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From: dhesi@bsu-cs.UUCP (Rahul Dhesi)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,soc.men,soc.women
Subject: Re: Rape: a genetic catastrophe
Message-ID: <1932@bsu-cs.UUCP>
Date: 23 Jan 88 17:11:45 GMT
References: <517@gtx.com> <5129@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <2201@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <3755@aw.sei.cmu.edu> <361@rruxa.UUCP> <5159@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> <263@vsi1.UUCP> <563@xyzzy.UUCP>
Reply-To: dhesi@bsu-cs.UUCP (Rahul Dhesi)
Organization: CS Dept, Ball St U, Muncie, Indiana
Lines: 22

In article <563@xyzzy.UUCP> throopw@xyzzy.UUCP (Wayne A. Throop) writes:
>...the hypothesis that rape
>behaviors are caused by a "selfish gene" in an attempt to reproduce is
>really a rather remarkably poor hypothesis.  We are to believe that this
>gene provokes a fine-tuned and quite complex aggresive behavior, and at
>the same time this behavior is so poorly adapted to its hypothetically
>intended effect that the behavior is quite often directed against
>targets totally incapable of impregnation.

The selfish gene behavior simply sets a crude survival or reproduction
strategy.  Specific tactics used will vary widely.  Both rape and
marriage can be examples of specific tactics, even though neither
guarantees reproduction.

Hunger is a good example of a selfish gene phenomenon that occasionally
goes astray and leads to obesity, which actually may shorten
one's reproductive life.

Evolution is a very imperfect mechanism.  Its only redeeming property
is that Creation is even worse.
-- 
Rahul Dhesi         UUCP:  <backbones>!{iuvax,pur-ee,uunet}!bsu-cs!dhesi