[extropy-chat] Calling all EvoPsych Jedi...

[Jeff Medina]

I keep coming across professors badmouthing evolutionary psychology as
a junk field. I've read some basics, mostly Cosmides and/or Tooby, but
fail to see why it has become such a popular whipping boy.

A review of a new book arguing against EP is here:
http://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/files/wall_street_journal_review.pdf

Anti-EPers are saying this is more solid evidence that EP is junk.

I've read the review, and all I can see it arguing against are
*specific* claims made in the context of EP and some data... based on
new data or a more sound approach to data gathering. Claims like an EP
explanation of stepfathers beating their stepchildren more frequently
than biological fathers beating their children.

If I do some crap data-gathering while trying to deduce physical laws,
that only allows a rebuttal of a particular data-based claim (say, if
I alleged c = 3.14m/s based on crappy data analysis); it doesn't
warrant calling Physics junk science.

Am I missing something here based on an insufficiently deep knowledge
of EP? Can anyone shed some light on why so many professors seem to
think EP is crap?

Thanks, folks!

-- 
Jeff Medina

Research Fellow
Institute for Ethics & Emerging Technologies
http://www.ieet.org/

Volunteer Coordinator
Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
http://www.singinst.org/