MacDonald develops an evolutionary perspective on Judaism. Judaism is conceptualized as a group evolutionary strategy characterized by a high degree of endogamy and resistance to genetic and cultural assimilation. Data are provided to support the author's theory that Judaism is characterized by a high level of within-group altruism and competition with outgroups. Finally, MacDonald argues that Judaism has been characterized by eugenic practices aimed at high intelligence and high investment parenting.
After outlining a theory of evolutionary group strategies, MacDonald discusses the evidence from modern studies showing population genetic differences between Jews and Gentiles. He then shows that Jewish religious writing points to a pronounced tendency toward idealizing endogamy and condemning exogamy, and he points to the ways religious ideology and practice have facilitated the genetic and cultural separation of Jews and Gentiles. He then reviews evidence for resource and reproductive competition and the importance of kin-based cooperation and altruism as well as assortative mating for intelligence and resource aquisition ability among Jews. This study is a highly original attempt to develop an evolutionary understanding of one of the world's great religions. As such, it will be of concern to scholars and researchers in the fields of sociobiology and religion as well as the general reading public.

A People That Shall Dwell Alone: Judaism As a Group Evolutionary Strategy (Human Evolution, Behavior, and Intelligence)

Health, Fitness & Dieting

MacDonald, Kevin B.

Psychology & Counseling

Praeger Pub Text

MacDonald provides a theoretical analysis and review of data on the widespread tendency among highly influential, Jewish-dominated intellectual movements to develop radical critiques of gentile culture that are compatible with the continuity of Jewish identification. These movements are viewed as the outcome of the fact that Jews and gentiles have different interests in the construction of culture and in various public policy issues (e.g. immigration policy, Israel). Several of these movements attempt to combat anti-Semitism by advocating social categorization processes in which the Jew/gentile distinction is minimized in importance. There is also a tendency to develop theories of anti-Semitism in which ethnic differences and resource competition are of minimal importance. From the perspective of the intellectual structures developed by these movements, anti-Semitism is analyzed as an indication of psychopathology among gentiles. In some cases, these movements appear to be attempts to develop a fundamental restructuring of the intellectual basis of gentile society in ways conducive to the continued existence of Judaism.Particular attention is paid to Boasian anthropology, psychoanalysis, leftist political ideology and behavior, and the Frankfurt School of Social Research. Each of these movements can be characterized as an authoritarian political movement centered around a charismatic leader who strongly identified as a Jew and who was idolized by his disciples who were also predominantly Jewish. Regarding immigration policy, Jewish political and intellectual activity was motivated less by a desire for higher levels of Jewish immigration than by opposition to the implicit theory that America should be dominated by individuals with northern and western European ancestry. Jewish policy was aimed at developing an America charcterized by cultural pluralism and populated by groups of people from all parts of the world rather than by a homogeneous Christian culture and populated largely by people of European descent. This is a controversial analysis of particular interest to those concerned with evolutionary approaches to human behavior, with Judaica, and with an evolutionary perspective on history and psychology.

The Culture Of Critique: An Evolutionary Analysis Of Jewish Involvement In Twentieth-century Intellectual And Political Movements

Praeger

This volume is an attempt to integrate the theory and data of social and personality development within a modem evolutionary framework. The various chapters are not meant to be read in isolation from one another but rather are intended to form an integrated whole. There is thus a great deal of cross-referencing between chapters and to some extent they all stand or fall together. This also suggests that the accuracy (or usefulness) of a particular chapter cannot be judged until the book is comprehended as a whole. Chapter 1 deals with the theoretical foundations of this enterprise, and the focus is on the compatibility of mainstream approaches within the field to a modem evolutionary approach. Chapters 2-4 concern what I view to be the fundamental proximal mechanisms underlying social and personality development. Chapter 2, on temperament and person ality development, is particularly central to the rest of the volume because these processes are repeatedly invoked as explanatory concepts at later points in the volume.

Social and Personality Development: An Evolutionary Synthesis (Perspectives in Developmental Psychology)

Springer

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Books by MacDonald, Kevin B.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by MacDonald, Kevin B.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

A People That Shall Dwell Alone: Judaism As a Group Evolutionary Strategy (Human Evolution, Behavior, and Intelligence)

The Culture Of Critique: An Evolutionary Analysis Of Jewish Involvement In Twentieth-century Intellectual And Political Movements

Social and Personality Development: An Evolutionary Synthesis (Perspectives in Developmental Psychology)