The measurement of Human Life History strategy

This retrospective essay appraises J. Philippe Rushton’s application of life history to understanding the covariation among human traits in light of subsequent developments in the measurement and latent structure of Human Life History, covitality, and personality. We conclude that Rushton should be recognized for having initiated a theoretically and empirically highly fertile paradigm in human individual differences research.     

The Story of Life History: Origins of the Life History Method in Sociology

For some time psychologists have been employing life history methods in their work. Perhaps the key publication in this regard is Erik Erikson 's (1975)book Life History and the Historical Moment. In fact, life history methods were pioneered by anthropologists and taken up with considerable enthusiasm by sociologists. A central location for the pioneering of life history methods by sociologists was the Chicago School in the 1930s.A range of innovative life history studies were generated here as part of the wide-ranging studies of the urban environment undertaken by the sociology school. In this article, we look at some of the possibilities of life history work, but are particularly concerned with analyzing the dilemmas that led to a decline in life history methods. The last section examines the rehabilitation of life history methods and puts forward a number of arguments as to why life history methods are particularly suitable for what Harvey (1989) called the "condition of post-modernity."     

生命史理论：进化视角下的生命发展观

传统的心理学研究很少从发展角度系统地考察童年早期经历和个体生物性发展之间的关系。然而，以进化理论为基础的生命史理论的研究表明，个体的幼年环境会影响一系列生命史事件的出现和持续时间。其要义在于，为了最大限度地成功繁衍，个体会根据环境线索来做出关乎生存和繁衍的具有适应性的权衡。特别地，性成熟时间是生命史理论区别于其他人类发展理论的核心变量。未来的研究一方面需要深入挖掘人类社会规范在生命史权衡中的意义，另一方面还要继续探索实证研究的新方法。     

Uniqueness, Individuality, and Human Cloning

This paper challenges two main arguments often presented to show that cloning a human being would be morally wrong per se . These arguments are that human cloning would be intrinsically wrong 1) because it involves manufacturing a person rather than creating or reproducing one, and 2) because it violates some claim or right that individuals have to be biologically unique. I argue that while cloning may involve genetic selection, it need not always be a decision to select for a certain type of individual. Furthermore, I contend that the notion of biological uniqueness is inadequate to ground either the idea that biologically non-unique individuals are morally worse off than unique ones or that biological uniqueness itself constitutes a criterion of moral value or status.     

人类胚胎的不完全性与伦理问题

人类胚胎伦理地位的道德两分法不具有合理性,应该从人类胚胎是“人的不完全态”着手分析他的发育连续性,并相应的考虑他的伦理地位。胚胎伦理学包含着内在的伦理悖论,所以道义论和效果论都不能很好地解决。考虑“人的不完全态”的连续统,提出了中庸主义的解决方案。     

范式转换与道德生活史的研究

伦理学就是一种生活观。伦理思想史的研究需要范式的转换,即由思想史转向道德生活史,研究社会变迁视野中的道德变迁,研究具体历史条件下的社会伦理关系,研究民众层面的日常道德生活。     

Shaping Individuality: Human Inheritable Germ Line Gene Modification

In this paper I deal with ethical factors surrounding germline gene therapy. Such implications include intergenerational responsibility, human dignity, moral status of embryos and so on. I will explore the relevance of the above mentioned issues to discuss the ethical implication of human germline gene therapy (HGLT). We will see that most of arguments claimed by bioethicists do not provide valid reason to oppose HGLT. I will propose an alternative view, based on personal identity issues, to discuss the ethics of human inheritable gene modification. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

An Exploration in the Will Psychology of Otto Rank: Human Intentionality and Individuality

The author explores the meaning and the importance of the will in Rank's relation-based self-creative, self-constructive psychology and argues for the consideration of the concept of the will in psychoanalysis. The paper shows that Rank's concept of the will explains what gives a human being the impetus to choose an action, positive or negative. When validated by the other, this will, the power of intention, enables a person to create his/her unique individuality. The paper reviews Rank's definition of will and traces the evolution of his ideas of intentionality in his writings. Further, the author discusses how Rank attempts to capture the subtle movements of the human mind as suffused with struggles and dynamic interplay between external and internal forces.     

A History of the Extraterrestrial Life Debate

From antiquity to the present, humans have debated whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe. This presentation will survey this debate, examining the roles played in it by science, religion, philosophy, and other areas of human learning. One thesis that will be developed is that whether or not extraterrestrials exist, ideas about them have strongly influenced Western thought.     

进化心理学视角下母亲教养行为的代际传承性研究

采用问卷法,从生命史理论的角度探讨母亲教养行为的代价传递性。研究问题一显示,童年期家庭环境的艰苦性和不可预测性不能预测个体成年后的生命史策略,原生家庭母亲的专制型教养方式通过焦虑型依恋行为的中介作用可以间接地负向预测成年女儿的生命史慢策略,原生家庭母亲的民主型教养方式可以直接预测成年女儿的生命史慢策略;研究问题二显示,生命史慢策略在原生家庭母亲的民主型教养行为和成年女儿的合作型协同教养行为之间起着完全中介作用。     

A Life History Model of the Alcoholic Family

Research and clinical interest in the alcoholic family has tended to outpace the development of family-oriented conceptual models of alcoholism. A family development perspective has been almost totally absent, despite the chronic, longitudinal nature of alcoholism. A life history model is proposed that uses the concepts of the “alcoholic system,” family homeostasis, and the “family alcohol phase” as its building blocks. Chronic alcoholism tends to produce distortions in the normative family life cycle. These distortions and their clinical implications are discussed, using four case histories as illustrations of the concepts proposed. The model is also examined in the light of current research findings about the alcoholic family.     

Socialization to Civil Society: A Life History Study of Community Leaders

Books reviewed:
Socialization to Civil Society: A Life History Study of Community Leaders. By Peter Robert Sawyer. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. 2005. 160 pp. Reviewed by Marilyn Hoskin University of New Hampshire     

Wittgenstein and the Human Form of Life

Book reviewed:
Oswald Hanfling, Wittgenstein and the Human Form of Life. Reviewed by Olli Lagerspetz The Department of Philosophy Åbo Academy Fabriksgatan 2 20500 Åbo, Finland olagersp@abo.fi