From: Keith Henson (hkhenson@rogers.com)
Date: Wed 10 Mar 2004 - 14:24:20 GMT
At 09:52 AM 10/03/04 +0000, you wrote:
>This is daft -- the thing you're employing as an established premise is
>the most contentious thing in there -- you *have* to *prove* that this is
>a genetically controlled response to have a leg to stand on (which you
>can't). Otherwise you're just in there with Ted -- swapping ideas about
>posited black boxes we can't open. If the article had used 'may be'
>instead of 'is' it wouldn't irk me so.
>
>"Humans have evolved a psychological response"
>"Genes inducing suicidal behavior"
>"this evolved psychological mechanism"
>
>And as for this being the root of (most) war; I think you'll find the
>greed of the 'haves' at the core of most wars, rather than the deprivation
>of the 'have nots'. Diamonds, oil, columbo-tantalite, lebensraum when you
>already have lots of raum for your leben...
Up to an instant ago (speaking in evolutionary terms) human had no use for
diamonds, oil, or columbo-tantalite. Lebensraum, where that meant the
several square km a person required to collect food, was worth fighting
over and was. BTW, evolutionary psychology rejects explanations based on
post hunter-gatherer behavior, there just hasn't been enough time since
agriculture to shift gene frequencies. ("Thrifty genes that predispose a
well fed person to diabetes might be an exception.)
>Anyway seeing as you wouldn't answer my points without my having read the
>article, I'll try to make time to read it and then pass criticism back if
>you'll be good enough to point me at the latest draft.
Will email you one, I hope by this weekend.
Incidentally, do you have a non EP explanation for
capture-bonding/Stockholm Syndrome?
Keith Henson
>I hope there's something empirical to back up what, from the abstract,
>sounds like an opinion piece. All this stuff about switching things on,
>and evolved behaviours (and I am assuming you mean classically evolved,
>therefore genetic and 'hard-wired') is otherwise a just so story -- and
>frankly I don't care how long it's been out there, or who else 'likes' it
>(cf. Judaism etc.).
>
>Chris.
>
>Keith Henson wrote:
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