On Humans

In this highlight from season 1, Helen Fisher discusses her research with couples deeply in love after 20 years of marriage. The clip also includes Fisher's 7 science-based tips for fostering romantic relationships, and a cautionary note on SSRI (not SNRI) antidepressants. Dig deeper To read more about the possible effects of SSRIs on sex drive and romantic love, see ⁠Tocco and Brumbaugh (2019)⁠. Below is a short list of some possible alternatives and/or complements to SSRIs (please consult with your doctor in all matters related to pharmaceuticals): Fisher herself suggested that SNRIs could be less risky than SSRIs. Theoretically, dopamine reuptake inhibitors, such as bupropion, could also counter the risks associated with SSRIs (for a review, see ⁠Zisook et al. 2006⁠). For alternative or complementary oral treatments of depression, see research on supplementation with a high dosage of Omega 3 (EPA and DHA, not ALA) (for a review, see ⁠Bhat & Ara 2015⁠).

In this highlight from season 1, Kristen Hawkes presents an intriguing hypothesis about the human past. According to Hawkes, ancient climate changes pushed our ancestors away from the rainforests. On the savannas, teamwork was finally rewarded. For more notes and links, see the original episode 6 (Are Grandmothers the Key to Our Evolutionary Success).

Season 1 is over. Season 2 is coming. In the meanwhile, please enjoy some highlights from the archives. This highlight revisits episode four, where Ilari talks with psychiatrist and neuroscientist Gregory Berns about his recent book, Self Delusion.  In this flashback, Berns explains why he thinks psychiatry has been led astray by "medicine envy" and why we misunderstand many of the root causes of mental illness. For more show notes and links, see the original episode.

In the final episode of season 1, Ilari addresses one of the underlying themes in many of the season's episodes: Darwinism. Is Darwinism dangerous? Is Darwinism linked to vicious ideologies? Does Darwinism prove that we are all selfish?These questions have been addressed in many of this season's episodes (most notably episodes 1 and 2, but also 6, 8, and 11). In this short solo episode, Ilari connects some dots by reading his essay Distorting Darwinism, published in the Skeptic Magazine. Topics include: The early links between Darwinism and far-right ideologies Why do even professional evolutionists make rookie mistakes when explaining human behaviour. Richard Dawkin's U-turn on human nature Are all males naturally inclined to mate with a harem of females? Why human desires come in “endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful” The problem with “scratch an altruist and watch a hypocrite bleed” Survival of the friendliest: from silver foxes to human self-domestication Conclusions: ”Not everything evolution teaches us is nice and jolly. But we must stay alert at the perilous ease in which selfishness, ruthlessness, and deceptiveness seep into evolutionary theorising, even when not appropriate.”_________Please consider becoming a supporter of On Humans. Even small monthly donations can make a huge impact on the long-term sustainability of the program. Visit: ⁠Patreon.com/OnHumans ⁠Get in touch: ilari@onhumans.org_________Names mentionedCharles Darwin / Herbert Spencer / William Jennings Bryan / Richard Dawkins / Edward Fox / Robert Sapolsky (author of Behave, 2017) / Michael Ghiselin / Jonathan Haidt / Frans de Waal / Dmitri Belyaev / Lyudmila Trut / Brian Hare / Richard Wrangham Technical termsScopes Monkey Trial (famous legal case in 1925 regarding the teaching of evolution in Tennessee high schools) / Social Darwinism / Self-Domestication 

The idea of Universal Basic Income (UBI) is simple: Everyone should have an income. And that they should have it whether they work or not. Indeed, its simplicity has made UBI an attractive policy suggestion for many on both the left and the right. But sometimes the practical virtues of UBI can distract us from the deeper significance of this idea.Karl Widerquist is an economist and political philosopher who has campaigned for UBI since the 90s. And he thinks that it is a practical idea. But he also thinks that it can remedy something deeper than government bureaucracies. He thinks that it can remedy our social contract. For Widerquist, UBI is our best tool to navigate the difficult waters between elitist liberalism and oppressive communism. Yet somewhere beyond those waters lies a genuinely free society. And he thinks we can get there very soon. This is an important argument. But it is also a very stimulating one. Indeed, Widerquist‘s treatment of the topic takes us from the biases of John Locke to the hunting grounds of medieval peasants. In this discussion, Dr Widerquist and Ilari discuss topics such as: Why UBI has friends on both sides of the political divide Why UBI is needed for a (genuinely) free society Modern poverty and the problem with "negative vs positive freedoms" Why modernity is not a land of the free (or how the masses lost access to the means of food production) The freedoms of our ancestors, from hunter-gatherers to peasants The problem with "owning" natural resources John Locke's mistake The role of the enclosure movements (in Europe) and colonialism (outside of Europe) Why Widerquist is not a Marxist UBI vs the Nordic welfare state What happened in Finland when the government tested a UBI Why UBI promotes respect, kindness, and unselfishness._________Please consider becoming a supporter of On Humans. Even small monthly donations can make a huge impact on the long-term sustainability of the program. Visit: ⁠Patreon.com/OnHumans ⁠Get in touch: ilari@onhumans.org_________Technical terms mentionedUniversal basic income or UBI (also known as Basic Income Guarantee) / Negative income tax (similar in outcome to a UBI) / Positive vs negative freedoms / The enclosure movement Names mentionedMilton Friedman / Isaiah Berlin / Thomas Paine / Henry George / Herbert Spencer / Gerald Allan Cohen / Michael Otsuka / John Locke / Thomas Hobbes / Jean-Jacques Rousseau / David Hume Mentioned work Isaiah Berlin lectures Prehistoric Myths in Modern Political Theory (Widerquist & McCall 2017) Prehistory of Private Property (Widerquist & McCall 2021)

Most histories of the 20th century focus on world wars and ideological conflicts. Others focus on the fall of European empires. Yet others focus on the slow but inevitable progress of social justice movements.Important themes.But according to Brad DeLong, the real story of “the long 20th century” (1870-2010) is an economic story. It is the story of how humanity, for the first time in its existence, was able to generate prosperity for the masses–so much so that it became technically possible to eradicate poverty altogether.DeLong is an economic historian and the author of the magisterial “Slouching Towards Utopia”. In the book, he argues that the so-called “2nd Industrial Revolution” of 1870 changed the human condition in unprecedented ways. During the course of the long 20th century, fewer and fewer humans had to stay on the farm. More and more humans could enjoy a comfortable life. And the speedy development of new technologies meant that most humans saw their professions undergo a revolution in every generation–something that caused great material prosperity, but also social dislocation and a search for ideologies to confront the changing social realities.In many ways, DeLong tells a happy story of unprecedented victories for humanity at large. Yet humanity did not reach utopia. And alas, DeLong argues that the material boom ended in 2010. (The episode doesn’t discuss this latter claim. But if you are curious: DeLong’s argues that 2010 was marked by a sluggish recovery from the Great Recession, a looming climate catastrophe, and a populist turn against the ideologies that had energised the economic growth of the long 20th century.)In this discussion, Prof DeLong and Ilari discuss questions such as: Why 1870 was a landmark moment for the humanity How poor was the average person before 1870? What allowed the economic revolution of 1870 - and how Nikola Tesla symbolises the era. Did the world become less exploitative after 1870? The difficulties in judging the merits of “capitalism” What did Marx and Engels get right? And what not? Was imperialism a fuel or a drag on the economic boom in Europe and US? Why global inequalities became so large throughout the 20th Century? Why local inequalities (within rich countries) became smaller throughout the 20th Century - until 1970s. How economics explains the rise of ideologies from socialism to fascism and from civil rights to feminism_________Please consider becoming a supporter of On Humans. Even small monthly donations can make a huge impact on the long-term sustainability of the program. Visit: ⁠Patreon.com/OnHumans ⁠Get in touch: ilari@onhumans.org_________Names mentionedEric Hobsbaum / Francis Fukuyama / Jason Hickel / Dylan Sullivan Marshall Sahlsin / John Maynard Keynes / Oded Galor / Nate Rosenberg / Nikola Tesla, inventor / George Westinghouse / Eli Whitney, inventor / Friedrich Engels / Karl Marx / Friedrich von Hayek / Milton Friedman / Gary Gerstle / Ronald Reagan / Margaret ThatcherPapers mentionedCapitalism and Extreme Poverty (Sullivan & Hick 2023)Technical termsMalthusianism / Demographic transition / Creative destruction (after the ideas of Joseph Schumpeter) / The Kuznets curve / Elastic and inelastic supply and demand 

Our mental lives are full of purpose and feeling. Yet the world is governed by laws of physics which seem to lack a sense of either purpose or feeling. So how do we explain consciousness in terms of matter? The problem of consciousness is at the forefront of many dialogues between philosophy and science. So how deep is it?Dr Bernardo Kastrup argues that it is very deep indeed. Or rather, it is a pseudo-problem that arises from us attacking it incorrectly. Kastrup's argument is as surprising as it is simple. He claims that we should never have tried to explain consciousness in terms of matter.  After all, the only thing we really know is that consciousness exists. "Matter" is but a concept we create to explain some aspects of our empirical experiences. So we should take consciousness as the starting point. What follows is a radical reimagining of much of common philosophical sense. It can feel challenging and mind-bending. Maybe it is the wrong path. But it is a path that for too long has been neglected as an unscientific option at the fringes of rational sanity. Kastrup is well-positioned to defend this "idealist" position with scientific rigour. Before becoming a professional philosopher he worked as a computer scientist at CERN - the world’s leading research institute in fundamental physics. Kastrup is pro-science and pro-empiricism. But he believes that to be genuinely empirical, we have to accept that all we ever know about the world is how the world looks, feels, or appears. It is here that our theory of everything should start from.Dr Kastrup and Ilari discuss topics such as: What is metaphysical materialism? Why materialism was historically useful? Why materialism is not nearly as intuitive as it sounds like? The hard problem of consciousness Is materialism compatible with quantum physics? Is materialism compatible with neuroscience of altered states (e.g. psychedelics)? Making sense of idealism  Idealism does not mean that the world is all “my” imagining (cf. Berkeley) Does the world have a Will? (cf Schopenhauer) What about neutral monism (often associated with so-called “panpsychism”)? Why the world is meaningful (according to idealism) Why rocks and lakes are not conscious (even according to idealism) Is there anything special about human consciousness?Technical terms Metaphysical materialism and physicalism (treated here as synonyms) Idealism (in metaphysics) Dualism (in metaphysics) The hard problem of consciousness Occam’s razor (“make your theory as simple as possible”) Einstein’s razor (“make your theory as simple as possible, but not simpler”) Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID, previously known as Dissociative Personality Disorder)Work mentioned You can find links to all mentioned work and more on Kastrup's columns on DID, psychedelics, and fundamental physics, published by the Scientific American.

Social science paints a bleak picture of unprivileged life. Poverty is certainly treated as a social problem - as a harsh condition to live in. But it is also painted as a condition which blunts humanity's capacity for altruism and virtue. Jacqueline Mattis is a psychologist who has studied altruism and prosociality in deeply deprived areas, such as  majority African-American inner-city housing projects. Her work demonstrates that altruism does not vanish amongst those who struggle for survival. No, living in racialised poverty is not fun. But yes, people are still doing beautiful things daily. And they might even do so more often than in more privileged areas.Dr Mattis and Ilari discuss topics, such as: Is altruism unattainable for those without food and safety? Everyday altruism in poor areas Altruism amongst the homeless The psychological impact of catastrophes Is poverty linked to anti-social behaviour? The difficult dilemma of improving policing for African-Americans Religion and spirituality: dangerous, trivial, or important? The concept of graceNames mentioned Abraham Maslow (humanistic psychologist, famous for his "hierarchy of needs") Vitkrol Frankl (holocaust survivor, author of Man's Search For Meaning) Ta-Nehisi Coates (author of Between the World and Me) Rebecca Solnit (author of A Paradise Built in Hell) Rutger Bregman (author of Humankind) Stanley Milgram & Philip Zimbardo (founding figures in social psychology)  Batja Mesquita (author of Between Us: How Culture Shapes Emotion) Christine McWayne Get in touch Email: makela.ilari@outlook.com

Why do we care about equality? Is it an invention of the European Enlightenment? Or is it something rooted in human nature? If so, why does equality require constant fighting for?Elizabeth Anderson is a philosopher at the University of Michigan. She is one of the essential egalitarian theorists of our times. Her essay What's the Point of Equality is one of the must-reads of the contemporary philosophy of political equality. And her recent essay on the history of equality and social justice is a tour-de-force on using the long view of history to shed light on our contemporary condition. In this episode, Prof Anderson talks with Ilari about topics such as: Are humans a naturally egalitarian species? Can human nature explain the logic of social justice movements? The ancient roots of democracy (beyond Athens) How Native American critique of European society shaped the French EnlightenmentThe conversation then turns to the question of modernity. The 2nd half touches upon topics from 19th Century utopian communes to 20th Century Marxism, including: Challenges with anarchism, communalism, and Marxism. Is social democracy the answer? Are social benefits about pitying the poor? Are taxes on the rich about envying the rich? Economic equality versus other forms of equalityNames and work mentioned Christopher Boehm (author of Hierarchy in the Forest) David Graeber & David Wengrow (authors of Dawn of Everything) Kent Flannery & Joyce Marcus (authors of The Creation of Inequality) David Stasavage (author of The Decline and Rise of Democracy) Adam Smith (18th Century Scottish philosopher) Nathaniel Hawthorne & Louisa May Alcott (19th Century American authors) Thomas Piketty (author of Capital & Ideology, A Brief History of Equality, and Capital in the 21st Century) Väinö Linna (author of Under The North Star) Isabel Ferrares (author of Firms as Political Entities) John Rawls (20th Century American philosopher) Jean-Jacques Rousseau (18th Century Swiss philosopher)

Vivek V. Venkataraman, a hunter-gatherer expert and author, dives into the nuances of our ancestral past. He challenges popular myths from books like Sapiens and Dawn of Everything, shedding light on the diversity of hunter-gatherer lifestyles. Sharing his experiences with the Batek community, he discusses their egalitarian structures and the impact of agriculture on health and society. Venkataraman explores the complexities of early human cooperation, conflict, and the role of archaeology in understanding social dynamics, offering a fresh perspective on human origins.