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Love and hate. The natural history of behavioural patterns
BOOK
BBVIBWS
59
the human integration both within the clan and with nearby extra-clan people. Subsequent general statements about subsistence behaviour mostly cover the horticultural interactions between the so&-cultural system and its forest environment. Population density and the amount of sustaining land per person, periods when land is left fallow, the selection and location of gardens and houses, and garden management, are treated in detail. A quantitative calculation of the energy budget involved is offered; labour input is measured as proportional to time expended (man-days/acre). Interesting relationships between social reciprocity and local conditions seem to emerge, for instance between the reciprocal distribution of fresh food and the speed of food spoil in the humid climate. The achievement of a considerable degree of integration of the community with its place is envisaged; but the problems of equilibrium and stability possessed by the ecosystem have perhaps not been fully probed. The concept of “carrying capacity” is employed in this context and thought of as a gradient rather than as a critical limit. As regards change and trends too, the ecosystem’s diachronical trajectory is generally overlooked. But to a certain extent the past and the future are left out of the scope of this book on purpose. An up-to-date and promising study at the borderline of the classical realms of “geography” and “anthropology”, this important book is also written with a good narrative vein that makes it attractive. The subject index is accurate. Pictures are sometimes amateurish, but fitting, explanatory, and even exciting. F. G. FEDELE Istituto c Muse0 di Ant@ologia, Uniumiti di Torino, I-10123 Torino, Ikag
Love and Hate. The Natural History of Behavionral Patterns Iretius Eibl-Eibesfeldt. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston (1972). 276 pp., Bibl., index of names, index of subjects. $7.95. First came Morris, Ardrey, and Tiger; now appears Eibl-Eibesfedlt with yet another book in the genre of “pop” ethology. Professor Eibl-Eibesfeldt, director of the research unit on Human Ethology at the Max Planck Institute, has produced a book on the ethology of Man which was a best-seller in the German edition, and deserves to be so in the English one. Like those of the earlier three authors, this book seems to be written primarily for the lay market. The basic thesis which Eibl-Eibesfeldt puts forth in this volume is that “Aggression and altruistic behaviour are preprogrammed by phylogenetic adaptations and that there are therefore preordained norms for our ethical behaviour. In my opinion, Man’s aggressive impulses are counterbalanced by his equally deep-rooted social tendencies” (p. 5). The book starts out with a short review of the idea of the “Human Beast” approach and proceeds to refuse this concept through examination of preprogramming patterns, phylogenetic ritualization, and the distinctive advantages and biological bases of sociability. The author explains the ethologists’ view of aggression, both inter- and intra-specific (apparently they originate in different areas of the brain) and gives an account of the innate sociability mechanisms-releasing mechanisms, submissive signals,
60
BOOK
REVIEWS
bond formation etc.-which can be used to explain many puzzling aspects of human behaviour. In many places in the text, Eibl-Eibesfeldt takes solid punches at many of the myths of social behaviour and ideology-communism, capitalism, and Freudian psychology, along with Morris’ ideas from “The Naked Ape,” and the modern permissive child rearing practises-all take their lumps. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, or at least the translator, Geoffrey Strachan, is not without fault; no doubt others will find similar errors in their own fields, but as regards Primates, he has made a few errors. For example (p. 18), he generalizes from the “figure 8 threat” of the Mandrill to all baboons and Man, without noting that this threat appears speciesspecific to the Mandrill and is not found in any other baboon. On p. 86 he implies that baboons, chimps and gorillas all develop grey hair with extreme age. I personally have never seen grey hair on a baboon; I suggest he is confusing the development of the silver cape in Papio hamadryas at adulthood with the anthropomorphic idea of great age. Similarly with chimps, and gorillas, these coat colour changes, when they occur, are indicators of adulthood, not “an impressive solemn garb of seniority” (p. 86). Indeed, his reference on this statement is to himself, (Eibl-Eibesfeldt 1970). In past decades, the derivation of human behaviour has been considered to be purely learned; the efforts of Lorenz, Ardrey, Morris, and Tiger tended to pushed the pendulum back towards the biological behavioural bases; but with this book, a reasoned, documented and eminently acceptable view of human behaviour as, in part, biologically originated and culturally modified is presented. I find this book to be excellent and should be required reading for all students of human behaviour; but let us hope it stays out of the hands of the advertising industry. References
Ardrey, R. (1966). The Territorial Zmperutive. New York: Atheneum Press. Lore&i K. (1966). On AggressMn. London: Methuen. Morris, D. (1967). 2% Naked Aje. London: Jonathan Cape. Tiger, L. (1969). Men in Groups. London: Thomas Nelson & Sons. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I. (1970). Ethology. The Biology of Behaviour. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
JAMES
D. PATERSON
The University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
BBVIBWS
59
the human integration both within the clan and with nearby extra-clan people. Subsequent general statements about subsistence behaviour mostly cover the horticultural interactions between the so&-cultural system and its forest environment. Population density and the amount of sustaining land per person, periods when land is left fallow, the selection and location of gardens and houses, and garden management, are treated in detail. A quantitative calculation of the energy budget involved is offered; labour input is measured as proportional to time expended (man-days/acre). Interesting relationships between social reciprocity and local conditions seem to emerge, for instance between the reciprocal distribution of fresh food and the speed of food spoil in the humid climate. The achievement of a considerable degree of integration of the community with its place is envisaged; but the problems of equilibrium and stability possessed by the ecosystem have perhaps not been fully probed. The concept of “carrying capacity” is employed in this context and thought of as a gradient rather than as a critical limit. As regards change and trends too, the ecosystem’s diachronical trajectory is generally overlooked. But to a certain extent the past and the future are left out of the scope of this book on purpose. An up-to-date and promising study at the borderline of the classical realms of “geography” and “anthropology”, this important book is also written with a good narrative vein that makes it attractive. The subject index is accurate. Pictures are sometimes amateurish, but fitting, explanatory, and even exciting. F. G. FEDELE Istituto c Muse0 di Ant@ologia, Uniumiti di Torino, I-10123 Torino, Ikag
Love and Hate. The Natural History of Behavionral Patterns Iretius Eibl-Eibesfeldt. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston (1972). 276 pp., Bibl., index of names, index of subjects. $7.95. First came Morris, Ardrey, and Tiger; now appears Eibl-Eibesfedlt with yet another book in the genre of “pop” ethology. Professor Eibl-Eibesfeldt, director of the research unit on Human Ethology at the Max Planck Institute, has produced a book on the ethology of Man which was a best-seller in the German edition, and deserves to be so in the English one. Like those of the earlier three authors, this book seems to be written primarily for the lay market. The basic thesis which Eibl-Eibesfeldt puts forth in this volume is that “Aggression and altruistic behaviour are preprogrammed by phylogenetic adaptations and that there are therefore preordained norms for our ethical behaviour. In my opinion, Man’s aggressive impulses are counterbalanced by his equally deep-rooted social tendencies” (p. 5). The book starts out with a short review of the idea of the “Human Beast” approach and proceeds to refuse this concept through examination of preprogramming patterns, phylogenetic ritualization, and the distinctive advantages and biological bases of sociability. The author explains the ethologists’ view of aggression, both inter- and intra-specific (apparently they originate in different areas of the brain) and gives an account of the innate sociability mechanisms-releasing mechanisms, submissive signals,
60
BOOK
REVIEWS
bond formation etc.-which can be used to explain many puzzling aspects of human behaviour. In many places in the text, Eibl-Eibesfeldt takes solid punches at many of the myths of social behaviour and ideology-communism, capitalism, and Freudian psychology, along with Morris’ ideas from “The Naked Ape,” and the modern permissive child rearing practises-all take their lumps. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, or at least the translator, Geoffrey Strachan, is not without fault; no doubt others will find similar errors in their own fields, but as regards Primates, he has made a few errors. For example (p. 18), he generalizes from the “figure 8 threat” of the Mandrill to all baboons and Man, without noting that this threat appears speciesspecific to the Mandrill and is not found in any other baboon. On p. 86 he implies that baboons, chimps and gorillas all develop grey hair with extreme age. I personally have never seen grey hair on a baboon; I suggest he is confusing the development of the silver cape in Papio hamadryas at adulthood with the anthropomorphic idea of great age. Similarly with chimps, and gorillas, these coat colour changes, when they occur, are indicators of adulthood, not “an impressive solemn garb of seniority” (p. 86). Indeed, his reference on this statement is to himself, (Eibl-Eibesfeldt 1970). In past decades, the derivation of human behaviour has been considered to be purely learned; the efforts of Lorenz, Ardrey, Morris, and Tiger tended to pushed the pendulum back towards the biological behavioural bases; but with this book, a reasoned, documented and eminently acceptable view of human behaviour as, in part, biologically originated and culturally modified is presented. I find this book to be excellent and should be required reading for all students of human behaviour; but let us hope it stays out of the hands of the advertising industry. References
Ardrey, R. (1966). The Territorial Zmperutive. New York: Atheneum Press. Lore&i K. (1966). On AggressMn. London: Methuen. Morris, D. (1967). 2% Naked Aje. London: Jonathan Cape. Tiger, L. (1969). Men in Groups. London: Thomas Nelson & Sons. Eibl-Eibesfeldt, I. (1970). Ethology. The Biology of Behaviour. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
JAMES
D. PATERSON
The University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada