Re: Evolutionary Psychology and Free Will

In a message dated 5/4/2006 4:13:21 AM Eastern Standard Time,
dfsiemensjr@juno.com writes:
The entire essay is well written and provocative. I recommend that
> interested parties read it and comment here. Dr Miles is not saying
> anything new or unusual--I know of highly similar statements going
> back to at least the 1920s if not further--but his application to
> the current controversy is illuminating and stimulating. With his
> permission, I have made available a copy of the essay on my webpage:
Here are a few papers more accurate regarding the current controversy within
EP. MacDonald answering Pinker and my review of Darwin's Cathedral in which I
specifically address the "competitive breeding" aspect of morality. Due to the
Levitical prohibitions, some orthodox Jewish groups have the highest birth
rates and the highest mean IQs in the world -- that makes them the only high
K/high r organisms on the planet. Dawkins' selfish gene label is misleading.
Genes do nothing but reflect the result of phenotypic diffferntial survival rates.
They are not "selfish."
Free will is actually the loosening of genetic constraints -- the move from
instinctive to learned behavior -- so saying free will is inoperable in the
face of genetic constraints is simply not correct as free will by definition is
the loosening of genetic contraints.

Here is the current controversy. Note the exchange between KMac and Tooby and
Pinker's presumptuous letter to which KMac responds (Note that opinionated as
he is, Pinker says he hasn't read MacDonald!), and then note the link to my
eye witness account of the debate over EP and religion at HBES2000 that
MacDonald has posted on his web site.

 http://www.kevinmacdonald.net/Tooby&Pinker.htm

Here is a review of Darwin' Cathedral in which these matters are discussed.

http://theoccidentalquarterly.com/vol3no2/rf-wilsona.html

As for inclusive fitness, the rebbe of the satmar sect died recently and the
New York post had a picture of the crowds of male mourners: hundreds of them
packed closely shoulder to shoulder many of them enbracing one another and
holding hands. This is an example of intense inclusive fitness. When was the last
time you saw hundreds of Christians at a funeral all densely packed shoulder
to shoulder many of them embracing one another?

rich faussette
Received on Thu May 4 07:58:07 2006