Sexuality may not be very empathetic in male animals, generally, but as you say, we are very different from other animals (in some ways, at least). I don't think Hollywood can be used to affirm the relation between sex and violence in the male brain. While this may be true for some males, I suspect there are some males and females out there who might testify that sex often brings out empathy and tenderness in the human male. Furthermore, Janices comments on testosterone are of interest in this regard.
Regarding the evolutionary process, childrearing and empathetic females, I am not aware that any genes for empathy have been discovered. To say that evolution selects for empathy is completely unsupportable, except by speculation. Again, as Janice pointed out,
perhaps the quality is protectiveness, rather than empathy, which might lead to more aggressive females. I believe that qualities such as empathy may be developed in the child rearing process, but that they are environmental and social in nature, not biologically wired. It is an endless aregument and one which I'm sure neither of us can prove to the other's satisfaction. |
