In this blog post, we examine the conflicting views surrounding the debate over whether “rape is an adaptation” and present a critical analysis of these perspectives.
In ‘Darwin’s Table’, rather than presenting his own opinion directly, the author introduces the pro- and con arguments among scholars regarding the question “Is rape an adaptation?” to illustrate each position and its supporting evidence. The discussion centers on the content of Randy Sonhill’s ‘The Natural History of Rape’ (2000), with proponents—including Richard Dawkins—and opponents—including Stephen Jay Gould—presenting their differing perspectives on the question of whether rape is an adaptation.
Cosmedis, a scholar in the pro-argument camp, argues as follows: Rape is the result of natural selection over a long evolutionary history and is an adaptive behavior that helps men reproduce more. He also argues that rape is fundamentally closer to sexual behavior than to violent behavior. Of course, he makes it clear that even if rape is considered an adaptation, it is still a deeply wrong act and must be punished. Another scholar on the pro-side, Pinker, criticizes the opposing side for approaching the question of whether rape is an adaptation from an ideological perspective rather than a scientific one. In other words, he argues that people are confusing factual explanations with value judgments.
Coin, a scholar on the opposing side, argues as follows: The claim presented in Sonhill’s book—that “the harm caused by rape to fertile women is greater than that caused to infertile women”—lacks sufficient statistical evidence; furthermore, considering that child victims, who cannot become pregnant, account for a significant proportion of cases, Sonhill’s argument lacks persuasiveness. Furthermore, while Son Hill argues that human rape behavior is an adaptation based on the existence of organs in certain male animals that facilitate rape, Coin criticizes this by stating that it is inappropriate to apply animal examples directly to humans.
I oppose the claim that “rape is an adaptation.” The biological definition of adaptation refers to a trait that has evolved so that an organism’s form or function is suited to environmental conditions, thereby aiding the survival and reproduction of the individual and the species. However, most rapists do not commit their crimes with the conscious intention of “I must rape to pass on my genes” or “I will rape this person to produce offspring.” In other words, rape is not an action consciously undertaken to achieve the goal of maintaining the individual or the species. From this perspective, it is difficult to categorically define rape as an adaptation.
Furthermore, even if rape were to be indirectly linked to reproduction, it would still be difficult to view it as an adaptation. For humans, important environmental conditions also include the social environment. No matter how lacking in self-control a criminal may be, he would surely be aware that rape is a serious crime within his society and that it is not a choice conducive to his own survival and reproduction. Ultimately, it is difficult to view rape as behavior suited to the social environment in which humans live. Therefore, rather than viewing rape as conforming to the biological definition of an adaptation, I believe it is more reasonable to interpret it as behavior resulting from a combination of excessive sexual impulses and low self-control.
Some might counter, citing statistics showing that a significant proportion of rape victims are women of childbearing age, that rapists target women of childbearing age due to an unconscious reproductive instinct, even if they do not consciously act with the goal of ensuring the survival of the species. Of course, there are studies indicating a tendency for a high proportion of victims to be women of childbearing age. However, it is difficult to draw conclusions on this issue based solely on a few statistics.
Past South Korean police statistics also show that sexual crimes against children and adolescents have occurred consistently, and it has been pointed out that, considering the underreporting rate and unreported crimes, the actual scale of victimization is likely greater than official statistics indicate. Furthermore, given that adult victims also include women outside their reproductive years, it is difficult to generalize that rape is committed exclusively against women of reproductive age.
Furthermore, whether the targets are women of childbearing age or those outside that age range, one could argue that rape is an adaptation based on the fact that it stems from sexual desire. This is because sexual desire is ultimately a need related to reproduction. However, just because a behavior stems from the same need does not mean it is necessarily an adaptation. What matters is whether the behavior actually aids survival and reproduction. To take an extreme example, a person stranded in the wilderness who picks and eats fruit or hunts and eats animals can be seen as engaging in adaptive behavior because it aids survival. However, if a person were to eat grass that humans cannot digest, it could not be considered adaptive, even if the behavior stems from appetite. Therefore, concluding that the rape of a woman outside her fertile period is an adaptation simply because it stems from sexual desire is not much different from claiming that eating indigestible grass is an adaptation simply because it stems from appetite.
Of course, one could counter that eating grass is an adaptive behavior for herbivores. Indeed, since grass is an important source of nutrition for animals such as cows and goats, such behavior can be considered an adaptation. However, humans cannot digest such grass efficiently, nor does it contribute to human survival. Therefore, it is inappropriate to apply the label of “adaptation” to humans simply because the behavior is adaptive in other species.
For these reasons, I oppose the claim that rape is an adaptation. The core of the debate over whether rape is an adaptation ultimately revolves around the question of whether rape is an adaptation in and of itself or merely a byproduct of adaptation. For a behavior to be called an adaptation, it must first be suited to environmental conditions and must actually aid the survival and reproduction of the individual and the species. However, in the social environment in which humans live, it is difficult to view rape as fulfilling these conditions. Therefore, I believe it is more reasonable to understand rape not as an adaptation, but rather as a byproduct of adaptation—or as a non-adaptive behavior—arising from a combination of human sexual desires and various psychological and social factors.
