Blogs

Basic Instincts

How basic instincts provide practical insights into the mind and religion, and how a special third basic instinct separates us from other animals.

by Alex S. Key

Alex S. Key is author of The Third Basic Instinct, and has successfully applied evolutionary psychology to aspects of everyday life, including belief systems. See full bio

July 27, 2009

Prostitution, Gold-digging, or Just a Dinner Date? How Chimps Get Paid for Sex

Would you believe that chimpanzees have sex for "money"? The parallels within human society could be significant.

Throughout nature, only humans appear to use money so it may seem counter-intuitive that our use of money has an animal parallel. Read More

December 29, 2008

The (Violent) Origin of Sports

All human activities can be traced back to basic instincts...? This is an ambitious claim. Many aspects of everyday life must first be explained to justify such a claim, including our attraction to sports. Read More

December 26, 2008

How Religions Motivate Us

Basic instincts can shed light on human behavior and safeguard against modern trappings that we did not evolve around. Of all the modern elements that can hijack our evolved machinery, religion is among the most potent. Read More

December 20, 2008

Dying for sex…literally

Spiders do it. Salmon do it. Even fig wasps do it. They reproduce and then die right after. But humans wouldn't die to have sex...or would we? Read More

December 15, 2008

Human needs…WHAT ARE THEY?!

One of the greatest challenges facing humanity may well revolve around a misunderstanding of human needs. It can lead to frustrations, diseases, and even war. Sounds farfetched? Let's look at some circumstantial evidence before we dig into the theory. Read More

Books by Alex S. Key

The Third Basic Instinct: How Religion Doesn't Get You (Revised Edition)

Evolutionary Psychology Basics

Our bodies evolved over eons, slowly calibrating to the African savanna on which 98 percent of our ancestors lived and died. So, too, did our brains. Evolutionary psychology postulates that the mind is shaped by pressure to survive and reproduce. We jealously guard romantic partners and cherish our closest relatives above all others, lest we fail to pass on our genes.

Go to the Evolutionary Psychology Basics page for more on Evolutionary Psychology including:

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