwork’genes as an example. Using the example of corn oil, it is also shown the fact that finding genes for a quantitative character can be very difficult. The chapter concludes by pointing out that molecular genetics will not replace quantitative genetics; rather, the two levels of analysis will fit together seamlessly.Less
This chapter shows that genetic variation is an important feature of virtually every human psychological trait and must be taken into account in any comprehensive explanation (theory) of human behaviour. It begins by discussing the mistaken but widely held belief that ‘genetic variance’ is an indicator of the biological or evolutionary unimportance of a trait. It then turns to the role of quantitative genetic methods in modern biology. Application of these methods across a very large number of quantitative characteristics of an equally large number of species leads to the conclusion that almost all quantitative characters are heritable. This truism is illustrated for the major domains of normal human individual differences: mental ability, personality, psychological interests, and social attitudes. It is shown that compared with effects in social psychology, ecology, and evolution, as well as psychological assessment and treatment, known quantitative genetic influence on human psychological traits should be considered large in magnitude. The argument that ‘ there are no genes for behaviour’ is refuted using ‘clockwork’genes as an example. Using the example of corn oil, it is also shown the fact that finding genes for a quantitative character can be very difficult. The chapter concludes by pointing out that molecular genetics will not replace quantitative genetics; rather, the two levels of analysis will fit together seamlessly.
