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From ardrey to altruism: A discourse on the biological basis of human behavior
Author(s) -
Klopfer Peter H.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 0005-7940
DOI - 10.1002/bs.3830130506
Subject(s) - unitary state , altruism (biology) , property (philosophy) , phenomenon , epistemology , focus (optics) , basis (linear algebra) , psychology , sociology , cognitive science , social psychology , philosophy , mathematics , political science , law , physics , geometry , optics
Extrapolations from the behavior of animals to that of man frequently err when they assume the behavior in question to be a unitary phenomenon. For example, the territorial behavior of vertebrates, which has been cited as providing a biological explanation (and justification) for human property rights, probably has as many different bases as there are species. Extrapolations, if they are to be useful, must be accurate. This requires us to focus upon similarities in evolutionary and physiological processes rather than upon similarities in final appearances.