[ExI] Meta question

[John Clark]

On Thu, Aug 18, 2016 at 12:30 PM, Keith Henson <hkeithhenson at gmail.com>
wrote:

​> ​
> Bill, the "better" problem stems from there being two viewpoints, the
> ​ ​
> individual humans and human genes.
>

​Yes there can certainly be conflicts between the two:

Individual humans = the invention of condoms would be a good idea.
Human genes = the invention of condoms would be a bad idea.​

But individual humans ended up getting there way because the genome is far
too small for anything but extremely generaL orders and the brain can, like
good lawyers, can find loopholes in those orders.

​> ​
> The
> ​ ​
> accomplishments of the Greeks lie at the root of Western culture.  Our
> ​ ​
> history would have been very different without the suicidal self
> ​ ​
> sacrifice of King Leonidas of Sparta and his men.


​
True but I can't help but wonder whose genes are more common in the present
day gene pool, those that were once in King Leonidas
​ ​
or those there were in the coward who refused to march with him and instead
stayed home and had 10 children. And you may be too pessimistic,
​ ​
Steven Pinker
​ made a strong case in his book "​The
 Better Angels of Our Nature
​" that there is less violence now that at any other time in history.​

 John K Clark
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