Henry Plotkin | |
---|---|
Born | [1] Johannesburg, South Africa | 11 December 1940
Died | 15 December 2021[2] | (aged 81)
Nationality | British |
Alma mater | University of the Witwatersrand |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Evolutionary theory, evolutionary epistemology, cultural evolution, evolutionary psychology |
Institutions | University College London |
Doctoral students | Kevin Lala, Cecilia Heyes |
Henry Charles Plotkin (11 December 1940 – 15 December 2021) was a British evolutionary psychologist who applied Darwinian principles to the understanding of the mind, behavior, culture and knowledge.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Plotkin completed his undergraduate studies at the University of the Witwatersrand.[1] In 1964, he relocated to the United Kingdom and earned a doctorate in physiological psychology from University College London in 1968.[1]
From 1965 to 1972, Plotkin worked as a research scientist at the Medical Research Council. He spent two years (1970–1972) as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. Upon returning to the UK, he joined University College London as a lecturer. He was promoted to Reader in 1988 and became a professor in 1993. He was head of the Psychology Department at UCL from 1993 to 1998 [3] and was named Emeritus Professor in 2005.
His doctoral students include Kevin Lala and Cecilia Heyes.[citation needed]