Philosophy Now Forum

Itching happens to many people. And there any number of responses that may apply: applying heat, hitting the itch spot with a hammer, kissing the itch spot or blowing on it. But it seems that the most likely response is scratching the itch spot to relieve the itch.

Due to problems with itching, one may wonder why evolution left us with this phenomenon? And why it seems the most likely response is to scratch the itch spot (a good secondary question is scratching the best response to itching and if not, what then?)

Here's a link to a study that was done: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 121804.htm

PhilX

We itch because often spots of infection or parasites attack our skin. If we didn't do that we would end up with a spreading infection that would get worse and worse. It's interesting to note that the only cure for a scratch on your skin is pain, we need to itch until it is painful, to get rid of it, I think the evolutionary reason is obvious. Our skin is open to infection, where of course it goes wrong is when our immune system becomes hypersenstive and then we get things like eczema, but evolution is pretty much a blind watchmaker, it does what is useful, if it does too much, it, has no means of telling per se. You scratch because it is beneficial to you to do so, the whole evolutionary thing is more complex. One might as well explain why we sneeze, again for obvious reasons, if we did not...