title: Evolutionary awareness.
abstract: In this article, we advance the concept of "evolutionary awareness," a metacognitive framework that examines human thought and emotion from a naturalistic, evolutionary perspective. We begin by discussing the evolution and current functioning of the moral foundations on which our framework rests. Next, we discuss the possible applications of such an evolutionarily-informed ethical framework to several domains of human behavior, namely: sexual maturation, mate attraction, intrasexual competition, culture, and the separation between various academic disciplines. Finally, we discuss ways in which an evolutionary awareness can inform our cross-generational activities-which we refer to as "intergenerational extended phenotypes"-by helping us to construct a better future for ourselves, for other sentient beings, and for our environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton FL, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gorelik
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester MI, USA.
authors.forename: Todd K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Shackelford
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D012919:Social Behavior