What is Konrad Lorenz's theory of instinct?
Instincts are not mere reflexes but complex, innate behavioral programs shaped by natural selection, much like physical organs. They are drives, often expressed through fixed action patterns, that serve essential survival functions. Think of the greylag goose's greeting ceremony or the territorial aggression of a stickleback; these are not learned frivolities but deeply ingrained patterns that have aided the survival and reproduction of their species over eons. My work, such as in *On Aggression*, explored how these instincts, while sometimes seemingly problematic in their raw form, can be understood and, importantly, channeled.
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