Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.

Dismiss

[Fwd: Re: [evol-psych] Is altruism forced behavior?]

1 view

Skip to first unread message

Phil Roberts, Jr.

unread,

Jul 6, 2011, 2:55:23 PM7/6/11

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [evol-psych] Is altruism forced behavior?
Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:31:59 -0400
From: Phil Roberts, Jr. <phi...@ix.netcom.com>
To: evolutionar...@yahoogroups.com

Edgar Owen wrote:
> Comment: An interesting theory that essentially says altruism
is forced behavior rather than goodness or generosity, that
people are altruistic to avoid social anger being turned on
them. That altruism is essentially a form of social guilt....
>

I have a little different take on this.

We have to be TAUGHT moral norms by employing reinforcement
measures based on the various mini programs of the old
survival system (fear, anger, pain, etc.) but we eventually
"internalize" these norms which is to say, we actually come
to "see" the difference between right and wrong and move
to self-punishment (feelings of worthlessness in the
form of guilt) when we fall below our own self-imposed
standard of impartiality.

Here is an abstract I just submitted for an upcoming
conference in Cincinnati:

Dismantling the Guillotine

Abstract: Aside from the mind body problem, there is
perhaps no more infamous philosophical perplexity than
ï¿½Humeï¿½s Guillotineï¿½, i.e., the purported logical gap
between ï¿½isï¿½ (descriptive) premises and ï¿½oughtï¿½
(prescriptive) conclusions. Based on the premise
that our prescriptive ï¿½oughtï¿½s are actually referencing
a shared implicit theory of rationality, along with a
proposed procedure for deciphering some its parameters,
I offer a derivation of a moral prescriptive ï¿½oughtï¿½
(ï¿½Love thy neighborï¿½) from a descriptive ï¿½isï¿½ (an
implicit theory of rationality that is demonstrably
ï¿½trueï¿½) on the grounds that the concept/attribute of
rationality is the fount from which all normativity
flows. I also offer an explanation as to why we, as
quasi rational naturally selected organisms experience
and often respond to the tug of this moral maxim on
those occasions in which doing so falls well outside
the predicted parameters of inclusive fitness theory
(Mother Teresa, self-endangering Greenpeacers, etc).

------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evolutionary-psychology/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evolutionary-psychology/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
evolutionary-ps...@yahoogroups.com
evolutionary-psych...@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
evolutionary-psyc...@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Phil Roberts, Jr.
http://www.rationology.net

0 new messages