>>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 08/21 12:56 PM >>>
You give me a good idea of what 'human nature' is, and how
it differs
significantly from any other animal's nature and I may
condescend not to
offend it again.
It differs significantly, for one thing, in the fact that
human beings have evolved higher order cognitive processes
and language, which enable them to manipulate signs and
symbols at extremely high levels of complexity and
abstraction. This enables them, unlike other species, to
develop ideas, to reflect on their social reality, to
intervene in nature through science and technology, to
imagine realities and situations that have never existed
(but might), to organise themselves in novel ways, to become
philosophers, poets and priests, even to devise methods of
destroying the entire planet, themselves and all other
species. That sounds like a significant difference to me.
But until then, I will consider any effort to subjegate or
modify human nature, or to organize in contravention to it
-- like socialism
does -- as wasted effort. You can't fool Mother Nature.
Even by your own logic, your conclusion doesn't follow: if
someone could show that only through socialism will each of
the (selfish) members of the human race survive and that all
other ways of living would lead to destruction then this
would be enough to refute your conclusion.
Tony: "Inherent sin, my God!"
Since when is adhering to the impulsion of one's genes a
sin?
Altruism is
nothing more than selfishness once removed. Socialists seem
to think they can
extrapolate that to modern society-scale organization. I
remain to be
convinced.
All of human society involves a repression of natural
impulses. The whole of Freudian psychology is based on this
notion of repression. It's just a question of how you do it
or in what social form. It is not more "natural" to be a
hunter gatherer than an industrial capitalist, or a feudal
lord than an astronaut or whatever. If capitalism were
somehow "natural" then it would have history of tens of
thousands of years, not a mere three centuries or so.
Your 100th great-grandfather's selfishness is why you're
here today, Hoss.
While you're brushing up on your anthro, get some background
on this from
Garett Hardin and E.O. Wilson.
I wouldn't talk down to people in this way if I was
presenting such hackneyed ideas and simplistic logic.
Tahir
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