Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id PAA00690 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 17 Sep 2001 15:35:04 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3102A6CFE4@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: On the origin of .... war Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 15:13:23 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain X-Filter-Info: UoS MailScan 0.1 [D 1] Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi Robin,
Yeah, that was my point. Sometimes the rational action, from an adaptive
perspective, is indeed the instinctual one of fight or flight, sometimes it
isn't. One shouldn't assume they are mutually exclusive. A male lion
having defeated a pride leader will systematically kill all cubs fathered by
the former pride leader, an horrific yet adaptive strategy.
In the case of the tragic recent events, the instinctual response of massive
military reaction is, in my view, not a rational response, unlike say, the
response to the attack on Pearl Harbour, where the enemy and the motive for
attack were both obvious. Currently the US, and by clear governmental
association, the member states of Nato, face massive uncertainty in these
areas, and yet the finger is on the trigger. No doubt the more caution the
allies use to ensure a legitimate target, the more anger will collect in the
minds of the victims' families and fellow nationals in the time that takes,
and the demands for massive retaliation will grow.
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Robin Faichney
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 2:13 pm
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: On the origin of .... war
>
> On Mon, Sep 17, 2001 at 10:29:03AM +0100, Vincent Campbell wrote:
> > We often tend to think of rationality as in some way automatically
> removed
> > from what we are when it's not, and what we need to do is recognise this
> > otherwise we will never be able to turn away from instinctive
> flight/fight
> > responses to such acts.
>
> Umm, didn't you just imply that the instinctive response is (at least
> sometimes) rational? :-)
>
> --
> Robin Faichney
> "It is tempting to suppose that some concept of information could serve
> eventually to unify mind, matter, and meaning in a single theory," say
> Daniel Dennett and John Haugeland. The theory is here:
> http://www.ii01.org/
>
> ===============================================================
> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
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>
>
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