3.3.2 Is ethnocentrism and racism a broader manifestation of inclusive fitness for reproductive success?

It is a fundamental argument of evolutionary psychology that all psychological functioning has to be evaluated from its relationship to reproductive fitness including attitudes that lead to preferences for ingroups supported by ethnocentric or racist beliefs. The evidence for an evolutionary explanation regarding ethnocentrism has been made by Reynolds, Falger and Vine (1987). According to their research ethnocentrism reflect the underlying grammar or architecture of the human mind developed in response to evolutionary pressures. The processes that functioned to ensure reproductive success were retained during evolution, and those that were dysfunctional were discarded. Thus we are likely to have positive attitudes toward groups of people that contribute to ensuring that our genes and those related to us survive and prosper (“inclusive fitness”). With our plastic minds we can also define inclusive fitness in varying ways using belief systems as well as ethnic considerations. That genetics play a role in the architecture of our minds can be observed by the presence of various unlearned phobias. For example, observation of small children show they react with avoidance to snakes, but have no hardwired fear of sticking fingers into electrical sockets a much more recent invention in human lives.

Nazism and its various proponents argued for a perverted form of social Darwinism to justify genocide and war. Toward the end of the war Hitler had little interest in the survival of Germany since from his perspective the best elements of the German nation had already lost their lives on the battle field. Recent times have seen shocking manifestations of the willingness to kill in the name of ideology, particularly by militant Muslim ideologues. However, in case people in the West feel that civilization has made such action less likely in their countries the recent massacre in Norway is a wakeup call. The perpetrator a native Norwegian (a man by the name of Anders Behring Breivik) exploded a bomb in front of government headquarters in downtown Oslo, and then proceeded to a nearby island where young people were enjoying summer camp and methodologically murdered close to 76 people mostly children. To all appearances he was not mentally ill producing a 1500 page statement of justification on the Internet in defense of his actions that he called atrocious but necessary. He speaks with pride of his Viking heritage and was motivated by his refusal to accept what he perceived as an increased Muslim presence in Norway.

Whereas in the past inclusive fitness might be defined by the extended family or tribe, the parameters have changed with the evolution of culture. Hitler started with defining inclusive fitness as being strictly German, then as the fortunes of war caused a reevaluation moved to pan-Germanic qualifications, and eventually in desperation to all whites who looked “Aryan”. It is interesting to observe the varying parameters of inclusive fitness of modern medievalists of all persuasions that have millenarian inspirations. For Breivik the inclusiveness parameter are members of European culture.

Like Osama bin Laden, Breivik defined inclusive fitness broadly based on ideology in his case that of pan-Europeanism, whereas for the Jihadist inclusiveness is based on mediaeval interpretations of Islam. Breivik is not a racist, and does not think race is that important as his model societies are Japan and South Korea. However, like Osama Bin Laden, Breivik is focused on medieval times, and sees himself as a Christian Knight in the service of his culture. Nevertheless while his focus is on the intrusion of Islam, it is probably the broader immigrant picture that he sees as threatening the “inclusive fitness” of Norwegian society. The capital Oslo now has 28 percent of the population that is foreign born (Sandbu, Ward, & Wigglesworth, 2011). Likewise Osama Bin Laden and his cohorts dreamt of an Islamic Caliphate that existed presumably centuries ago, and perceives the threat to inclusive fitness as produced by modern societies and the progress of globalization in the Islamic world. Extremist Islamic ideologies have much in common with European totalitarian traditions, especially the idea that after terrible trials (concentration camps, war, Jihad, the Gulag, sin and chaos) we find paradisiacal deliverance. Whether religious or political the common thread is the belief that society or culture is in tension, and all it takes is a mighty blow and the walls will fall (Stephens, 2011).