Fatherhood and the perfection of masculine identity : a Thomistic account in light of contemporary science

pp. 42-43 (PDF pp. 37-38) are on testosterone; Fortin quotes these: > Variation in the level of testosterone among different men, and in the same man in different seasons or at different times of day, correlates with libido, self-confidence, and the drive for dominance. Violent criminals have higher levels than nonviolent criminals; trial lawyers have higher levels than those who push paper. The relations are complicated for a number of reasons. Over a broad range of values, the concentration of testosterone in the bloodstream doesn't matter. Some traits, such as spatial abilities, peak at moderate rather than high levels. The effects of testosterone depend on the number and distribution of receptors for the molecule, not just on its concentration. And one's psychological state can affect testosterone levels as well as the other way around. But there is a causal relationship, albeit a complicated one. > —Steven Pinker, *The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature* (New York: Viking Penguin, 2002), 347-348. > Male testosterone levels vary during the course of the day due to innumerable factors, including stress, exertion, and aggression. It is not clear whether increase in testosterone is a cause or an effect, but it is correlated with social challenges, anger, and conflict. Testosterone levels rise in anticipation of sex or even fantasizing about it. One study found that testosterone levels increase if a male sport fan watches his team win, but levels decrease in fans of the losing team. > —Mark F. Bear, Barry W. Connors, Michael A. Paradiso, [*Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain*](https://isidore.co/calibre/#panel=book_details&book_id=9184), Second Edition (Hagerstown: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins 2001), 553. p. 60 (PDF p. 55) on smell, quotes these: > The contraceptive pill seems to have a strong influence on odor preference. This indicates that steroids which are naturally released during pregnancy could change body odor preferences, leading to a preference for odors which are similar to those of relatives. This preference is probably not related to mate choice but may be comparable, to a certain degree, to the observation that female mice prefer MHC-similar individuals for communal nesting. Therefore, the contraceptive pill seems to interfere with natural mate choice. If the pill changes preferences for familiar as well as unfamiliar body odors then starting with the pill could have an influence on the stability of an already existing pair bond by influencing odor preference. > —Wedekind et al. “[MHC Dependent Mate Preferences in Humans](https://isidore.co/misc/Physics%20papers%20and%20books/Zotero/storage/QNP6LGA5/1995%20-%20MHC-dependent%20mate%20preferences%20in%20humans.pdf)," p. 247. Fortin: > [This] indicates a woman's sense of smell helps attract her to males with complementary immune systems that will benefit offspring - it appears that an offspring's immune system will be stronger if the man and woman have immune systems that are dissimilar to each other. These are men who have a dissimilar major histocompatability complex MHC. [Geary, *Male, Female* , 133 & 19-20.] * * * pp. 26ff. (PDF pp. 21ff.): §"The Biological Foundation of Sexual Differentiation" are on the SRY (sex-determining region of the Y chromosome) that males (XY) have; cf. [*Brain Gender*](https://isidore.co/calibre/#panel=book_details&book_id=9699) & [*Larsen's Human Embryology*](https://isidore.co/calibre/#panel=book_details&book_id=9183) on how this confirms the Aristotelian-Thomistic view that the male is the active principle of generation and the conception of a female is due to a defect: [I q. 92 a. 1](https://isidore.co/aquinas/summa/FP/FP092.html#FPQ92A1THEP1) ad 1: > the active force in the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex; while the production of woman comes from defect in the active force cf. [Popik, *The Philosophy of Woman of St. Thomas Aquinas*](https://isidore.co/calibre/#panel=book_details&book_id=6586) p. 33 (PDF p. 28): "parts of the Y chromosome are also responsible for spermatogenesis; this appears to be the case since problems in the sixth and seventh band of the long arm of the Y chromosome result in male infertility.24": * Federman, Daniel D. “[The Biology of Human Sex Differences](https://isidore.co/misc/Physics%20papers%20and%20books/Zotero/storage/9WKYQUES/Federman%20-%202006%20-%20The%20Biology%20of%20Human%20Sex%20Differences.pdf).” *New England Journal of Medicine* 354, no. 14 (April 6, 2006): 1507–14.