Demonic Males: Book Review

Richard Wrangham and Dale Peterson’s Demonic Males was a revolutionary book at the time of its publishing. The book’s primary thesis is that male violence is not purely a function of society, but has long-standing genetic roots. At the time, when edenic views of human nature were still en vogue, and the “state of grace” still dominated psychological thinking, Wrangham’s book challenged people to look deeper at the origins of violence to find the evolutionary cause. Twenty years later, the thesis of the book seems intuitive, and most people are willing to accept both circumstantial and genetic causes of violence. This acceptance of their thesis means that the salient question is no longer whether or not Wrangham and Peterson were right, but …show more content…
Wrangham presents these apes as an alternative possibility to the chimp, arguing that humanity could have turned out to be more docile and with a reduced level of violence. Humanity does, however, already share many traits with the bonobo. Bonobos keep pets, have sex for pleasure, and have tight-knit friendships with many others. Bonobos are the perfect case study for the evolutionary benefit of altruism. In general, for two closely related creatures, if the benefit for one creature outweighs the cost to another, then the helpful creature should follow through on the behavior. When this formula is combined with humanity’s impressive capacity for memory and reciprocal behaviors, then this one action can create a positive feedback loop that increases happiness and genetic success across the board. Rather than an alternative history, bonobos appear to be more a case for the circumstantial effects on male violence. At any one moment, a man could act either like a bonobo or a chimp, all dependent on the surroundings and context. For instance low-income people are far more generous than the wealthy. Theoretically, this is mostly because they are hyper-aware of the feeling of need, and they are confident that their generosity will be reciprocated if others have the chance. Wealthy people, on the other hand, have no conception of lack, and thus have no fear that one day they may need to ask for help from