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Response to Buller

Hagen, Edward H. (1998) Response to Buller. [Preprint] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Buller recently posted a critique of evolutionary psychology (reproduced below). Although I disagree with many of his assertions, this is the most credible attempt to critique evolutionary psychology that I have encountered. Buller’s arguments regarding improper motivational inferences from evolutionary psychological explanations are largely correct--such inferences are indeed erroneous. Furthermore, the mistakes he identifies have been made by some prominent evolutionists including, apparently, W. D. Hamilton (Symons, personal communication). However, most evolutionary psychologists are not saying what he claims they are saying. Buller wishes to find evolutionary psychology trapped in Freudian quicksand so that he can rescue it. Instead, it is he who must hoist himself from the bog using the theoretical rigging created by evolutionary psychologists over the last two decades, including, most prominently, Don Symons, a primary target of his essay.

Commentary on: Buller, David J. (1998) DeFreuding Evolutionary Psychology: Adaptation and Human Motivation. [Book Chapter] (In Press)
Item Type:Preprint
Subjects:Biology > Behavioral Biology
Biology > Evolution
Biology > Theoretical Biology
Psychology > Evolutionary Psychology
Philosophy > Philosophy of Mind
ID Code:785
Deposited By: Hagen, Edward
Deposited On:10 Jan 1999
Last Modified:11 Mar 2011 08:54

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