Citation

Bribiescas RG. Futures 2011; 43(8): 729-739.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Institute for the Future, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.futures.2011.05.016

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Humans are currently faced with several challenges that threaten the existence of our species including climate change, increased pathogen virulence, economic instability, resource depletion, and continued state sponsored violence. At first glance, these issues are scarcely manageable independently, much less collectively. At the core of these challenges are our underlying motivations and behaviors that spawned these challenges. As a species that is numerous and active in the altering of our planet, Homo sapiens, specifically, men, have been and will likely continue to hold sway over much of the global economic and political power that will influence the outcome of these challenges. Consequently it is important to understand the underlying motivations and evolutionary underpinnings that influence the decisions of all men, especially those in positions of power. While it is impossible to predict individual behaviors or policies of succeeding generations, this paper suggests that a thorough comprehension of the core aspects of human male life history such as patterns of mortality, trade offs between reproductive effort and survivorship as well as subsequent behavioral evolution can provide some glimpse into roots of behavior, policy, and the future of our species. Alternative futures vis a vis, the role of men in shaping human evolution are discussed.