Introduction to Social Sciences, Evil Acts, and Primatology

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts in social sciences, theories of evil, subfields of anthropology, and primatological observations.

Social sciences

The scientific study of people and society through inquiry, incorporating psychology, anthropology, sociology, political science, economics, and geography.

Anthropology

The study of humans, past and present, focusing on our origins, development, human patterns, language, and culture using specific theories, perspectives, and methodologies.

Psychology

The study of the human mind and mental states to explain the behaviour of an individual or a group and examine what factors shape human mental processes.

Sociologists

Social scientists who focus on the relationships between people and the societies they develop, examining interactions between social institutions, groups, and individuals.

Socrates' view on evil

The philosophical belief that evil does not exist because intentional evil is impossible.

St. Augustine's view on evil

The theological and philosophical perspective that evil is the absence of good.

Ethical principles in research

The set of values and standards created by social scientists to determine what is appropriate and acceptable at all stages of the inquiry process.

Cultural anthropology

A field of study within anthropology that explores how people think and act in cultures around the world.

Physical anthropology

A field of study focusing on human origins, physical changes (mutation) in humans, and physical variation among humans.

Primatology

A subfield of physical anthropology that studies primates to understand important characteristics of humans, which ramped up significantly in the 1960s and 1970s.

Paleoanthropologists

Scientists who study ancient humans to help understand the origins of Homo sapiens.

Prosimians

The oldest category of primates, which are mostly arboreal tree dwellers.

Tarsier

A primate identified in the notes as the weirdest primate.

Dr. Jane Goodall

A primatologist who lived in damp, solitary conditions in Tanzania for months to observe chimpanzees, discovering their tool use and complex family dynamics.

Chimpanzee tool use

A behavior discovered by Jane Goodall where chimpanzees strip leaves from twigs to make probes for eating termites, ants, and prey, and use leaves to drink water.

Grooming (primate behavior)

A behavior shared by all primates that serves as a key social skill for rising in the dominance hierarchy.

Ape intelligence (dominant theory)

A theory supported by neurobiological research stating that ape intelligence evolved due to social skills rather than tool-making.