Foreign thinker
David P. Barash
David P. BarashEvolutionary Biology and Peace StudiesAmerican
Life and Thought
David P. Barash is an evolutionary biologist and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Washington. He has written more than forty books in the fields of animal behavior, evolutionary psychology, human aggression, and peace studies, and is considered a pioneer in applying an evolutionary perspective to understanding human behavior. Barash is also a prominent figure in promoting peace studies and critiquing nuclear deterrence.
David P. Barash (born 1946) is an evolutionary biologist and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle. He earned his bachelor's degree in biology from Harpur College at Binghamton University and his Ph.D. in zoology in 1970 from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. After a brief teaching stint at the State University of New York at Oneonta, he secured a permanent position at the University of Washington, where he worked for over four decades until his retirement in 2017.
Barash defines his expertise in two main areas: evolutionary biology (particularly animal and human behavior) and peace studies (with a special focus on nuclear weapons). He is a pioneer of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology and has written books such as "Sociobiology and Behavior," "The Myth of Monogamy" (with his wife, Judith Eve Lipton), and "Madame Bovary's Ovaries." In the field of peace studies, he authored the first comprehensive textbook in the discipline, titled "Introduction to Peace Studies," and published important works on nuclear deterrence and disarmament, including the book "The Arms Race and Nuclear War," which was a National Book Award nominee.
He has written or edited over 250 scientific articles and about 40 books and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Barash has addressed topics such as aggression, revenge, monogamy, literature, and even theology from an evolutionary perspective, consistently emphasizing the importance of connecting science with the general public. His recent works include "Threats: Intimidation and Its Discontents" (2020) and "Oops! The Worst Blunders of All Time" (2023).
