[extropy-chat] Meta Transhumanism and Axx Rxxx

[Lee Corbin]

Jeff wrote first on 3/13 then---perhaps accidentally---exactly
the same thing on 3/16:

> My offering, quick and dirty.
>
> Social creatures -- humans among them -- live in
> groups because of the survival benefit derived, and
> manifest strong instinctive loyalty-to-the-group
> behaviors.  In humans this is tribalism, with tribal
> loyalty taking the form "My tribe right or wrong."

Isn't it rather obvious the benefits to the group of
such tribalism?  Is it really any mystery as to why
it evolved?

One of our chief concerns on a forum like this is to
take proper note of a lot of the historical nastiness
that is a direct consequence of "my tribe, right or 
wrong". Another chief concern is the way in which such
loyalty cuts short---exactly as religious referents do
---careful and critical examination of certain issues.
Yet these aspects of tribalism are often exhibited as
though it arose as a mere, unfortunate pathological
aberration. 

Nothing could be further from the truth.

We see clearly today *exactly* what happens to groups
that do *not* have sufficient tribal loyalty: it doesn't
take evolution very long to get rid of them. It's for 
this reason that I temper my criticism of such loyalty.
Something about the meme-set of the proponents is still
working correctly, just as originally designed.

Lee