La sociobiologie et son explication de l'humanité - article ; n°4 ; vol.36, pg 531-571

Annales. Économies, Sociétés, Civilisations - Année 1981 - Volume 36 - Numéro 4 - Pages 531-571
Sociobiology and its explanation of humanity
Sociobiologists claim to explain human social behavior in terms of genetic evolution. The claim demands serious consideration by social scientists, for biological evolution unquestionably formed human beings, who are the components of social phenomena In this article, three characteristic sociobiological explanations are cited and analysed. In terms of these examples, and of some principles of evolutionary biology which are reviewed, an attempt is made to bring out some peculiarities of sociobiological reasoning, to determine to what extent they are inherent in the method, and to show how they affect the scope of its applicability.
The author argues that evolutionary explanations have validity in social science only subject to some conceptual precautions not currently observed by sociobiologists. In particular, he tries to show how such an explanation can be vitiated by defining the trait to be explained in simplistic, post facto terms, or by failing to set the postulated change in the period of prehistory when it must have occurred.
41 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.