The incursion of biologically-based analyses of social phenomena from biologists and, more recently, from evolutionary psychologist has often made sociologists defensive. Hence, for the most part, sociologists have tended to reject biological analysis, per se, which is clearly an over-reaction to both sociobiology and evolutionary psychology. This chapter proposes that an alternative for evolutionary analysis focusing on the evolution of hominin and human brains. This alternative employs (1) cladistic analysis and (2) comparative neuro-anatomy that can overcome the reluctance of many sociologists to brining biology into sociology. Moreover, an evolutionary slant can complement evolutionary analysis in sociology more generally. This analysis can also provide a much better source of data (on the neurology of the evolution of human brain) that can correct for excesses in many analyses in sociobiology and evolutionary psychology. And, in so doing, it is possible to develop a sociology on the biology of human behavior, and equally important, on patterns of social organization. By understanding how and why the human brain evolved and became so large can inform sociological analysis of all facets and levels of the socio-cultural universe.

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Neuro-Sociology as an Alternative to Evolutionary Psychology and Sociobiology

  • Jonathan H. Turner

摘要

The incursion of biologically-based analyses of social phenomena from biologists and, more recently, from evolutionary psychologist has often made sociologists defensive. Hence, for the most part, sociologists have tended to reject biological analysis, per se, which is clearly an over-reaction to both sociobiology and evolutionary psychology. This chapter proposes that an alternative for evolutionary analysis focusing on the evolution of hominin and human brains. This alternative employs (1) cladistic analysis and (2) comparative neuro-anatomy that can overcome the reluctance of many sociologists to brining biology into sociology. Moreover, an evolutionary slant can complement evolutionary analysis in sociology more generally. This analysis can also provide a much better source of data (on the neurology of the evolution of human brain) that can correct for excesses in many analyses in sociobiology and evolutionary psychology. And, in so doing, it is possible to develop a sociology on the biology of human behavior, and equally important, on patterns of social organization. By understanding how and why the human brain evolved and became so large can inform sociological analysis of all facets and levels of the socio-cultural universe.