This episode was recorded on May 10th 2021. Jordan Peterson’s guest today is distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of New Mexico, American entomologist and evolutionary biologist, Dr. Randy Thornhill. Dr. Thornhill’s research shines an enticing light on scientific areas that most people have never been exposed to. We come to understand and appreciate the importance of evolutionary biology in shaping our opinions, attitudes, and in many cases the decisions we make throughout our lives. Dr. Thornhill has authored and co-authored around 250 scientific publications, and a majority of his work has been cited in scientific literature over 35,000 times. Dr. Thornhill shares his findings on attractiveness including cryptic female choice, symmetry, carotenoid pigments, and the characteristics of attractiveness. They also cover Dr. Thornhill’s parasite-stress theory, the critical role that infectious disease plays in humanity, IQ, sex, religion, and conservatism. For information on Dr. Randy Thornhill’s publications, visit: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Randy-Th…
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Thank you so much for interviewing Randy Thornhill!! This is a very helpful followup to the conversation with Jonathan Haidt, for the obvious reason that these two researchers put great store in the defensive dimension of morality, and not just in the importance they assign to moral emotions that defend against contagions, but also in their belief that *positive* moral impulses like cooperation emerge in response to external threats (Haidt’s rendering of the multilevel selection of David Sloan Wilson). Actually, one finds this emphasis on morality as a defense everywhere in the social sciences, presumably for methodological reasons, since defense (and punishment) played an important role in the evolutionary trajectory of morality. I know in my bones that this leaves out vital aspects of the moral psyche, such as the aspirational (or mimetic) dimension you explore in Maps of Meaning, but I want to understand what is true about what these guys are saying, in order to better understand what they are leaving out! Thank you for being our guide. Inquiring minds want to understand!
I agree with the others. Trump is not an authoritarian. He didn’t call it a hoax. He called the Democrats response a hoax. He had governed more conservatively than most GOP presidents. This interview was interesting, but a few holes in his theories. Looking at every human behavior through the lense of infectious disease misses too many variables to come to some of the conclusions he comes to. Correlation does not always mean causation. Infectious disease causes fear, and for good reason. Then could it not be that fear makes people more conservative and less liberal? Could that be tested? Could we test areas of the world that have greater proclivities to fear and see what the attitudes of the people are like. It was very interesting that his early life was like the movie “The Help”. JP almost nails him with his asumption of covid. I wish he would have. I found his whole rhetoric on covid response to be quite obtuse for a biologist.
I only listened to this podcast yesterday (14 Sep 21). I wonder if Dr. Thornhill will examine his parasite stress theory a bit more closely in light of the left’s authoritarian instincts regarding the WuFlu. Democrat President Joe Biden is the one who has ordered vaccines. I was shocked at how Dr. Thornhill just glided over the fact that it is left or liberal in his mind are the ones most concerned with the virus. This really puts his theory to the test. He seems locked in a world view of rural Alabama in the mid 50s. I think he needs to update on his conservative / liberal definitions at least as it applies to political parties in the US. It is not hardcore Conservatives who are calling for vaccine mandates or restricting American’s freedoms. It is the left, likewise it is the left that is burning down cities in America (AntiFa).
I really love these podcasts and Jordan’s work. I just wish he would have called him out. I think a follow up interview would be really helpful. I found Dr Thornhill’s parasite stress theory really interesting. However, it appears to be being tested in real time. The knee jerk Trump is a dictator just isn’t serious science.
Wow. I agree entirely (and searched for a forum such as this one to make sure others had heard the same inconsistency). JP asked Dr Thornhill about this and the response was no better than “they just all believe in Trump”. That deflated the entire theoretical premise for me . Given that the parasite theory posits a deep immutable biological cornerstone of social behavior and personality, does it also make sense that it is turned upside down by allegiance to or disdain for one person? It appeared that JP started to follow up on this — since he recognized it as a dodge — but thought better of it and let is slide; probably because it so fundamentally undermined Dr Thornhill’s premise, and JP is a nice guy when he isn’t being attacked.
Are there any other responses to your comment? I am brand new to this forum (and to any website forum, actually) and I’m not sure if all comments related to a topic are shown at top level or if there is a nesting.
I totally agree. Together with the fact (that was mentioned in an earlier comment here) that correlation does not mean causation, it makes some serious holes in the theory, at least in the way it was presented in the episode. Hope to hear JP’s opinion about this issues, maybe even in a follow up discussion with Dr. Thornhill.