Shortly after Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution, a lady was asked what she thought of the idea that humans and animals came down from a common ancestor (祖先). "Let us hope it is not true," she said. "And, if it is true, let us hope it does not become public knowledge."
This story is probably untrue, but it illustrates well the attitudes of the time. Today, we are more comfortable with our past. Many people accept Darwin"s view of how we came into being - that our bodies" evolved through the process of natural selection acting on our genes.
However, Darwin believed evolution was responsible for far more than just our physical characteristics. He saw it as the major influence in shaping our psychology. Indeed, he predicted that "in the distant future, psychology will be based on a new foundation." This foundation was, of course, his theory of evolution.
To those in favor of concepts like free will and personal responsibility, such an idea seems quite stupid. But a growing number of scientists are questioning the extent to which our behavior is controlled by our culture . Their research has revealed increasing evidence that the human mind is made up of natural mechanisms, which control everything from the way we perceive (感知) time and space, to how we learn survival techniques and choose mates. According to Darwin"s view, our psychology ______.