[ExI] Morality

Keith Henson hkeithhenson at gmail.com
Sat Jan 8 16:36:53 UTC 2011


On Sat, Jan 8, 2011 at 5:00 AM,  Tomasz Rola <rtomek at ceti.pl> wrote:

> On Fri, 7 Jan 2011, spike wrote:

(Discussion of Rwanda and the Jewish genocide)

You missed the Cambodian and Armenian genocides.

In early historical times we have a description of a genocide in Book
of Numbers, King James version Chapter 31 verses 7-16

When the water came up at the end of the last ice age and the carrying
capacity of eastern Australia was greatly reduced there was a genocide
that left fields of bones.

I don't like saying so, but genocides (and wars) are a *feature* of
the human species, not a bug.  We are top predators and the ultimate
way top predator numbers are controlled is predation by other members
of the species.  (Talk to lions about this.)

But a top predator killing other top predators is a risky business, or
at least it was during our long evolution in bands and little tribes.
So we don't do it unless the downside (historically looming
starvation) is worse.

There is also nothing in our genetic selection in the EEA that makes
us concerned about the fate of unrelated people far away.  The fact we
are concerned at all is memetic.

So if you don't want the social pressures that lead to wars and
genocides, figure out how to keep the income per capita rising (or at
least not falling) and the prospects for the future looking good.

Keith



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