The Evolution of Prejudice (Scientific American)

[Alex]

The Evolution of Prejudice
Scientists see the beginnings of racism in monkeys
By Daisy Grewal
April 5, 2011
Scientific American
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=evolution-of-prejudice
http://richarddawkins.net/articles/612677-the-evolution-of-prejudice

...our basic tendency to see the world in terms of "us" and "them" has ancient origins.

...human prejudice evolved as a function of group living. Joining together in groups allowed humans to gain access to resources necessary for survival including food, water, and shelter. Groups also offered numerous advantages, such as making it easier to find a mate, care for children, and receive protection from others. However, group living also made us more wary of outsiders who could potentially harm the group by spreading disease, killing or hurting individuals, or stealing precious resources. To protect ourselves, we developed ways of identifying who belongs to our group and who doesn’t. Over time, this process of quickly evaluating others might have become so streamlined that it became unconscious.

...Given that most of the difficult conflicts we face in the world today originate from clashes between social groups, it makes sense to devote time to understanding how to reduce our biases. But our evolutionary past suggests that in order to be effective, we may need to adopt a new approach. Often we focus more on political, historical, and cultural factors rather than the underlying patterns of thinking that fuel all conflicts. By taking into account the extent to which prejudice is deeply rooted in our brains, we have a better chance of coming up with long-term solutions that work with, rather than against, our natural tendencies.



Alex's comment:  It seems that the origin of "Sin" might be evolution.  偏見來自進化：猴子間的種族主義。看來，「罪」或許來自進化。