Nothing new there. Used to be called social darwinism, then socio-biology; now social molecular biology.
Same old, same old eugenics. Pseudo-science. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Devine" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <PEN-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU> Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 6:31 PM Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Altruism: hardwired > FWIW, there's a right-wing book by Gandolfi, Gandolfi, and Barash that > tries to link Dawkins' selfish gene to Chicago-style neoclassical > economics. See _Economics as an evolutionary science_: _From utility > to fitness_ by Arthur E. Gandolfi, Anna S. Gandolfi and David P. > Barash. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers 2002 > > On 5/30/07, Walt Byars <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > It is not "just a metaphor". That would be trivializing what has > > > turned out to be an extremely powerful idea. Dawkins hides behind this > > > "just a metaphor" excuse in his preface, but is he naive enough to > > > think that all his readers are as nuanced as he is? > > > > Anyone who reads any of the book can see what he is talking about. It is > > obvious he isn't talking about a gene which causes people to be selfish, > > or a gene which behaves selfishly. > > > > > In reality it fits > > > in too nicely with the neo-classical rhetoric about humans as utility > > > maximizing individuals - he supplies a very nice and > > > plausible-sounding utility function (the survival rate of all your > > > genes!). > > > > This would only have anything to do with utility maximization if people > > took pleasure in the survival of their genes. If any economists did draw > > this conclusion, they probably based it on his actual argument and not > > just the title. > > > > > > > > > > This would not make sense unless behavior is genetically determined. > > > -raghu. > > > > I don't know what you mean by genetically determined, but what I was > > saying is totally independent of how much genetics influence behavior. It > > is simply saying that IF there were biological adaptations which caused > > people to be more altruistic, they may be selected for if behaving > > altruistically increases an individual's fitness or that of their close > > relatives. This logic doesn't rely on the actual existence of biological > > adaptations which cause people to behave altruistically (I personally > > think such adaptations exist...I'm not really qualified to debate this, > > though). > > > > > -- > Jim Devine / "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your > own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante. >
