The Paradoxical Primate

In his book "The Paradoxical Primate", Colin Talbot explains his hypothesis that human beings are paradoxical by nature and shows the reader that to understand human nature one must understand the evolution of the psychology, ethology, and behavior genetics. Talbot theorizes that it is a combination of these different disciplines that makes up the overall evolution of both human beings and human nature. Talbot also explains his theory of Paradoxical systems which is the study of human being’s behavior, organizations, and management. Talbot explains his theories on human nature and human behavior, which he believes explains the big shifts in human behavior and nature over time, and what his research has revealed to him. Since the 1970’s and 1980’s, Colin Talbot and his colleagues have studied these aspects of human behavior and nature, organization, and management along with the different related disciplines, to piece together his theory of the Paradoxical Primate.

The famous science theorist, Thomas Kuhan explains in his book, “The Scientific Revolutions” (1962), paradigm shifts theory for the evolution of human nature and behavior. Kuhan defines a paradigm as a reasonably coherent set of explanations, theories, methodologies and bodies of evidence (Talbot 14). In his book, Kuhan explains that scientific revolutions take place when one paradigm gives way to another, in effect a paradigm shift. Talbot explains that much of the paradigm shifts in management have taken place are a mishandling of a previous paradigm, which has been swapped in reality and theory. Talbot explains that Kuhan felt paradigms shifted while nothing in the reality of the world change. In effect, paradigm shifts are a change in the way that people see and understand the world and not an actual change in reality. In management writing, the paradigm shifts have changed the way the world works “from the hierarchy to network, public administration to new public management, and personal...