[ExI] Origin of ethics and morals

[BillK]

On Sat, Dec 10, 2011 at 4:13 AM, Keith Henson wrote:
> Our psychological mechanisms have been shaped by millions of year of
> genetic selection in hunter gatherer bands or small tribes.  And it
> was selection for appropriate responses depending on the conditions.
> I have shown in a simple model that going to war with neighbors in a
> time of plenty has dire consequences for genes that induce such
> behavior.  Likewise, *not* going to war when the environmental
> conditions called for it had equally dire consequences.
>
> The way we treat close relatives, remote relatives and strangers makes
> complete sense if you analyze it from the viewpoint of genes.
>
> If you can come up with exceptions, I would be most interested.
>

On the other hand you also claim that a few generations of gene
selection can transform a nation (re Clark), so I don't see why you
insist that gene driven ethics can't be changed.

BillK