One and a Half Human Natures

This page hosts online materials for the inter-faculty elective course “SATIETY, SEX, STATUS: EVOLUTIONARILY DETERMINED MECHANISMS OF THE BEHAVIOUR OF HUMANS AND OTHER ANIMALS”. In 2017–2023 the course was taught under the title “Evolutionary-Biological Foundations of Human Behaviour”. It is taught by the head of the Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology of the Faculty of Biology of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Dr. Sci. (Biology), Prof. Dmytro Andriyovych Shabanov. The course's title reflects the fact that human feeding, reproductive (sexual and parental), and hierarchical behaviour is most strongly influenced by innate, evolutionarily determined programs. These programs are not rigid; despite widespread claims, humans have no instincts, and human behaviour is powerfully shaped by culture. How and why this arose, and how it works, is the core subject of the course. The course's informal name is “One and a Half Human Natures”, because of our two natures (the biological one, genetically determined, and the social one, culturally determined) the first largely shapes the second. Note: although the course title mentions sex (an attention-grabbing word), specific questions of sexology are not planned for the course. We will, however, consider why a person may desire sex, how they choose a partner (or partners), and what kinds of relationships they tend to build in the short and long term. The author hopes that working through these materials will help students better “make use of themselves”, understand themselves and others, and achieve their own goals.

The content of this page will change and grow. The author will be grateful for constructive criticism, fruitful discussion, error reports, and useful advice!