Epilogue

Abstract

This book completes an examination of issues concerning the humane use and care of human beings by other human beings. This examination was begun in Human Evolution, Reproduction, and Morality (Petrinovich, 1995), in which argumentation was developed regarding the basic principles that should be brought to bear to understand the nature and functioning of those organic systems of which the human species is a part. These principles involve the realities of evolutionary biology, physiological substrates, and behavioral outcomes. The latter are concerned with activities that serve to form and cement social bonds between the members of human communities, especially between a mother and her newborn, and with the development of cognitive capacities. The arguments were documented through an analysis of the theoretical and research literature regarding human evolution, behavior, and psychology, with special attention devoted to the nature of developmental processes, ethological mechanisms, and the principles involved in perceptual and cognitive processing.