Disgust: The Application Of Darwin's Theory Of Evolution

Since Darwin published his theory of evolution in The Origin of Species a century and a half ago, evolution has become a subject of immense discussion for politicians, academics, researchers, and, of course, psychologists. Evolution is defined as “the changing of inherited traits in a given species over time,” but it is often used as an umbrella term for natural selection and the favoring of some species over others. Natural selection refers to Darwin’s idea that species who possess favorable traits, and are therefore able to outlive its less favored counterparts, are more likely to reproduce and pass on these superior genes. Over time, this natural selection yields species that are best able to survive in their given environment. As it relates to behavior, many human behaviors, such as our response to disgust, are adapted over time to best accommodate our needs. Disgust is a particularly important component of human survival seeing as it prevents the ingestion of harmful substances and reduces the possibility of disease and illness. Following the principles of evolution and conducting studies, researchers, such as Curtis et al. and Fessler, are able to posit humans developed disgust as the result of …show more content…
and Fessler; both examined the role of evolution in a human context and how natural selection aided in the adaptation of beneficial traits (disgust in this case) as a defense mechanism to prevent bodily harm to oneself and to possible offspring. These two studies, however, are limited because they are largely based on assumptions since it is impossible to know how early humans behaved. Extrapolating further, evolution based theories are merely theories based on these assumptions, therefore unreliable and unable to facilitate concrete conclusions. Evolution, however, provides one evidence-based claim and is vital to broadening the understanding of biological