On Human Nature: Biology, Psychology, Ethics, Politics, and Religion

On Human Nature: Biology, Psychology, Ethics, Politics, and Religion covers the present state of knowledge on human diversity and its adaptative significance through a broad and eclectic selection of representative chapters. This transdisciplinary work brings together specialists from various fields who rarely interact, including geneticists, evolutionists, physicians, ethologists, psychoanalysts, anthropologists, sociologists, theologians, historians, linguists, and philosophers.

Genomic diversity is covered in several chapters dealing with biology, including the differences in men and apes and the genetic diversity of mankind. Top specialists, known for their open mind and broad knowledge have been carefully selected to cover each topic. The book is therefore at the crossroads between biology and human sciences, going beyond classical science in the Popperian sense.

The book is accessible not only to specialists, but also to students, professors, and the educated public. Glossaries of specialized terms and general public references help nonspecialists understand complex notions, with contributions avoiding technical jargon.

Provides greater understanding of diversity and population structure and history, with crucial foundational knowledge needed to conduct research in a variety of fields, such as genetics and diseaseIncludes three robust sections on biological, psychological, and ethical aspects, with cross-fertilization and reciprocal references between the three sectionsContains contributions by leading experts in their respective fields working under the guidance of internationally recognized and highly respected editors

Part I. Biological Basis of Human Diversity 1. The Advent of Biological Evolution and Humankind: Chance or Necessity? 2. Hominins: Context, Origins, and Taxic Diversity 3. The History of Early Homo 4. The Contribution of Genetic Ancestry From Archaic Humans to Modern Humans 5. World Dispersals and Genetic Diversity of Mankind: The Out-of-Africa Theory and Its Challenges 6. Human Population Variability and Its Adaptive Significance 7. Evolution and Implications of Genomic Diversity on “Human Kind” in India 8. The Human Brain: Evolution and Distinctive Features 9. How Different Are Humans and “Great Apes”? A Matrix of Comparative Anthropogeny 10. Human Intergroup Variation and Disease Genetics 11. Natural Selection Associated With Infectious Diseases 12. Aging, Somatic Evolution, and Cancer 13. Evolution of the Human Leukocyte Antigen System 14. Human Life History Evolution: New Perspectives on Body and Brain Growth 15. Gorillas in Our Midst? Human Sexual Dimorphism and Contest Competition in Men 16. The Human Family: Evolutionary Origins and Adaptive Significance 17. Biological Future of Humankind: Ongoing Evolution and the Impact of Recognition of Human Biological Variation

Part II. Psychology, Behavior and Society 18. Gene-Culture Models for the Evolution of Altruistic Teaching 19. Multiple Origins of Agriculture in Eurasia and Africa 20. The Quantum Origin of Life: How the Brain Evolved to Feel Good 21. Empathy, Theory of Mind, Cognition, Morality, and Altruism  22. Cognitive Ethology and Social Attention 23. Human Sociobiology and Group Selection Theory 24. Behavior Analysis, Darwinian Evolutionary Processes, and the Diversity of Human Behavior 25. A Psychoanalyst Views the Self Across Civilizations 26. Biological and Social Causation of Serious Mental Illness 27. The Flexible Psychological Concept of Normality 28. Diversity and Hierarchy in the Evolution of Mental Mechanisms 29. Human Diversity at the Individual and Population Levels, and Societal Hierarchies 30. Homosexuality and Evolution: A Critical Appraisal 31. The Roots and Individual Diversity of Addiction  32. Human Variability and the Origins and Evolution of Language 33. Human Evolution and Progress 34. Culture, Brain, and Behavior: The Implications of Neural Plasticity and Development on Social Contexts and Political Structures

Part III. Ethics, Politics and Religious Considerations 35. Adaptive Significance of Ethics and Aesthetics 36. The Politics of Human Nature 37. The Race/Ethnic Debate: An Outsider's View 38. Social Darwinism 39. History and Diversity of Religion 40. Religion Viewed From Different Sciences 41. Universal Humanity, Religious Particularity, and Scientific Reductionism 42. Evolution and the Future of Medicine 43. The Impact of Modern Medicine on Human Evolution 44. Science and Technology in Human Societies: From Tool Making to Technology 45. Biology, Psychology, Ethics, and Politics: An Innate Moral Sense? 46. What HIV Has Taught About the Interactions Between Biology, Culture, and Other Evolving Systems