- On what grounds have feminists critiqued Darwin’s theory of evolution? What
kind of an approach to critique does Grosz suggest instead?
Darwin's theory was biased the argument was based on the nature aspect of human existence ignoring all the other side of the human. “how biology, the bodily existence of individuals provides the conditions of culture and for history” (Grosz, 14). The focus was on the biological aspect of humans ignoring the cultural, political, social and historical side of humans. Biology determinism of humans has been the critique by most feminist especially those not into the biological field. The human environment comprises many other things apart from the physical body, the understanding of the environment which deals with culture, history will then be of no use at all to humans. It has helped feminists to have some rigor and depth the usefulness insight to the other side of life, which was Darwin reluctantly ignored, it was to project humans through the patriarchal category of humans from the biological nature perspective.
- Describe the interrelated workings of the three principles of evolution that Grosz
explicates from Darwin. What is the role of sexual or artificial selection in relation to, and as part of, natural selection? Does sexual selection mean that ‘culture’ is already part of nature?
Darwin argues 3 principles about how the species are forced to evolve: individual variation, the heritability of the characteristics of individual variation that lead proliferation of species, natural selection (Grosz, 19). It means there is diversity in individuals' species character and features which will lead to proliferation. Proliferation might also lead to the same species but different characteristics and features that will compete for the natural selection due to random selection.
Secondly, the invariable tendency of superabundance, excessiveness, the generation of large numbers of individual. Due to proliferation, there will be differences in character and features which will make space species stronger than others, which will create a hostile environment. The negative tendency of the environment will create competition for limited resources. The stronger will survive. The final part is the “principle of preservation'', it preserves only those variations that can viably function within its parameters and conditions. Nature wants to preserve only the fittest, and it entails extinction, this extinction and has acted in world history. (Grosz, 21).
- Discuss the analogies of ‘differences within’ in Foucault’s conception of power and
resistance and Darwin’s conception of variation and natural selection.
Foucault’s power conception of power and resistance show that power and resistance should be individual choice. Power to individual species produces resistance. The effects of resistance are vulnerable, Darwin and Foucault believe that domination in the natural selection by dominate group produces subordinated group, so power to resist is important to have the natural selection for individual. (Grosz, 29).