The Evolutionary Myth of the Maternal Instinct with Gillian Ragsdale

Women Without Kids

Evolutionary biologist Gillian Ragsdale on the myth of the "maternal instinct," and the extent to which the desire to birth a biological child is a social and cultural phenomenon. In the episode we discuss:

-Why no mammal has a primal instinct that links sex to a desire to reproduce

-Why we talk about a “maternal” instinct and not a “paternal” instinct

-The real purpose of the sex drive in human beings

-Why individual differences and preferences are overlooked in conversations about procreative potential

-The different factors that might make a person more susceptible to “baby fever”

-Why it is so challenging to implement more shared responsibility for childrearing between men and women

-An evolutionary perspective on the global population slowdown

-Why modern societal structures and family formation are antithetical to proper caregiving

-How “pair bonding” came to take precedence among humans and the impact of this on community and family life

-What it means to “widen the moral circle” when it comes to who we care for and about – both individually and as a society

-Why biological evolution doesn’t care about “quality of life” - but how lifestyle stressors do impact human fertility

You can learn more about Gillian Ragsdale and her work HERE.

You can pre-order your copy of Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of an Unsung Sisterhood HERE—where you can input your order details to receive a FREE book club guide to accompany the book.