David Sloan Wilson: Evolutionary Psychology in the Media

What follows are the first few paragraphs of a fabulous Huffington Post blog post by David Sloan Wilson (pictured left), perhaps the leading evolutionary theorist alive today, on the subject of evolutionary psychology in the media...

Evolutionary psychology, once the darling of the public media, has been dumped in a recent Newsweek article by journalist Sharon Begley. Return accusations are beginning to fly from evolutionary psychologists, who accuse Begley of willful distortions and scientific incompetence (e.g., 1, 2).

As usual for romantic quarrels, there are legitimate grievances on both sides that get lost in a hail of recriminations. I have always had a love-hate relationship with the school of thought that most people associate with the term "evolutionary psychology." When it appeared in the late 1980's, it made some great points but also got other things profoundly wrong. Begley's article made some cheap shots but it also made some fair shots about evolutionary psychology that need to be acknowledged.

As for the public media, covering science must be one of the toughest journalistic assignments. First, one must understand the nature of the scientific process in general terms. Then, one must master the specific topic that is being reported. Finally, one must convey what is genuinely newsworthy to a general audience--the fair shots--while avoiding the cheap shots that get people's attention but become part of the problem in the long run. Judged by these standards, the Newsweek article scores rather low.

Here are some issues that need to be resolved to get the romance between evolutionary psychology and the public media back on the right track.

Click HERE to read the rest of this post (a good quick overview of the current state of the discipline).

ALSO SEE: David Sloan Wilson's other Huffington Post contributions, especially his 6-part "Atheism as a Stealth Religion" series and his 13-part "Truth and Reconcilation for Group Selection" series.  Both are excellent!

Agape International Spiritual Center

We've been staying at Tahdi Blackstone's home in the West Hills of Los Angeles, which is just heavely.  Tahdi, a former board member of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, has been a leader in the IONS community in Los Angeles for many years.  She's a beautiful soul and has a wonderful place—one of our favorites, actually.  She invited us to be at her home while she went to the 13th Annual International IONS Conference, in Tuscon, AZ.

The highlight of the week was our experience at Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith's (pictured left) dynamic New Thought church, Agape International Spiritual Center, in Culver City.  Even though we've yet to meet in person, Rev. Michael invited me to fill his pulpit for the Wednesday evening worship service, while he and his wife, Ricki Byers Beckwith, were speaking in Portland, Oregon.  I don't think I've ever experienced more passionate, get-your-body-up-and-clap gospel music in my entire life.  It was absolutely awesome.  It was also a wonderful way to celebrate Connie's and my 8th wedding anniversary.   They gave me 35 minutes to preach, and I had a blast.  What a fabulous and wonderfully diverse church!  If you've ever in the LA area on a Sunday morning or a Wendesday night, make sure you attend Agape.  It's quite the experience. 

My presentation, "7 Gifts of Evolutionary Spirituality" was recorded by 3 TV cameras and can be seen here.

On Thursday night, I offered my 90-minute "Evolution and the Global Integrity Crisis" program, which was also very well received.

Skeptic Society Distinguished Lecture Series at Caltech

Last November (2008) I sent Michael Shermer, editor of Skeptic magazine and columnist for Scientific American, a copy of my book, Thank God for Evolution.  We had met once before, at his office, a year earlier, and he and Connie have known each other for close to a decade.  A few weeks later, he sent the following email:

"Michael, I loved your book. Excellent. Really powerful stuff.  We're fortunate to have you on our side (the "our" being humanity).  Your discussion of evolutionary integrity was especially meaningful to me.  I tried to do something similar to this in a couple of chapters in my book Why Darwin Matters, and in How We Believe, but you're a better preacher than I am!  I really hope your book does well.  When are you coming back to southern California?  I'd like to schedule you to present at Caltech."

Well, we just returned to southern California and last Sunday, as part of the Skeptic Society's Distinguished Lecture Series at Caltech, I delivered my "Evolution and the Global Integrity Crisis" program to an enthusiastic crowd of about 300.  (This is the same program I delivered at the United Nations in April.)  Having delivered this talk to both very religious groups and to very anti-religious groups, I knew it would generate a positive response from virtually everyone.  Still, it was great to actually experience it.  Afterwards, a group of about 15 of us when out for dinner and conversations. 

Tonight, also as part of Skeptic's Distinguished Lecture Series at Caltech, award-winning author Robert Wright will be delivering a talk on his new book, The Evolution of God.  Connie and I greatly look forward to this as we've known Bob for years and find his thinking to be closely aligned with our own.  Indeed, more than perhaps anyone else, Bob has helped keep us in gas and food money since the launch of our itinerant evo-evangelistic ministry in April 2002.  Back in 2002 he donated (gave us!) 75 hardcover copies of Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny (which I consider one of the 10 best books I've ever read), which we sold at our speaking events.  We went on to sell more than 2,000 paperback copies of Nonzero, as well as nearly 400 copies of his book, The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are—The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology.  

Just a few weeks ago I read his new book, The Evolution of God, and offered the following endorsement to his publisher:

“In a time marked by religious strife and the conflict between faith and reason comes this brilliant work that naturalizes religion and offers a fresh view of religious history and cultural evolution. This is a bold and, indeed, wise book that gives hope to all of us who long for a healthy future.” 

I highly recommend reading The Evolution of God. I see it as one of the most significant books in the growing field of religious naturalism.  I also highly recommend Michael Shermer's book, The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Share, Care, and Follow the Golden Rule, which I is one of the best books in the realm of evolutionary ethics.

On a more personal note, Connie and I look forward to going out for food and drinks with Bob and Michael after Bob's talk tonight. I consider them both to be older brothers on the path.

ALSO SEE:  Best Evolution Resources

Thomas Berry (1916-2009)

Thomas Berry died on Monday, at the age of 94.  Connie and I are grateful that we were able to see our mentor last November in Greensboro, NC, which I wrote about here: Honoring Thomas Berry.  We knew it would be our last visit.  When we received his sister Margaret's email (see below), we just held each other and gently wept, reflecting on the fact that perhaps the greatest human being that either of us will ever know in our lifetimes just passed on. 

Connie and I would never have met and neither of us would be evangelizing evolution if it weren't for Thomas. 

(See the end of this blog post for some classic quotes of his and hear Thomas read some of our favorite passages from his book, The Great Work.)

Here is Margaret's letter:

June 1, 2009

Dear Family and Friends of Thomas Berry:

Baptized William Nathan Berry, Jr., and known to many of us as Brother, Passionist priest and widely acclaimed cultural historian Thomas Berry died in Well-Spring Retirement Community, Greensboro NC, at 6:25 am, Monday, June 1, 2009. You are invited to attend one or more commemorations of Thomas's life and work.

Funeral services will be held in four places: