Biology and Rape?

Question

There are evoltionary psychologists who propose that rape is hardwired into the male brain and all men are biologically programmed to do so if there are no social consequences or punishment. What do you guys think about this theory?

Answer 1

Nothing wrong with theories, always interesting to remember & quote but I don't believe this could be a defence in law. You would have to add some ethics & cultural development into any argument about such a theory. Nature v nurture again.

Answer 2

sounds like extreme feminist man hating c**p.

Answer 3

There's only a certain type of male that is programmed for rape. People do not take the issue of rape seriously. They think of it as more of a cat and mouse game and wind up saying oh the girl was asking for it anyway. When society finally realizes that rape is a violent crime women will become more protected and when will become more protected.

Answer 4

that's absolute rubbish. if it was hardwired into the brain then men would do it regardless of the consequences. ask any decent man and they wouldn't dream of doing anything like that. rape is committed by rapists, just like burglary is committed by burglars. some men have been raped by women, how is that explained?

psychology isn't a true science, its all guess work with theories filled with holes, that's why they are so many approaches to the subject.

Answer 5

ew, that is hard stuff

Answer 6

If "rape" exists. It is because women preferred to have the offspring of men who raped and reproduced successfully in previous generations. Women like aggressive "confident" men. These men they allow to mate with them and these men many of who have high status are not challenged by women.

But,if a low ranking man wants to mate with the woman. She will accuse him of harassment or rape at worse and he will be punished because he is less power full or if she doesn't think his genes are good enough for her.

To better understand what I'm trying to explain. See the movie True Romance. One character in the movie explains how Sicilians are the result of Moor invaders who raped the women who survived an invasion battle of Sicily in the middle ages. War is the closest thing to male fights for dominance and exclusive reproductive rights in the animal kingdom.

Answer 7

What a load of bo.llocks

Answer 8

I think this is one of those arguments where Freud's model has something to offer.  If we take his three part model: Id, ego, superego we can apply it this way....

The Id is the "animal" component - the hardwired desire for food, procreation, fight to survive, etc.

The superego is the set of rules imposed by society, constraints on our "animal" tendencies: thou shalt not steal, kill, etc.

The ego is the resolution of the id and the superego - what makes us individual in particular circumstances.  

The Id is largely genetic, and related to our biology.  We need to compete in the "jungle" to survive.  If there were no superego then the Id would be unchecked.  The Id becomes more prominent when social rules break down - superegos do not get constructed.  This can happen when the rule of law falters (e.g. govt would rather spend taxes on armaments and war than policing and education) or when social structures break down (e.g. increase in divorce, lack of stable employment, etc.).

The trick is to get the balance right - as a society.

So, in answer to the question, I believe that there is some genetic programming that has evolved.  However, we have also evolved as social animals with a need to co-operate and to conform for the greater good of the larger group.  Evidence for this is seen in examples of altruism and bravery.  We're not all bad all of the time; we're not all good either.  Most of us just try to get along.  Some are brought up in better circumstances than other and make a more or less better job of it than others.

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Response to Katie30

Psychology is a science - theories are developed from observations, hypotheses formed, experiments carried out, theories modified.  It has ethical constraints that limit what is acceptable in an experiment.  While Freud's work did not have a sound scientific underpinning it does provide some useful models (though I wouldn't use all).  

The extent to which I agree with Katie30 is that there are many people who talk about psychology who have no background in it.

Answer 9

Amazing the rubbish that gets published in academia these days isn't it?

Answer 10

I think it's important to note that you are speaking about EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGISTS speaking on animal behavior. Of course, as animals, social consequences are less relevant. Our biological instinct to reproduce is what drives the need. Not social consequences. The need to reproduce is hardwired... rape is a choice having severe social consequences.

Answer 11

Look to my other answer, just above this. You are totally misrepresenting the theory and the book. It is obvious that you have never read the book, have no training in either genetics, or biology. Nothing is hard wired and nothing is programed.

Address your appalling ignorance here.

It does not matter what you " personally think ". The evidence is overwhelmingly supporting an evolutionary explanation. Perhaps, not Thornhill's and Palmer's, but we are evolved animals and you " social constructionists " will have to come to terms with the truth; whether you " think " it is BS, or not.

Answer 12

Personally i think the guy who said this must have been a rapists.  I am not, and would not, because rape is a violent act against a woman.

I dated a woman when I was in college who had been raped.  She could not have a normal physical relationship with any man because of this incident.  Granted each woman may react differently, but this was her experience.

No, it is not hardwired into the male brain any more than hitting men with a rolling pin is hardwired into a womans brain.  

If there were no social consequences of the act of rape, i suspect more would occur, but only from guys who think they are the world anyway.  Not from normal guys like me.

Answer 13

Their proposal is without biological or fundamental prove ,hence their theory is without basis.

Answer 14

millions of years ago when there were no 'morals' or police the males that raped spread their genes more than ohters. Their offspring peopled the world - we are the descendants of males who had the tendency to rape the most and that gene is mightily prevalent.

Answer 15

I heard about this aswell...a theory that its a way for males to spread their seed as such...while this may be applcable to animals it is certainly cant be used as an excuse for humans who are supposed to be higher beings and therfore conscious of exactly what they're doing

Answer 16

We are also "wired" to eat our young, urinate wherever we get the urge and eat the bugs we pick off each other in natural grooming behaviors.  Humans rise above such basal natural rhythms, though.

Answer 17

''Nuts.''

To me,   my personal thinking, it is really just alien to me ~ having s*x by force and then walking away ~ !!

I understand that there are those to whom this seems to be a valid piece of behaviour, for various reasons. But....

If I had s*x with a total stranger, then I'd like to think that I behaved in a way that brought her pleasure and that there was a mutual sense of satisfaction in our encounter.  I'd hate to have her think badly of or hatred towards - me.

Taking what is not openly given is akin to stealing - robbery with violence.  And if it's not openly given, then it has no value, not to me.

Sash.

Answer 18

Men have a much stronger s*x urge, and in nature they are programmed to be the chasers. All day, every day, men have to control their biological urges, particularly the younger ones.  

Most of us understand what true rape is, notwithstanding that these days it includes some acts which should fall outside this definition. That is another question, however, but rational debate about this subject is almost rendered impossible when the word 'Rape' is mentioned.

As a woman I think that you are quite brave to pose this question, because it will definitely attract predictable responses from the sisterhood, and perhaps, metro-sexual males. They may be so blinded by fury that they will ignore what you are trying to get at. Moreover, how can a woman comment objectively about male sexuality from the inside.

Answer 19

c**p! Men should be able to diffrenciate between right and wrong just like evryone else. They have brains. If they rape someone it was a concious decision. Thats just a reason to justify male behaivor.

Answer 20

There have been reported cases of Men being Raped by Women.

It wouldn't be readily reported however, therefore the true figure is unknown as to the actual numbers.

I guess Males wouldn't readily report such a thing as it would appear 'jokey' to any male accepting the report.

Rape is about power, not about s*x really.

Most men unless totally sick realise that a Love Making situation is always best,

Answer 21

Radical feminists proposed in the seventies that all men were inherently rapists. I dont agree with this. I think a combination of genetics and upbringing create rapists and other "deviants".

Obviously rape is a human cultural construct, as consent cannot be given without complex cultural sexual taboos and language.

I think the purpose of many taboos in many human cultures is to make explicit differences between wild animals and humans. A classic straussian dualism that has many corollaries.

Serious answers on a serious issue aside. I often feel like using this argument when women talk to me about bad behaviour caused by hormones, PMT, PMS etc. If I can (will and should) control my biological urges, can't you try and do the same? Ahem.

*edit*

In fact, I might even ask a seperate question about that.

Answer 22

Stupid.

In ancient days rape was just a means of reproduction.

Words have been put to this action by society's intellect and evolution.

Rape is rape, no matter how you view it as long as you aspire to society's parameters.

However if you don't subscribe to your society's view of it, well then that's called serial or psycho.

Simply put.

and how interesting that you asked how "guys" view this theory.

Idiot