----------empyre- soft-skinned space---------------------- Hi Alan --
- And I wonder, why isn't sociobiology on the table here? It seems to me that violence is ingrained in being-human; although there are exceptions, most of human history seems bathed in blood. For me, part of the question does involve empathy - how can we so identify with the other, that the torture stops? And
The balance between the violence and empathy probably have a break point at the number 150 -- the 'average' maximum number of relations that the human brain is evolved to be mindful of -- the clan-based society... Empathy can extend no further than that (perhaps), except in extraordinary circumstances (Jesus, Buddha, etc)...
The rest of those outside the 150 are simply challengers of my use of resources that I employ to optimize the reproducibility of my clan (unless there is an attractive gene-pool-mixing opportunity 'out there'). Those may have to be taken by force.
What genetic evidence is there of altruism that extends beyond clan? I know there has been some research in that regard, but my phenomenological observations suggest that humans are, on average and in aggregate, unable to make altruistic decisions on a wide scale (global warming seems to be one example)... Decisions can be made on a smaller scale when conditions pressure such, but otherwise, resource consumption and nest-soiling tendencies are not immediately impinging on quality of life, so, who cares?
and so on... jh -- ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dr. John Hopkins, BSc, MFA, PhD grounded on a granite batholith twitter: @neoscenes http://tech-no-mad.net/blog/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ _______________________________________________ empyre forum empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au http://empyre.library.cornell.edu
