Program host Sasha Lilley interviews anthropologist and author Agustín Fuentes on the broad topic of human nature.
Conventional wisdom has it that humans are monogamous, aggressive, and innately warlike. But what if we're as much wired to be polygamous, peaceful, and egalitarian? Drawing on his own work with primates, anthropologist Agustín Fuentes discusses a number of myths about sexual differences, monogamy, aggression, and race -- all justified by misconceptions about evolution and biology.Although barely hinted at in the interview, it is clear to me that many of the current myths about human nature have been shaped by the ruling capitalist class. As you listen to this excellent interview, I suggest that you consider how these myths serve ruling class interests. For example, the way the Katrina disaster was reported by mainstream media and what researchers found later. As the Sasha Lilley summarized in one part of the interview, "culture provides a context in which ideas are examined, discarded or embraced." Culture is largely shaped by the ruling class.