Good Essay About Reaction To “Monogamy Isn’t Easy.”

David P. Barash (Nov. 22, 2009), in the article “Monogamy isn’t easy” describes the evolutionary aspect of monogamy in both animals and human beings. Barash notes that whereas monogamy is something that is the society debates, it is easy for one to assume it as a social issue other than a biological one. He noted that some animal researchers believed monogamy is uncommon among the animals. However, with the advent of DNA tests, monogamy is very rare since animals would more than often have offspring fathered by a different partner other than the social partner. I presume that this indicates the nature of polygamy in that the social partner may have the desire to have many partners. The social nature of human interactions points out that monogamy is more of a social phenomenon than the reality. Partners are biologically wired to try other partners.
Barash notes that monogamy is not natural in human. The evolution of mankind shows that both males and females have penchant for an extra partner for sex or getting children. Whereas this might be true, I believe that the desire for additional partner may vary from one person to another and the prevailing conditions in the relationships. It is worth noting that the society tends to presume that men are more polygamous than women. If it is true, then one would have to explain with whom the men become polygamous. The human DNA, if the evolution theory is true, is wired with polygamous nature just as the majority of the animals are.
So why would humans force themselves to be in a monogamous relationship? To answer this question, Barash noted that even among animals, monogamous relationship have various benefits such as fighting predators, or even for the sake of the offspring. Could this be the main reason humans, being the top most of all animals advocate monogamy? It is evident that mutual benefits in the monogamous relationship especially if the partners stay together for long attract partners to stay in them. Moreover, bi-parental care is good for the offspring as it creates as sense of confidence in them and the right environment for social development. The economic needs for bringing up a child or children have since increased to such levels that it is difficult for one to raise a child alone. On the contrary, the number of single parents has increased due to the same economic difficulties that break up couples. Issues of trust, betrayals, love, and monotony lead couples to try out with others eventually breaking the marriage.
In addition to mutual benefits, humans have the capacity to modify their feelings to fit into a particular social-cultural setting. Barash notes that although this is possible, humans would be swimming against the current of evolution. Barash finishes by quoting Jean Paul Sartre that one has the freedom to choose. Imperatively, Barash indicates the freedom of choice among the humans. One may remain in a monogamous relationship or polygamous one by choice. But is the free will possible in the current world full of religious indoctrination and social-cultural norms? In most societies in the world, cultural norms dictate what one ought to do and doing the reverse, one is labeled a rebel and in extreme cases an outcast. In this case, the freedom to choose is limited.

Work cited

Barash, David. "Monogamy Isn't Easy, Naturally." Los Angeles Times 22 Nov. 2009. Web. 25 Mar. 2015. <http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/22/opinion/la-oe-barash22- 2009nov22>.