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Thread: Why would an atheist care about monogamy?

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Devil'sAdvocate View Post
    Polygamy or polyamory is biologically the norm in humans, monogamy is a social institution which was created for various cultural reasons.

    I've seen some atheists and progressives show a concern for monogamy, but my question is why?

    Polygamy or polyamory is biologically the norm in humans, monogamy is a social institution which was created for various cultural reasons.

    Not sure where you come up with these premises but they are not known to be true.
    Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. ― Gustav Mahler

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    Not sure where you come up with these premises but they are not known to be true.
    Humans aren't naturally monogamous, neither are apes, polyamory has been the default of society for most of human history (and arguably, still is, off the books).

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    Quote Originally Posted by Devil'sAdvocate View Post
    Humans aren't naturally monogamous, neither are apes, polyamory has been the default of society for most of human history (and arguably, still is, off the books).
    I just did a cursory reading of the scientific literature and the more common explanation is we evolved from one to the other. Evolution is not a social construct, my postmodern friend.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    I just did a cursory reading of the scientific literature and the more common explanation is we evolved from one to the other. Evolution is not a social construct, my postmodern friend.
    There's no evidence that people biologically evolved that way, if you're talking about evolution in a "cultural" sense then that's completely different.

    A man doesn't suddenly stop feeling horny toward other women the second he gets married or enters a relationship, the biological urge is still there (as it is for women too, women aren't 'monogamous' either).

    (Plus if humans had biologically evolved past polygamy at some point in their evolution then how would it have been a cultural norm in many societies historically?)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Devil'sAdvocate View Post
    There's no evidence that people biologically evolved that way, if you're talking about evolution in a "cultural" sense then that's completely different.

    A man doesn't suddenly stop feeling horny toward other women the second he gets married or enters a relationship, the biological urge is still there (as it is for women too, women aren't 'monogamous' either).

    (Plus if humans had biologically evolved past polygamy at some point in their evolution then how would it have been a cultural norm in many societies historically?)

    Much of the scientific literature says it was evolutionary. Part of it had to do with shortages in the availability of females. Part of it had to do with protecting and keeping children alive. You'll have to expose yourself to all the literature out there and freely available.

    That is not to say that society didn't enter into it and select for monogamy nor that culture didn't also enter into it in terms of the much later appearance of the institution of marriage.

    Also, a certain though small percentage of mammals are monogamous. Animals can be social, but hardly can be said to have culture--let alone sit down as a group and discuss and decide to be monogamous as a social construct would imply.

    So stop it with the postmodern everything's a social construct stuff already.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ethereal View Post
    It's a legitimate question. I cannot readily discern why an atheist would care about the integrity of monogamy.
    From a selfish gene pov, monogamy makes sense, in exchange for monogamy. Mate guarding makes sense on many levels.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris View Post
    Much of the scientific literature says it was evolutionary. Part of it had to do with shortages in the availability of females. Part of it had to do with protecting and keeping children alive. You'll have to expose yourself to all the literature out there and freely available.

    That is not to say that society didn't enter into it and select for monogamy nor that culture didn't also enter into it in terms of the much later appearance of the institution of marriage.

    Also, a certain though small percentage of mammals are monogamous. Animals can be social, but hardly can be said to have culture--let alone sit down as a group and discuss and decide to be monogamous as a social construct would imply.

    So stop it with the postmodern everything's a social construct stuff already.
    Culturally, monogamy makes the issue of paternity more certain.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Devil'sAdvocate View Post
    Polygamy or polyamory is biologically the norm in humans, monogamy is a social institution which was created for various cultural reasons.



    I've seen some atheists and progressives show a concern for monogamy, but my question is why?

    Because it's the best way to raise kids

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    Quote Originally Posted by Newpublius View Post
    From a selfish gene pov, monogamy makes sense, in exchange for monogamy. Mate guarding makes sense on many levels.
    For a woman, maybe, but for a man who doesn't need protection, no.

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    Quote Originally Posted by donttread View Post
    Because it's the best way to raise kids
    A man with multiple wives can produce many more offspring than a monogamous one.

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