Re: [asa] An Evolutionary Theory of Right and Wrong

Pim van Meurs wrote:
>
>
> Why? In fact, if the fundamental commandment is very compatible with
> kinship selection and reciprocal altruism then I find this hard to
> accept. These are moral rules which help formulate moral choices,
> moral laws etc
>
>
What is "reciprocal altruism"?

I know your questions are directed to David and regarding Hauser's work
with which I'm not familiar, but I'll add a comment anyway.

If the source of moral law is *only* in nature, then what could possibly
be moral about it? Are gravity or inertia moral things? Doesn't an
understanding of nature merely help us understand and more fully
appreciate consequences of moral law? We can appreciate that the
avoidance of eating certain unclean animals during would have had some
good reasoning behind it when that command was given. But the real
teeth behind such a law would still be "because God commanded it" --
wouldn't it? Without that last significant jump, it just becomes
another "good idea" which may enhance a group's survival chances --
nothing more.

--merv

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Received on Wed Nov 8 06:29:39 2006