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Stenka25 Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary
The meaning of ‘primate dominance’
the meaning of ‘primate dominance’
The passage below is from ‘the Blank Slate’ by Steven Pinker.
http://evolbiol.ru/blankslate/blankslate.htm
Modern man is an actor of many parts who may well be stretched to his limit by the constantly shifting demands of the environment.
As for the inevitability of aggression — another dangerous idea he was accused of holding — what Wilson had written was that in the course of human evolution “aggressiveness was constrained and the old forms of primate dominance replaced by complex social skills.” The accusation that Wilson (a lifelong liberal Democrat) was led by personal prejudice to defend racism, sexism, inequality, slavery, and genocide was especially unfair — and irresponsible, because Wilson became a target of vilification and harassment by people who read the manifesto but not the book.
I'd like to know the meaning of the underlined 'primate dominance' regarding this passage. It seems to mean 'aggressiveness' in the sense of the context. But when I think it over separately, I mean 'primate' plus 'dominance', it doesn't amounts to the meaning of the context.
In a website there was a title sentence as follows:
'There's More To Primate Dominance Than Strength And Aggression'
In this context, 'primate dominance' seems to mean 'the fact that primate dominates over other species in Earth', which seems different from the one in question.
Could you give me a help?
The passage below is from ‘the Blank Slate’ by Steven Pinker.
http://evolbiol.ru/blankslate/blankslate.htm
Modern man is an actor of many parts who may well be stretched to his limit by the constantly shifting demands of the environment.
As for the inevitability of aggression — another dangerous idea he was accused of holding — what Wilson had written was that in the course of human evolution “aggressiveness was constrained and the old forms of primate dominance replaced by complex social skills.” The accusation that Wilson (a lifelong liberal Democrat) was led by personal prejudice to defend racism, sexism, inequality, slavery, and genocide was especially unfair — and irresponsible, because Wilson became a target of vilification and harassment by people who read the manifesto but not the book.
I'd like to know the meaning of the underlined 'primate dominance' regarding this passage. It seems to mean 'aggressiveness' in the sense of the context. But when I think it over separately, I mean 'primate' plus 'dominance', it doesn't amounts to the meaning of the context.
In a website there was a title sentence as follows:
'There's More To Primate Dominance Than Strength And Aggression'
In this context, 'primate dominance' seems to mean 'the fact that primate dominates over other species in Earth', which seems different from the one in question.
Could you give me a help?
Top answer
Stenka25 ... old forms of primate dominance ... basic and primitive ways (including aggressiveness) that primates used to dominate within their group/community.
- Stenka25 ...
- old forms of primate dominance ...
- basic and primitive ways (including aggressiveness) that primates used to dominate within their group/community.
- Stenka25 'There's More To Primate Dominance Than Strength And Aggression' In this context, 'primate dominance' seems to mean 'the fact that primate dominates over other species in on Earth', That's possible; or it could be a reference to dominance within their own groups, as in the example above.
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4 Answers
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Stenka25... old forms of primate dominance... basic and primitive ways (including aggressiveness) that primates used to dominate within their group/community.
Stenka25'There's More To Primate Dominance Than Strength And Aggression' In this context, 'primate dominance' seems to mean 'the fact that primate dominates over other species
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Thanks a lot as always, teechr.
Thanks a million for your checking out my errors.
Thanks a million for your checking out my errors.
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Stenka25In this context, 'primate dominance' seems to mean 'the fact that primate dominates over other species in Earth', which seems different from the one in question.No; the passage is discussing intraspecific dominance only.
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