The Incredible Evolution Of Aggression - Dr Richard Wrangham

Richard Wrangham is an anthropologist and primatologist, a Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University and an author whose research focuses on ape behaviour, human evolution, violence, and cooking. Humans have the capacity for incredible benevolence and kindness, but also are able to execute other members of our species with a uniquely effective ruthlessness. Why would evolution give us such differing capacities to chimps and apes and what can this tell us about our civilisation? Expect to learn the fascinating evolutionary story of human aggression through the ages, how humans actually selectively bred ourselves to become less aggressive, how our capacity for violence informed the evolution of morality, the true reason for why humans might have a sense of right and wrong, what would have happened to a hyper aggressive male ancestrally and much more... Sponsors: Get 15% discount on Mud/Wtr at http://mudwtr.com/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM) Get 20% discount on House Of Macadamias’ nuts at https://houseofmacadamias.com/modernwisdom (use code MW20) Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D and more from Athletic Greens at https://athleticgreens.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Extra Stuff: Buy The Goodness Paradox - https://amzn.to/3YVQz6Z Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom #aggression #anthropology #evolutionarypsychology - 00:00 Intro 00:26 Are Humans an Aggressive Species? 06:38 How Human Violence Evolved 21:08 The Self-Domestication of Man 24:33 Understanding Psychological Changes Through Bones 27:47 Has Female Aggression Evolved? 39:12 Did Violence Influence the Development of Morality? 52:26 How Much of Mythology is Justification for a Male Bias? 56:19 Evolution of Kin-to-Kin Aggression 58:44 How Sex Ratios Impacted the Local Ecology 1:06:03 Humanity’s Approach to Male Aggression in Today’s Society 1:19:17 Where to Find Dr Wrangham - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Dr Richard WranghamguestChris Williamsonhost

Feb 25, 20231h 20mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: February 25, 2023
Duration: 1h 20m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Richard Wrangham is an anthropologist and primatologist, a Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard University and an author whose research focuses on ape behaviour, human evolution, violence, and cooking. Humans have the capacity for incredible benevolence and kindness, but also are able to execute other members of our species with a uniquely effective ruthlessness. Why would evolution give us such differing capacities to chimps and apes and what can this tell us about our civilisation? Expect to learn the fascinating evolutionary story of human aggression through the ages, how humans actually selectively bred ourselves to become less aggressive, how our capacity for violence informed the evolution of morality, the true reason for why humans might have a sense of right and wrong, what would have happened to a hyper aggressive male ancestrally and much more... Sponsors: Get 15% discount on Mud/Wtr at http://mudwtr.com/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM) Get 20% discount on House Of Macadamias’ nuts at https://houseofmacadamias.com/modernwisdom (use code MW20) Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D and more from Athletic Greens at https://athleticgreens.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Extra Stuff: Buy The Goodness Paradox - https://amzn.to/3YVQz6Z Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom #aggression #anthropology #evolutionarypsychology - 00:00 Intro 00:26 Are Humans an Aggressive Species? 06:38 How Human Violence Evolved 21:08 The Self-Domestication of Man 24:33 Understanding Psychological Changes Through Bones 27:47 Has Female Aggression Evolved? 39:12 Did Violence Influence the Development of Morality? 52:26 How Much of Mythology is Justification for a Male Bias? 56:19 Evolution of Kin-to-Kin Aggression 58:44 How Sex Ratios Impacted the Local Ecology 1:06:03 Humanity’s Approach to Male Aggression in Today’s Society 1:19:17 Where to Find Dr Wrangham - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

SPEAKERS

Dr Richard Wrangham
guest
Chris Williamson
host

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Dr Richard Wrangham and Chris Williamson, The Incredible Evolution Of Aggression - Dr Richard Wrangham explores how Self-Domestication Shaped Human Aggression, Patriarchy, And Morality Richard Wrangham explains that humans combine unusually high levels of planned (proactive) aggression with unusually low levels of impulsive (reactive) aggression, a mix he argues evolved through a process of self‑domestication. Around 300–400,000 years ago, language enabled coalitions of males to coordinate the execution of tyrannical bullies within their own groups, selecting against highly reactively aggressive individuals while preserving hunting and warfare skills. This new power dynamic birthed an “alpha alliance” of males who could enforce norms—through capital punishment—that gradually produced anatomical changes (lighter skeletons, shorter faces, feminized males) and a distinct human psychology. Wrangham links this to the origins of moral systems, institutional patriarchy, religion, and contemporary tensions around masculinity in a modern world where many ancestral male roles are becoming obsolete.

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