[ExI] Clark abstract

[hkhenson]

At 08:22 PM 1/9/2008, you wrote:
>Lee Corbin wrote:
> > Keith writes
> >
> >> Which brings up a recursive point.  What is the
> >> evolutionary origin of the reluctance in some
> >> groups to make reference to ethnic or cultural
> >> groups?
> >
> > Why ask for an EP explanation of a very recent *fashion*?
> > Throughout most of history there has been little or no
> > reluctance to discuss group differences.
>
>Lee makes an excellent point.  People believing in EP tend to try to use it
>to explain every psychological behavior.  Some of them, such as this recent
>phenomenon, don't have their roots in evolution.

EP makes the claim that *every* psychological behavior has roots in 
evolution.  Is learning (picking up new memes) a psychological 
behavior?  Of course, and it goes way back on the mammal line as well.

But people learn some things (fear of snakes and spiders) with much 
less effort than they learn others such as fearing electric 
outlets.  This meme about sensitivity to and not trashing other 
cultures isn't hard to learn and seems to invoke some circuits that 
are invoked by religious memes.  That's why it would be so 
interesting to devise tests to see what areas of the brain are 
involved and what other psychological mechanisms are co located with this area.

Incidentally fashion is not an unlimited range though it does 
sometimes seem that way to a guy raised in the 1950.

Keith