From: BillK (pharos@gmail.com)
Date: Fri Feb 13 2009 - 01:32:21 MST
On Fri, Feb 13, 2009 at 1:16 AM, Matt Mahoney wrote:
> Nobody can experience death. In order to experience something, you have to remember it.
> The only reason we consider murder unethical is because cultures with this belief grew
> faster than those without it.
>
This is a simplistic fallacy.
By this reasoning all the different ethical systems and societies in
the world cannot exist because the 'best' system would have swamped
all others.
This is the 'naturalistic fallacy'. The belief that because something
is 'natural' that makes it right. Humans are social beings. Culture,
history and tradition gets passed on to the next generation, not
because it is 'best', but because 'that's the way things are done
round here'.
Evolutionary psychology has provided some useful insights, but it is
not a new religion.
BillK
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