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The Naked Classroom: The Evolutionary Psychology of Your Time at School
Why is that attractive female teacher having sex with the kid in Year 11 who’s really good at football? Why do the “special” kids literally look strange? Did you find science less than utterly captivating at school? Did you question the usefulness of learning Physics formulas off by heart or swotting up on the intricacies of wind pollination? If so, this is the book for you. In The Naked Classroom, Edward Dutton takes us back to school to teach us science in the way that it should have been taught. This is the science that your science teachers would have drilled you in, if they’d been brave the evolutionary science of the school itself. Why are all the English teachers female? Why do boys tend to like science more than girls do? Pack your satchel, do up your tie in a jaunty fashion and follow Dutton on an evolutionary tour of your time at school.
155 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 28, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 8, 2024
The Naked Classroom: The Evolutionary Psychology of Your Time at School by Edward Dutton offers a fascinating lens into the psychology behind the school experience, examining how deep-rooted evolutionary factors shape behavior and dynamics within the classroom. Dutton’s insights are both thought-provoking and accessible, presenting a fresh perspective on the role of education in human development. The book challenges conventional views by delving into why certain classroom dynamics exist and how they affect students and teachers alike, making it a compelling read for educators, parents, and anyone interested in understanding the psychological intricacies of schooling.
August 22, 2026
This is an excellent romp through evolutionary biology in the context of our grade-schooling. Dutton covers the same old (fascinating!) ground he covers in all his books, but here in a more concise way. It’s really too bad this book is not cheaper and more widely available as it needs to be read more.
The main themes of this telling include sex differences, race differences, and class differences with regard to intelligence, abilities, interests and behaviors, and the fundamental underlying distinction between fast and slow life strategies (EO Wilson’s r and K strategies of biology which JP Rushton made somewhat better known in the context of human ecology in the 90’s), and the general trend of Western civilization to get steadily smarter until about 1870, and then steadily dumber since (due to increased scientific and technological invention and the resulting decrease in child mortality). What amazes me is how these two fundamental and pivotal ways to explain modern life are so unknown and untaught.
I’ve read most of Dutton’s books now, but every time I find some new insight revealed. For instance;
It’s somewhat terrifying to realize that everything we see in nature, specifically our human nature, no matter how perverse or seemingly maladaptive, is in fact part of our evolutionary adaption and survival. Like the case of bullying; where in the extreme cases of Africa, mentally and physically disabled and diseased children are often ostracized to the point of death (since they are a drain to the society which is better off not letting them live and reproduce), while in the West these individuals are respected and cared for as individuals, who then may go on to reproduce and continue to drain and harm the society…
In the name of doing good and being humanitarian we then end up harming humanity. The third world solution might well be repulsively barbaric and unnecessarily cruel, but the opposite in the West is perhaps worse since it doesn’t even try to effect a real solution (just an individual amelioration).
You might then say, well the West is vigorously working to abort Down’s Syndrome babies because of that very reason. But the problem with that is Down’s Syndrome while a genetic mutation is not heritable (ie it’s random and likely based in environmental factors like age of the parents). Another difference is Down’s Syndrome people might actually benefit the societies they are in (given enough abundance to support less productive members) simply because who they are, and the “love gene” they appear to posses.
Overall, despite more than a few minor typos, this book is highly recommended with the plus of an extensive appendix of references for further reading.
The main themes of this telling include sex differences, race differences, and class differences with regard to intelligence, abilities, interests and behaviors, and the fundamental underlying distinction between fast and slow life strategies (EO Wilson’s r and K strategies of biology which JP Rushton made somewhat better known in the context of human ecology in the 90’s), and the general trend of Western civilization to get steadily smarter until about 1870, and then steadily dumber since (due to increased scientific and technological invention and the resulting decrease in child mortality). What amazes me is how these two fundamental and pivotal ways to explain modern life are so unknown and untaught.
I’ve read most of Dutton’s books now, but every time I find some new insight revealed. For instance;
It’s somewhat terrifying to realize that everything we see in nature, specifically our human nature, no matter how perverse or seemingly maladaptive, is in fact part of our evolutionary adaption and survival. Like the case of bullying; where in the extreme cases of Africa, mentally and physically disabled and diseased children are often ostracized to the point of death (since they are a drain to the society which is better off not letting them live and reproduce), while in the West these individuals are respected and cared for as individuals, who then may go on to reproduce and continue to drain and harm the society…
In the name of doing good and being humanitarian we then end up harming humanity. The third world solution might well be repulsively barbaric and unnecessarily cruel, but the opposite in the West is perhaps worse since it doesn’t even try to effect a real solution (just an individual amelioration).
You might then say, well the West is vigorously working to abort Down’s Syndrome babies because of that very reason. But the problem with that is Down’s Syndrome while a genetic mutation is not heritable (ie it’s random and likely based in environmental factors like age of the parents). Another difference is Down’s Syndrome people might actually benefit the societies they are in (given enough abundance to support less productive members) simply because who they are, and the “love gene” they appear to posses.
Overall, despite more than a few minor typos, this book is highly recommended with the plus of an extensive appendix of references for further reading.
May 17, 2024
Looking back at his school days, Dutton dives deep into an inquiry why the schools are run as is, especially science classes, and he offers his own perspective and approach. Of course, this involves asking many uncomfortable questions (at least for our time) even though the results may be very interesting and intriguing. A quick and entertaining read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews