In a message dated 7/26/2004 7:08:30 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> But from a genetic point of view I think the answers are very > different. Once you have reproduced, a parents sole (in terms of > genetics) purpose in life is to protect ones offspring. (And/or to > produce more.) > > Another idea that comes to mind is that morality and ethics are new > things that have only existed for a few thousand years, but genetic > imperatives have been around for at least a billion years. >
Evolutionary psychology offers important insights into these issues. Morality
and ethics are at least in part adaptations. We are complex social animals.
We give special status to our kin because they carry some of our genes. We
engage in recipricol altruism with those who are not our kin because this strategy
provides the most benefit for the individual. In order to keep track of who
owes what to whom and who is dealing honestly and who is cheating we have
developed for keeping score. Morality is how we keep score. It is tied to a series
of emotional responses. Genes that favor an ability to sort out all of the tit
for tat interactions that form the base of morality help the person to
florish. For good explanations of this see Robert Wright's "The Moral Animal" Steven
Pinker's "How the Mind Works" and Matt Ridley's "The Origin of Virtue"
Excellent choices. If you want to go further, David Buss's books starting with "Evolution of Desire," Axelrod's "Evolution of Cooperation," and at least one of William Calvin's books, "Ascent of Mind" being a bit dated but very good. Round this out with some of Jane Goodall's books on chimps.
Keith Henson
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