PSY307-Hunting Hypothesis
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Contents |
Section I
The evolution of hunting and aggression has been traced back to the human’s closet relative, the chimpanzee. Male-dominance is associated with hunting and physical violence (Surbeck and Holman, 2008). Male chimps are often known to group up and hunt and prey on monkeys (Surbeck and Holman, 2008). According to Marlenen Zuk (2008), “the thrill of the chase” created aggressive, male dominated hierarchies among chimp societies. Some anthropologists believe that hunting is linked to human aggression and male violence (Zuk, 2008). In hunter-gatherer societies, a major component to survival was to stalk and kill living animals for meat; clearly a representation of an aggressive act (Zuk, 2008). Because of the need and desire for meat, natural selection created hostile men. According to Baron and Richardson (2004), the hunting hypothesis is a theory that argues natural selection produced a species of hunters. Two things developed from the human need to kill for survival: weapons and communication. In order to distinguish the ally from the enemy, humans developed language, a common means of communication. Humans also developed better weapons (bow and arrows) that allowed for more efficient long-distance attacks on their prey. Consequently, instinct, communication and effective weapons created a kill or be killed species, when offended, they attacked. “The hunting hypothesis suggests that man has always been a meat eater” (McGlinn, 1976). According to Keith F. Otterbein (2004), meat is desired by primates and humans alike. Man’s dependency on meat gave it power, the power to cause men to gather and hunt. The hunting hypothesis says that “man the hunter” is the predator, the aggressor. The hunt motivates our behavior to attack, which aggression is directed toward a natural prey (another human being) (Moyer, 1976). In the eyes of the hunter the hunted is seen as a lesser being. According to Dr. Fidelis Masao (2004), killing and aggression in humans is a widely debated relationship. Hunting and warfare evolved into “a mechanism to displace inter-societal violence and competition (Gaede, 1999).
Section II
Otterbein states that humans are a hunting species that aggresses and commits violent acts toward each other (2004). Behaviors in general are driven by need and control; man’s behaviors are driven by his need to control. Modern day human predators stalk prey mainly for money, sex, and revenge. For example, rapists prey on weak, vulnerable looking women. In London, a man named John Worboys was found guilty on 19 counts of sexual assault and rape (Davenport and Lefley, 2009). Worboys was 51-year old man black cab driver who raped and assaulted 12 women. He would look for victims at clubs and bars and would entice women into his cab by offering a free, safe ride home (Davenport and Lefley, 2009). He carried a “rape kit” that included liquor, drugs, condoms, gloves, sex toys, and cash. He would seduce his victims with the money and claim to want to celebrate and gambling win with the drinks and sedative pills he said were ecstasy or headache pills (Davenport and Lefley, 2009). The women ranged from 18 to 33 years in age and were typically attractive professionals. Worboys said he craved female attention because he missed the affection from his deceased mother (Davenport and Lefley, 2009). Worboys used fake names and numbers so he wouldn’t get caught.
Section III
According to Justin Davenport and Jack Lefley (2009), Worboys was a hunter who desired the flesh of beautiful women. The hunt consisted of his “rape kit” and his stakeouts at the local pubs. His prey: beautiful, young women. The hunting hypothesis claims that a desire exists within the need to kill for survival. Worboys’ desire to be loved by a woman led to his need to rape women. Weapons and communication were used for the hunt; Worboys used the tools from his “rape kit” and mindless “banter” to attract his prey and make his attacks more efficient. The hunt for sex motivated his behavior, so he directed his sexual aggression on his victims. Based on the hunting hypothesis, Worboys’ aggressive behavior could have been prevented by taking him away from his prey and stripping him of his “weapons.” Putting him in prison wouldn’t allow him to hunt for nonconsensual sex with unsuspecting women.
Section IV
The two young men who were responsible for the Columbine High School shootings, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, were definitely predators. They saved up money from afterschool jobs to buy weapons and created their own bombs. The two teenagers were preying on everyone, friends included. They weren’t bullied; Harris, a very deceptive individual, felt that he was superior to others, claiming he felt like God. Klebold on the other hand had low self-esteem and aggressed toward other by fear of being invisible (Toppo, 2009). When one feels cast out or persecuted they tend to aggress outward in order to save face. Greg Toppo (2009) claims that Klebold and Harris were two troubled boys, and it’s hard to prevent murder when the murder doesn’t care about their own life. They had a need to control and by killing everyone, including themselves, would have given them the ultimate power
Unlike the aggressive chimpanzee, the Bonoboo, also a close human relative is a primate that uses sex in place of war and aggression. If we wanted to reduce aggression in general we would have to alter one’s desire to hunt and kill to a desire to make love. However, unlike the Bonoboos who have sex between genders and ages to ease conflict, it wouldn’t be right to have everyone having sex with each other. As we saw with the Worboys case, sexual desire can also lead to aggressive behavior. Even if we took away the predators weaponry, he would most likely find a way to attain his goal. If the need or desire is strong enough, nothing can stop him.
REFERNECES
Baron and Richardson. (2004). Human Aggression. (2nd ed.). New York: Plenum.
Davenport, J. and Jack Lefley. “Guilty: black cab rapist preyed on scores of women.” London Evening Standard, 2009. www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-2366180-details
Gaede, Marc. “Murder, hunting, and macho men.” High County News: 1999. www.hcn.org/issues/149/4845
Masao, Dr. F. “Hunting for Conflict”. Earthwatch Journal, 2004; 17.
McGlinn, Ann. (1976). “The Hunting Hypothesis.” book review. The Saturday Evening Post.
Moyer, K.E. (1976). The Psychology of Aggression. New York: Harper & Row.
Otterbein, K.F. (2004). How War Began. Texas: Texas A&M University Press.
Surbeck, M. and Gottfried Hohman. “Insight into the Evolutionary Significance and Causes of Aggression, Hunting, and Meat Eating in Bonoboos, Chimpanzees, and Humans.” Medical News Today, 2008.
Toppo, Greg. “10 years later, the real story behind Columbine.” USA Today: 13 4 2009. www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-04-13-columbine-myths_N.htm
Zuk, M. “Nice females also hunt.” The New York Times, 2008. www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/opinion
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