To discuss whether rape is an adaptive behavior, we will review the definition of adaptation, the biological and evolutionary aspects of rape, and present various counterarguments to the claim that rape is an adaptation for reproduction.
In order to answer any question, we need to have a clear understanding of the question. The same is true of “Is rape an adaptation?” I don’t think we need to discuss what rape is, but we need to be clear about what adaptation is before we can answer that question. “As Darwin’s Table explains, adaptation is the product of natural selection, and natural selection is the process by which organisms change in ways that make them better suited to their environment. In other words, when an organism changes in a way that makes it better suited to its environment, we can call it an “adaptation.”
The process of natural selection takes place over thousands of years and is the result of individuals adapting to various environmental changes in order to survive and reproduce. Adaptations contribute directly or indirectly to an individual’s survival and, as a result, play an important role in passing on genes to the next generation. Understanding the nature of adaptations is therefore essential to interpreting and explaining biological phenomena.
So, the question of “Is rape an adaptation?” can be rephrased to “Is rape an environmentally appropriate way for humans to survive?” An environmentally appropriate behavior can be thought of as one that is favorable to an organism’s survival, or something like that. The example of polar bears having white fur is a good example to define what “environmentally appropriate” is, even though it’s not really true. The color of a polar bear’s fur actually serves to camouflage them in the snowy Arctic environment, helping them hunt and survive. So, if rape is an adaptation, then rape must also have an advantage over not raping.
In response, Darwin’s Table states that “rape is an adaptive behavior that increases the probability that males who have difficulty mating will be successful in reproducing.” Of course, it is true that men who have difficulty mating can increase their chances of reproductive success by committing more rapes. But that’s not because rape is an adaptation for reproduction, it’s just a byproduct of the fact that rape makes reproduction more likely. If rape were an adaptation for reproduction, then the act of rape would have to be driven by the primary purpose of reproduction. This is not to say, of course, that the act of rape must be done with the direct thought, “I am going to impregnate a woman today so that I can reproduce,” as the book states. However, as a product of adaptation, even if it is unconscious, rape must be driven by the most basic and important purpose of reproduction.
If rape is an adaptation for reproduction, we should be able to demonstrate that the behavior has provided a survival and reproductive advantage over the course of evolution. For example, if rape increased the transmission of genes between individuals, it is likely that this behavior has become evolutionarily common. However, in practice, rape also occurs with non-reproductive individuals (same-sex, children, the elderly, etc.), which makes it difficult to see rape as an adaptation for reproductive purposes. As shown in the second paragraph on page 26 of the book above, this also makes it impossible to explain the behavior of rape against non-reproductive individuals of the same sex, children, the elderly, etc. The next paragraph states that this is explained by Palmer’s “byproduct theory,” which states that rape is a byproduct of sexual desire, which is hard to support the argument that rape is an adaptation. It also requires conception to occur in order to reproduce, which is further refuted by the fact that penetration does not occur in all rapes. This also makes it hard to argue that rape is an adaptation for the same reasons as above. Therefore, the argument that rape is an adaptation lacks sufficient evidence.
Thornhill also uses the example of a specific organ in the male underbelly to argue that male rape behavior is an adaptation, which is a logical leap. Even if, for example, the organ in question is indeed an adaptation for rape, this is all true for the case of an “undertaker”. There’s no logical basis for extrapolating the example of the udderworm to humans, who are a completely different species. For this argument to be even remotely plausible, humans and udders would have to be very similar biologically, or “human” males would have to have organs that facilitate rape in the same way as “udder” males, and there is no explanation for this. Even between very similar species, it is difficult to apply the traits of one species to another, and it is absurd to try to explain humans using the example of an ape, which is not even remotely similar. Furthermore, even if an organ were to facilitate rape, it would have to be demonstrated that it evolved “for” rape, since an organ that evolved for other purposes could just happen to facilitate rape. However, we do not see this either, so the example below cannot support the claim that rape is an adaptation.
To evaluate the claim that rape is an adaptation, we must have evidence that it is a genetically advantageous behavior, and we must look closely at the role it has played in the context of human evolution. Human societies are governed by complex cultural and social norms and laws, and these factors make evolutionary explanations for behaviors like rape more difficult. For example, rape is strongly condemned and punished in most societies, so it is unlikely to be considered an evolutionarily advantageous strategy.
In other words, the “rape is an adaptation” argument doesn’t explain much about rape, so we can’t just jump to the conclusion that rape is an adaptation. We need explanations for these things before we can say that rape is an adaptation, and until then, we cannot say that rape is an adaptation. Furthermore, an evolutionary psychology approach to rape must take into account the complex social behaviors and moral judgments of humans and recognize that there are limitations to explaining rape simply as a biological adaptation.
