dbp@dataio.UUCP (Dave Pellerin) (10/09/84)
<Burp!> >Actually, if we are no more than self-replicating chemical masses, then there >is, as yet, absolutely no basis for not stepping on our fellow man, with the >possible exception that it is frequently not in our own best interests. And >yet, one intuitively feels that there *should be*. Great philosophers have... Don't dismiss 'in our own best interests' so casually, it's a powerful motivation. If you think of the evolutionary process working not only on the physical characteristics of a species, but also shaping the way we interact with other members of our species IN THE INTERESTS OF THE SPECIES AS A WHOLE, it becomes clear the the question posed above should be turned around; if it is to our advantage NOT to step on our fellow man, where did we go wrong? Some interesting ideas on this subject are presented in 'The Human Zoo' by Desmond Morris. Morris's contention is that the human race's rapid social evolution from tribal culture to urban society has outpaced the slow process of physical adaption. Interesting parallels are drawn between the behaviour of humans in an urban environment and similar behaviour of other species that have had to adapt to a rapidly changing social environment. Another book with some insights on the evolution of the human brain and how these changes have affected our social evolution is 'Broca's Brain' by Carl Sagan. Anyway, I didn't mean this to become a book review; the point is, you don't need divine revelations to explain the sometimes sorry state of our society; deeply rooted, hard-coded behaviour patterns still exist in our heads somewhere, often interfering with what we define to be 'acceptable' behaviour. Think about your own behaviour in a variety of social situations. Humans are a family-tribal oriented creature; we stick together in our little social groups, but watch out for strangers! We often have feelings and desires we have no control over. These are not the product of some underground nemesis with pointy ears, they are just instincts that are useful for survival. To me, the idea of evolution from lower life forms, no matter what the mechanisms may be, is elegant, understandable, and in my mind quite verifiable by observation and experience. Many people don't share this feeling, and are repulsed by the whole idea; hence the great pacifier - Religion. - Dave (the Devil made me do it) Pellerin "Oh, the mice were FURIOUS!" - Slartibartfast