Listen to the following podcast and answer the 6 questions below https://samharris.org/podcasts/the-biology-of-good-and-evil/
For Transcripts: https://ilearn.laccd.edu/courses/87776/files/8644716/download?wrap=1
( Starts withing the first 5 minutes) – Describe what Robert Sapolsky studies. He has two fairly distinct fields of study – how does he “marry” them?
( Starts within 10 min) – Why does he study baboons and not, say, chimpanzees, given that the latter are more related to us? He mentions both practical reasons and reasons specific to his research interests.
(10-15 minutes mark) – When asked, “how/why did behavior X occur?” -Dr Sapolsky frames his answer in a certain way. Summarize it. Why is this important to frame it this way – when discussing human behavior?
Why is it important to study related non-human primates when studying or trying to explain our own behavior? What are some issues about using non-human primate behavior when trying to explain humans behavior?
(At about 17:00 and the rest of the assigned listening time(they allude to this earlier though))- they start talking about “free will and human behavior†Summarize their discussion on this.
(At 25:00 through the end of the assigned listening time) – What are your thoughts on free will, especially in relation to human behavior and evolution?
Sample Solution