32 replies to this topic

[skeksis]

Well, here's the thing... men (and women, complicitly) have created a wide variety of cultural institutions that go a long way towards ensuring a genetic link with their offspring. A lot of those institutions are less and less relevant in the modern world, but they're pretty well engrained. e.g. marriage -- what's the point if not to reasonably ensure that males pass their genes and material wealth to their offspring? Alternately, why do we as a culture tend to frown on women sleeping around? Why (in a lot of cultures) are crazy things like women wearing trousers considered punishable with prison time? Bottom line is that most of the reason women are/were 2nd class citizens in cultures around the world has everything to do with men trying to manage reproduction given that they cannot be as certain about the genetics.

SO I propose that 1) when a genetic link to offspring matters (inheritance), men have rather little to worry about because they have control of the relevant social/cultural institutions AND 2) Outside of inheritance, "lesser" sexual encounters may or may not generate offspring - but who cares because that male has nothing invested in that child. Maybe he can get his genes out there cheaply, but it matters rather little.

Multiple orgasms seems a non-factor: one is good enough reason for most :-)


'Course we could be like a lot of other male great apes & large mammals that tend to kill off any offspring that aren't theirs.

[Jacki O.]

when a genetic link to offspring matters (inheritance), men have rather little to worry about because they have control of the relevant social/cultural institutions

chipping away at that every day!!!!

[skeksis]

when a genetic link to offspring matters (inheritance), men have rather little to worry about because they have control of the relevant social/cultural institutions

chipping away at that every day!!!!

very true... 'course now we've got science (paternity testing) if you're really in a situation that problematic.